Where are Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor) located, and how does that affect cost?

Lancaster is in Lancaster, UK. North Wales (Bangor) is in Bangor, 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).

When does each school release decisions?

Lancaster typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. North Wales (Bangor) releases medicine decisions March 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.

Medical school comparison

Lancaster vs North Wales (Bangor)

Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Both sit in England, so location and clinical-placement breadth are similar — the differentiation comes from selection methodology, interview style and curriculum philosophy.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor).
Comparison field	LancasterLancaster	North Wales (Bangor)Bangor
Quick comparison
Location	Lancaster, UK	Bangor, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including any 2 of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology - OR AAB with grade B in a 4th subject or EPQ	AAA at A-level including Biology and one further science.
TrueScore	Lancaster TrueScore 1950	North Wales (Bangor) TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off	1920+ /2700 (2026 entry official cut-off, non-contextual)	-
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	Home student: 261/587 = 44%; International: 6/19 = 32%	Refused to disclose. New medical school, has been in clearing in past years.
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including any 2 of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology - OR AAB with grade B in a 4th subject or EPQ	AAA at A-level including Biology and one further science.
Contextual A-Level offer	AAB at A-level for contextual / WP applicants. Predicted ABB also acceptable for those who completed Lancaster Access Programme.	AAB for Welsh-speaking applicants (who must also hold a first-language Welsh GCSE) and for others meeting Bangor's contextual criteria.
Required A-Level subjects	Any two of Biology, Chemistry, Psychology required. Predicted minimum AAB.	Biology required, plus one further science
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted: applicants without achieved resit grades must show ABB at first sitting (or up to CCC with mitigating circumstances), then offer becomes A*AA	A-level resits are NOT accepted. GCSE resits are accepted only if completed within 12 months of the original sitting and before application.
GCSE requirements	Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE Biology, Chemistry, Physics (or 6-6 Combined Science) plus Mathematics and English Language. Score calculated /16 across 8 GCSE subjects: 7+ = 2 pts, 6 = 1 pt; minimum 13/16 (essentially 77777666 or higher). GCSE resits not accepted unless exceptional circumstances are clearly evidenced.	English or Welsh Language at grade B/6, and Double Science at BB/66.
GCSE scoring methodology	GCSEs scored /16 across 8 subjects (incl. Maths, English, Bio, Chem, Phys). Minimum 13/16 to clear shortlisting threshold.	-
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level - including any two of HL Biology, Chemistry, Psychology	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Biology and one further science
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in any honours degree (A101 graduate-entry route)
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	1870+ /2700 (2026 entry contextual)	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	1900+ /2700 (2026 entry overseas)	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Band 4 autorejected - 1, 2, 3 are fine	Refused to disclose how SJT is used (avoid with B4)
UCAT notes	Solely UCAT-based after GCSE minimums (≥13/16 GCSE points). A104 Foundation 1870+. Personal statement not used; interviewers do not see it. Borderline applicants up to 10 points below cut-off may rece…	Bangor requires the UCAT but publishes NO minimum threshold - it states only that the score is used in selection. No cut-off should be inferred or estimated.

Degree awarded	MBChB	BMBS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Case-based learning	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	Imaging and models	-
First patient contact	Year 2	Year 1
Placement geography	Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire	North Wales
Named placement sites	-	-
Intercalation	Offered between years 4 and 5, at bachelor's or master's level.	-
Course highlight	-	The programme is bilingual — most components can be studied in Welsh as well as English, and students use Welsh on placement.

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	MMI with multiple 5-minute stations and 2-minute breaks between each one. Two stations involve preparation tasks where you can write notes; the rest are typical MMI scenarios on motivation, ethics and…	MMI format spread across several stations. Each station gives 3 minutes' preparation for two questions and 3 minutes to answer each. Topics include motivation, ethics and reflection on experiences.

Specialities	Medicine, Community Medicine, Primary Care	Medicine, Community Medicine
Established	2020	2020
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Newer medical school with a focus on regional healthcare in north-west England. Personal statement is not used in selection and interviewers do not have access to it. SJT band 4 is auto-rejected - ban…	Bangor publishes no UCAT threshold and has declined FOI requests on its shortlisting weighting, so no cut-off can be quoted. A-level resits are not accepted. Welsh-speaking applicants (with a first-la…
Official course page	https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/medicine-and-surgery-mbchb-a100/2027/	https://www.bangor.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/a100-medicine-bmbs

Lancaster

Quick comparison

Location: Lancaster, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including any 2 of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology - OR AAB with grade B in a 4th subject or EPQ
TrueScore: Lancaster TrueScore 1950
UCAT home cut-off: 1920+ /2700 (2026 entry official cut-off, non-contextual)
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Home student: 261/587 = 44%; International: 6/19 = 32%
Decision date: March onwards

North Wales (Bangor)

Bangor

Quick comparison

Location: Bangor, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Biology and one further science.
TrueScore: North Wales (Bangor) TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Refused to disclose. New medical school, has been in clearing in past years.
Decision date: March onwards

Lancaster vs North Wales (Bangor) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Lancaster requires AAA at A-level including any 2 of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology - OR AAB with grade B in a 4th subject or EPQ.

