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Medical school comparison

Imperial College London vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Imperial College London and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Imperial College London is based in London (London) while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits in Belfast (Northern Ireland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination. On UCAT alone there is roughly a 620-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance.

Side-by-side comparison

Imperial College London

London

Quick comparison

Location
London, UK
A-Level offer
A*AA at A-level with the A* in Chemistry or Biology
TrueScore
2340
UCAT home cut-off
2320+ /2700 (2026 entry official cut-off)
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
All Applicants: 662/852 = 78% (2025). 280 international interviews, ~2130 international applicants.
Decision date
March onwards

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Belfast

Quick comparison

Location
Belfast, UK
A-Level offer
A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
TrueScore
1700
UCAT home cut-off
~1700+ /2700 with 9× grade 9s GCSE (~35/45 target). Lower UCAT viable with stronger GCSE.
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
Home: 332/778 = 43%; International: 51/214 = 24%
Decision date
April onwards
Compare different schools

Imperial College London vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Imperial College London's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2320, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 1700. That's a 620-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1900-2100 band would be competitive at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) but borderline at Imperial College London. Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Imperial College London: 2170+ /2700 (2026 entry official contextual cut-off); Queen's University Belfast (QUB): ~1500+ /2700 (with strong GCSE). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

Imperial College London requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Both demand the same A-Level grade band, so academic prediction is unlikely to differentiate your application between them — provided you meet the required subject combination at each.

Interview formats

Both Imperial College London and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) use MMI interviews, so the underlying prep approach is the same — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot-topic answers and (for MMI) structured station responses against a timer. Interview windows: Imperial College London interviews in December - February; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) in January - February.

Post-interview offer rate

Imperial College London: All Applicants: 662/852 = 78% (2025). 280 international interviews, ~2130 international applicants.. Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Home: 332/778 = 43%; International: 51/214 = 24%. Post-interview odds give you the clearest signal of how competitive each school is at the final stage — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%, even if the interview thresholds look identical on paper.

What makes each distinctive

Imperial College London: Heavy emphasis on scientific reasoning and the integrated London course structure. Around a quarter of places are now reserved for international applicants. UCAT is the primary shortlisting factor, with personal-statement use limited to exceptional cases. Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Less weight on NHS hot topics than most schools. Stronger emphasis on reflective examples of personal qualities. SJT may be used if borderline before or after interview, but in 2025 anyone with 30/42 received an interview regardless.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~2500/3600), Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the more realistic firm-choice option. Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Imperial College London feeds into the London foundation programme network; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) into the Northern Ireland network. Your firm/insurance choice should ultimately weight: where your UCAT and predicted grades sit relative to each school's threshold, which interview format you can prepare for most credibly, and where you'd actually want to live for five or six years.

Common questions

Imperial College London's typical home cut-off is around 2320, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 1700 — a 620-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while Imperial College London expects performance closer to the top 36% of test-takers. Cut-offs change year on year and vary by tier — check each school's latest published threshold before submitting your UCAS form.

Imperial College London uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Queen's University Belfast (QUB) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). The format is the same, so the same prep approach applies — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot topics, and (for MMI) structured 5-7 minute station answers. Interview windows: December - February (Imperial College London); January - February (Queen's University Belfast (QUB)).

Imperial College London requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

Imperial College London — Strong GCSE profile expected; not algorithmically scored but considered alongside UCAT and academic record. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) — GCSE performance considered as part of the broader academic profile; specific scoring not published.

Imperial College London's selection methodology: Around top ⅓ of applicants interviewed. Mainly UCAT-based shortlisting (special-circumstances applicants reviewed case-by-case). SJT band 4 rejected; B1/B2/B3 treated equally. Queen's University Belfast (QUB)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. Understanding each school's exact algorithm is the single highest-leverage piece of pre-application research — it tells you whether your profile is competitive before you spend an application choice.

Imperial College London: All Applicants: 662/852 = 78% (2025). 280 international interviews, ~2130 international applicants.. Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Home: 332/778 = 43%; International: 51/214 = 24%. Post-interview odds tell you how competitive each school is at the final stage. Two schools with similar UCAT thresholds can have very different post-interview rates — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%.

Imperial College London is in London, UK. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is in Belfast, UK. Tuition is £9,250/year at both for UK home applicants; the main cost difference is accommodation (London accommodation typically runs 30-50% above the national average).

Imperial College London typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) releases medicine decisions April onwards. If one is earlier than the other, you may need to hold a decision while waiting for the second school — be ready to compare in real time.

You can — UCAS allows 4 medicine/dentistry choices in total, so listing both is feasible if your profile fits each school's selection algorithm. Apply to both only if your UCAT, GCSE and predicted-grade profile is competitive against each school's published weighting. A common mistake is using two of your four slots on similar schools when a more spread-out portfolio (one safe + one stretch) would maximise overall offer probability.

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 20 June 2026.