Leeds vs UCL

Leeds's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1930, while UCL sits at approximately 2100.

The 170-point spread matters: Leeds offers slightly more headroom for an average-strong UCAT, while UCL expects performance closer to the national 75th-90th percentile.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Leeds: ~1850+ /2700 (WP+) - 2025 cut-off ≈ 1838; UCL: ~1950+ /2700 (Access UCL - 2025 cut-off ≈ 1950). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

Leeds requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

UCL requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology.

UCL is the stricter A-Level offer; Leeds is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Leeds carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Leeds: 8 GCSEs scored - ideally 8 grade 8s + 3 A* including core subjects. Mathematics, English, dual-award Science required. UCL: Minimum English Language and Mathematics at grade 6. GCSE resits accepted.

Both Leeds and UCL 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.

That said, the specifics differ slightly: Leeds runs multiple mini interviews (mmi); UCL runs mmi (home), traditional (international). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Leeds interviews in December - February; UCL in December - March.

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

Specifics: Five-year MBChB with integrated theory and clinical placements from Year 1; clinical years across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Six-year MBBS BSc with compulsory intercalated BSc in Year 3. Clinical placements at UCL-affiliated NHS sites including UCLH, Royal Free, and Whitting

Intake size: Leeds — ~260 home + ~28 international places per year (A100).; UCL — ~310 home + ~24 overseas fee status places per year.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Leeds: Home student: 300/742 = 40% (2024); International: 12/32 = 38%. UCL: Home Fee Status (2024): 562/1032 = 54%; Contextual (2025): 58%; International (2023): 55/131 = 42%.

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.

Leeds: Well-established medical school with strong community links and clinical training. Total shortlisting score combines UCAT, GCSE and A-level predictions. SJT is not used in selection.

UCL: Cut-offs differ from Imperial - UCL's home threshold is lower while its international threshold is higher, partly because UCL holds more interviews relative to offers. SJT is only used as a tie-breaker between equally scored candidates.