North Wales (Bangor) requires AAA at A-level including Biology and one further science.

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.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Lancaster: Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE Biology, Chemistry, Physics (or 6-6 Combined Science) plus Mathematics and English Language. Score calculated /16 across 8 GCSE subjects: 7+ = 2 pts, 6 = 1 pt; minimum 13/16… North Wales (Bangor): English or Welsh Language at grade B/6, and Double Science at BB/66.

Interview formats

Both Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor) 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: Lancaster interviews in December - March; North Wales (Bangor) in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a PBL-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: Five-year MBChB built around problem-based learning. Distinct rural/community placement strand in Cumbria, Lancashire and Morecambe Bay. Four-year accelerated MBBCh (Cardiff) for graduates, or 5-year route. Strong rural/community placement strand across North Wales (Betsi Cadwaladr UHB)

Intake size: Lancaster — ~64 home + ~10 international places per year (small intake).; North Wales (Bangor) — ~30 places per year (small cohort, designed for local retention).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Lancaster: Home student: 261/587 = 44%; International: 6/19 = 32%. North Wales (Bangor): Refused to disclose. New medical school, has been in clearing in past years.

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

Lancaster: Newer medical school with a focus on regional healthcare in north-west England. Personal statement is not used in selection and interviewers do not have access to it. SJT band 4 is auto-rejected - bands 1-3 are equal.

North Wales (Bangor): Bangor publishes no UCAT threshold and has declined FOI requests on its shortlisting weighting, so no cut-off can be quoted. A-level resits are not accepted. Welsh-speaking applicants (with a first-language Welsh GCSE) and other contextual applicants may receive an AAB offer.

Which is right for you?

Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily. 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

Neither school publishes a single fixed UCAT cut-off; both use UCAT as part of a composite shortlisting score alongside GCSE and personal-statement weighting. Lancaster guidance: 1920+ /2700 (2026 entry official cut-off, non-contextual). North Wales (Bangor) guidance: Bangor requires the UCAT but publishes NO minimum threshold - it states only that the score is used in selection. No cut-off should be inferred or estimated..

Lancaster uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). North Wales (Bangor) 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 - March (Lancaster); December - March (North Wales (Bangor)).

Lancaster requires AAA including any two of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology. North Wales (Bangor) requires AAA including Biology and one further science. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Lancaster — Resits considered with mitigating circumstances.. North Wales (Bangor) — Resits considered..

Lancaster — Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE Biology, Chemistry, Physics (or 6-6 Combined Science) plus Mathematics and English Language. Score calculated /16 across 8 GCSE subjects: 7+ = 2 pts, 6 = 1 pt; minimum 13/16 (essentially 77777666 or higher). GCSE resits not accepted unless exceptional circumstances are clearly evidenced. GCSEs scored /16 across 8 subjects (incl. Maths, English, Bio, Chem, Phys). Minimum 13/16 to clear shortlisting threshold. North Wales (Bangor) — English or Welsh Language at grade B/6, and Double Science at BB/66.

Lancaster's selection methodology: Combined UCAT + academic profile + interview. Smaller cohort, problem-based learning environment. North Wales (Bangor)'s selection methodology: AAA including Biology and a second science, plus UCAT with no published threshold, then MMI. Cardiff University School of Medicine is the contingency partner during GMC accreditation, so students would graduate from Cardiff if required. 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.

Lancaster: Home student: 261/587 = 44%; International: 6/19 = 32%. North Wales (Bangor): Refused to disclose. New medical school, has been in clearing in past years.. 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%.

Lancaster runs a PBL curriculum. North Wales (Bangor) runs a PBL curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Lancaster specifics: Five-year MBChB built around problem-based learning. Distinct rural/community placement strand in Cumbria, Lancashire and Morecambe Bay. North Wales (Bangor) specifics: Four-year accelerated MBBCh (Cardiff) for graduates, or 5-year route. Strong rural/community placement strand across North Wales (Betsi Cadwaladr UHB).

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.

Where to go next

LancasterEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

North Wales (Bangor)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 19 September 2026.

Lancaster vs North Wales (Bangor)

Side-by-side comparison

Lancaster vs North Wales (Bangor) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Lancaster vs North Wales (Bangor)?

How do interviews differ between Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor)?

What A-Level grades do Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Lancaster vs North Wales (Bangor)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Lancaster or North Wales (Bangor)?

Where are Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor) use?

Should I apply to both Lancaster and North Wales (Bangor)?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons