Where are Leicester and Ulster University Medical School located, and how does that affect cost?

Leicester is in Leicester, UK. Ulster University Medical School is in Londonderry, 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?

Leicester typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Ulster University Medical School 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

Leicester vs Ulster University Medical School

Leicester and Ulster University Medical School are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Leicester is based in Leicester (England) while Ulster University Medical School sits in Londonderry (London), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Leicester and Ulster University Medical School.
Comparison field	LeicesterLeicester	Ulster University Medical SchoolLondonderry
Quick comparison
Location	Leicester, UK	Londonderry, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A must be in one of the sciences	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any honours degree
TrueScore	Leicester TrueScore 1750	-
UCAT home cut-off	Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview.	-
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%	-
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A must be in one of the sciences	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any honours degree
Contextual A-Level offer	Predicted ABB acceptable for UKWPMed (widening-access) applicants	-
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology. A* must fall in one of the sciences.	-
A-Level resit policy	Resit applicants who did not attain required grades at first sitting only considered if they previously held a conditional firm offer from Leicester and have significant mitigating circumstances	Resits accepted.
GCSE requirements	Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with very significant mitigating circumstances.	-
GCSE scoring methodology	Top 8 GCSEs scored /48 (new system 2026 entry): grade 9 = 6 pts, 8 = 5 pts, 7 = 4 pts, 6 = 3 pts. Combined with UCAT /48 = total /96.	-
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry or Biology plus a second science / Maths / Psychology	-
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in any honours degree. Achieved-grades graduate route assessed at 5th decile UCAT minimum.	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in any honours degree (Arts, Science, Humanities all accepted)
Alternative qualifications	-	Graduate-entry only. UCAT NOT used - Ulster uses GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test). Recent GAMSAT thresholds have been ~61. Plus 2:1 honours degree and MMI interview. Strong Northern Ireland regional focus.

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	The equivalent automatic-interview route requires the top 3 deciles, again with an SJT of Band 1-3.	-
Graduate cut-off	-	Not applicable - Ulster uses GAMSAT, not the UCAT. Recent thresholds have been around 61.
SJT band	Band 4 automatically rejected - no further use	-
UCAT notes	Everyone else is scored on academic ability and UCAT together, then ranked within one of five groups - predicted A-level, achieved A-level, resitting A-level, graduate and access - with the highest sc…	GAMSAT is scored out of 100. Do not sit the UCAT for this course.

Degree awarded	MBChB	MBBS
Course length	5 years	4 years (graduate entry)
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	Full-body dissection	Imaging and models
First patient contact	-	-
Placement geography	Leicester, the Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire	Across Northern Ireland
Named placement sites	Glenfield Hospital	-
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	One of the few UK medical schools still teaching anatomy through full-body cadaveric dissection.	Based at the Magee campus in Derry~Londonderry, alongside other healthcare programmes.

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	In-person MMI testing problem solving, analytical reasoning, communication, writing, listening and speaking abilities. Plenty of follow-up questioning, so staying focused on the actual question matter…	MMI format with multiple stations. Focus on serving Northern Ireland's healthcare needs alongside standard motivation, ethics and communication content.

Specialities	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Genetics	Medicine, Community Medicine
Established	1975	2021
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Combined UCAT + GCSE scoring out of 96. Predicted A-level applicants only need AAB UKWPMed; achieved-grade applicants assessed in top 5 deciles UCAT instead. Personal statement is not routinely used.	New medical school serving Northern Ireland. Strong regional focus, with the course oriented around local workforce needs. Cut-offs have not yet stabilised.
Official course page	https://le.ac.uk/courses/medicine-mbchb/2026	https://www.ulster.ac.uk/courses/202627/medicine-41407

Leicester

Quick comparison

Location: Leicester, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A* must be in one of the sciences
TrueScore: Leicester TrueScore 1750
UCAT home cut-off: Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%
Decision date: March onwards

Ulster University Medical School

Londonderry

Quick comparison

Location: Londonderry, UK
A-Level offer: Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any honours degree
TrueScore: -
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: -
Decision date: March onwards

Leicester vs Ulster University Medical School - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Leicester requires A*AA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A* must be in one of the sciences.

Ulster University Medical School requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any honours degree.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Leicester: Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with… Ulster University Medical School: Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 (B) including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science.

Interview formats

Both Leicester and Ulster University Medical School 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: Leicester interviews in December - March; Ulster University Medical School in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Leicester runs a PBL curriculum; Ulster University Medical School runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Leicester leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Ulster University Medical School uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year MBChB with problem-based learning. Clinical placements across Leicestershire NHS hospitals (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield, Kettering, Four-year accelerated MBBS for graduates. Clinical placements across Northern Ireland NHS sites (Magee Campus, Western HSC, Northern HSC).

Intake size: Leicester — ~270 home + ~30 international places per year (A100 standard 5-year programme).; Ulster University Medical School — ~70 places per year (small cohort, NI-focused).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

Leicester: Combined UCAT + GCSE scoring out of 96. Predicted A-level applicants only need AAB UKWPMed; achieved-grade applicants assessed in top 5 deciles UCAT instead. Personal statement is not routinely used.

Ulster University Medical School: New medical school serving Northern Ireland. Strong regional focus, with the course oriented around local workforce needs. Cut-offs have not yet stabilised.

Which is right for you?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Leicester feeds into the England foundation programme network; Ulster University Medical School into the London network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Leicester; if you prefer lecture-led foundations, the other suits better.

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. Leicester guidance: Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview.. Ulster University Medical School guidance: GAMSAT is scored out of 100. Do not sit the UCAT for this course..

Leicester uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Ulster University Medical School 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 (Leicester); December - March (Ulster University Medical School).

Leicester requires A*AA including Chemistry or Biology plus a second science, with the A* in one of the sciences. Ulster University Medical School requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any honours degree. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Leicester — Resits accepted with mitigating circumstances.. Ulster University Medical School — Resits accepted..

Leicester — Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with very significant mitigating circumstances. Top 8 GCSEs scored /48 (new system 2026 entry): grade 9 = 6 pts, 8 = 5 pts, 7 = 4 pts, 6 = 3 pts. Combined with UCAT /48 = total /96. Ulster University Medical School — Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 (B) including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science.

Leicester's selection methodology: UCAT-banded shortlisting after academic minimums met. SJT band 1-3 typically required. Multiple Mini Interview format. Ulster University Medical School's selection methodology: Graduate-entry only: a 2:1 honours degree in any discipline plus GAMSAT (recent threshold ~61 out of 100), then MMI. Strong Northern Ireland regional focus. 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.

Leicester runs a PBL curriculum. Ulster University Medical School runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Leicester specifics: Five-year MBChB with problem-based learning. Clinical placements across Leicestershire NHS hospitals (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield, Kettering, Lincoln). Ulster University Medical School specifics: Four-year accelerated MBBS for graduates. Clinical placements across Northern Ireland NHS sites (Magee Campus, Western HSC, Northern HSC).

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

LeicesterEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Ulster University Medical SchoolEntry 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.

Leicester vs Ulster University Medical School

Side-by-side comparison

Leicester vs Ulster University Medical School - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Leicester vs Ulster University Medical School?

How do interviews differ between Leicester and Ulster University Medical School?

What A-Level grades do Leicester and Ulster University Medical School require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Leicester vs Ulster University Medical School?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Where are Leicester and Ulster University Medical School located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Leicester and Ulster University Medical School use?

Should I apply to both Leicester and Ulster University Medical School?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons