Where are Oxford and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) located, and how does that affect cost?

Oxford is in Oxford, 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).

When does each school release decisions?

Oxford typically releases medicine decisions January. 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.

Medical school comparison

Oxford vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Q: What A-Level grades do Oxford and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) require?

Oxford requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology/Physics/Mathematics. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules). Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

Oxford and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Oxford is based in Oxford (England) 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 1326-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. The interview formats diverge — Panel vs MMI — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different.

Oxford is the older institution (founded 1096); the other (founded 1849) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Oxford and Queen's University Belfast (QUB).
Comparison field	OxfordOxford	Queen's University Belfast (QUB)Belfast
Quick comparison
Location	Oxford, UK	Belfast, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (and AAA predictions) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Physics	A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
TrueScore	Oxford TrueScore 2230	Queen's University Belfast (QUB) TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off	No published cut-off. For 2026 entry the mean UCAT was 2,217.5 across all applicants, 2,377.5 among those shortlisted and 2,407.1 among offer-holders.	No cut-off published. Queen's ranks applicants on cognitive performance, with the overall UCAT score contributing points alongside GCSE attainment, and invites roughly the top 700 to interview.
Interview format	Traditional or Panel Interviews	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	Strong. Of ~425 shortlisted for 2026 entry, 175 received offers - roughly 42% of home-fee interviewees (about 167 offers from ~393 interviews) and 8 of the 32 international interviewees (25%).	Good. Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.
Decision date	January	April onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (and AAA predictions) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Physics	A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
Contextual A-Level offer	-	-
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Further Mathematics / Physics. Combinations like Chemistry + Biology + Psychology are acceptable - Maths/Physics is not a barrier. Students can in theory be selected without Biology (interview prep would be more challenging).	Standard offer: A*AA inc Chemistry and Biology, OR Chemistry and Maths/Physics with grade B in AS Biology. Alternative: AAA + grade A in 4th AS-level/EPQ (Chemistry + one of Biology/Maths/Physics; if Maths or Physics chosen, AS Biology grade A required).
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted with extenuating circumstances - must resit all 3 subjects in the same sitting	Resits accepted only for previous Belfast applicants who held a conditional firm offer and must have achieved AAA or A*AB on first attempt
GCSE requirements	No minimum is published. 2026 entry means: 10.1 grade A*/9/8 (96% of grades) for shortlisted applicants and 10.3 (97%) for offer-holders, against 8.9 (86%) across all applicants. Contextualised to school performance.	Minimum grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level
GCSE scoring methodology	Oxford scores the number of A/9/8 grades and the mean proportion of grades at A/9/8, contextualised against school-level performance data; grades 8 and 9 are treated alike. The relative weighting of…	Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSEs are 80% of pre-interview score under the 2026 system (UCAT 20%).
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	39 points overall, 7,6,6 at Higher Level including HL Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology (or Chemistry plus Maths/Physics)
Graduate-entry degree requirement	Two routes. Graduates may apply to the standard six-year A100, and Oxford also runs A101, a four-year accelerated Graduate-Entry course of roughly 30 places, open to applicants with a 2:1 or above (or GPA above 3.5) in an applied or experimental science. A101 needs A-levels of at least AAB with an A/A* in Chemistry - waived for Chemistry or Biochemistry graduates - plus one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics; the A-level grade rule relaxes if exams were sat more than five years ago. IB route: 36 points with 6s at Higher Level.	-
Alternative qualifications	4 A-levels and/or EPQ are not beneficial in the shortlisting algorithm. Three A-levels is sufficient.	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	Mean 2,537.2 among the 32 international-fee applicants shortlisted for 2026 entry, of whom 8 received offers.	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Not used for shortlisting. Theoretically post-interview alongside other factors. Bands 1, 2, 3 no cause for concern; band 4 also selected last year.	May be used if borderline before/after interview. 2025: anyone with 30/42 received interview, didn't matter. 2024: 38/42 cut off, or 37/42 with B1 or B2.
UCAT notes	Shortlisting combines UCAT with a contextualised GCSE score. Around 425 applicants are interviewed each year (~2.5 per place): the bulk are ranked in automatically, and the Shortlisting Committee adde…	Because UCAT is only part of a combined score, a lower UCAT can still be carried by a strong GCSE profile and vice versa. Queen's publishes the exact scoring system each cycle in its "How we choose ou…

Degree awarded	BM BCh	MB BCh BAO
Course length	6 years (3 pre-clinical + 3 clinical)	5 years
Teaching style	Traditional / lecture-led	Traditional / lecture-led + Integrated
Anatomy teaching	Prosection	Dissection
First patient contact	-	Year 1
Placement geography	Oxford	Across Northern Ireland
Named placement sites	John Radcliffe Hospital	Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Western Health and Social Care Trust
Intercalation	Built in — the BA in Medical Sciences is taken as year 3 by every student on the standard course.	-
Course highlight	-	-

Interview window	December	January - February
Interview details	Two college-based panel interviews held in December, each typically 20-30 minutes. Tutors push you on scientific reasoning rather than rehearsed answers - expect questions that build on what you say a…	MMI format with stations centred around the qualities of a good doctor - for example, "describe a time you have shown resilience" rather than NHS-policy or current-affairs questions.

Specialities	Clinical Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Medical Research	Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy
Established	1096	1849
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Pooling system means each applicant is assessed at two colleges, with a centralised shortlist - applying to a "less competitive" college gives no real advantage. GCSE performance is contextualised to…	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…
Official course page	https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/medicine	https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/medicine-mb-a100/

Oxford

Quick comparison

Location: Oxford, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level (and A*AA predictions) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Physics
TrueScore: Oxford TrueScore 2230
UCAT home cut-off: No published cut-off. For 2026 entry the mean UCAT was 2,217.5 across all applicants, 2,377.5 among those shortlisted and 2,407.1 among offer-holders.
Interview format: Traditional or Panel Interviews
Post-interview chance: Strong. Of ~425 shortlisted for 2026 entry, 175 received offers - roughly 42% of home-fee interviewees (about 167 offers from ~393 interviews) and 8 of the 32 international interviewees (25%).
Decision date: January

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: Queen's University Belfast (QUB) TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off: No cut-off published. Queen's ranks applicants on cognitive performance, with the overall UCAT score contributing points alongside GCSE attainment, and invites roughly the top 700 to interview.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Good. Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.
Decision date: April onwards

Oxford vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Oxford's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2026, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 700.

That's a 1326-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1100-1600 band would be competitive at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) but borderline at Oxford.

A-Level and academic profile

Oxford requires A*AA at A-level (and A*AA predictions) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Physics.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules).

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 — Oxford: No minimum is published. 2026 entry means: 10.1 grade A*/9/8 (96% of grades) for shortlisted applicants and 10.3 (97%) for offer-holders, against 8.9 (86%) across all applicants.

Contextualised to… Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Minimum grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level. Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 =…

Interview formats

Oxford uses Panel (Traditional or Panel Interviews); Queen's University Belfast (QUB) uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)). These two formats reward different skills — Panel emphasises narrative coherence and the ability to develop a thread under follow-up questioning, while MMI rewards breadth and quick recovery.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Oxford may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the better fit.

Interview windows: Oxford interviews in December; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) in January - February.

Post-interview offer rate

Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.

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

Oxford: Pooling system means each applicant is assessed at two colleges, with a centralised shortlist - applying to a "less competitive" college gives no real advantage. GCSE performance is contextualised to your school. Tutors prize lateral reasoning and willingness to engage with the unfamiliar.

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 (~1880/2700), 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 — Oxford feeds into the England 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

Oxford's typical home cut-off is around 2026, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 700 — a 1326-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while Oxford expects performance closer to the top 25% 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.

Oxford uses Traditional interview: Traditional or Panel Interviews. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). The two formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each, with at least 3 full mock interviews per format before sitting either. Interview windows: December (Oxford); January - February (Queen's University Belfast (QUB)).

Oxford — No minimum is published. 2026 entry means: 10.1 grade A*/9/8 (96% of grades) for shortlisted applicants and 10.3 (97%) for offer-holders, against 8.9 (86%) across all applicants. Contextualised to school performance. Oxford scores the number of A*/9/8 grades and the mean proportion of grades at A*/9/8, contextualised against school-level performance data; grades 8 and 9 are treated alike. The relative weighting of GCSE against UCAT is not published. Applicants with five or fewer GCSEs, or who sat them in summer 2020-2021, are handled separately. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) — Minimum grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level. Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSEs are 80% of pre-interview score under the 2026 system (UCAT 20%).

Oxford's selection methodology: Initial shortlisting is algorithmic, combining UCAT with a GCSE measure (number and proportion of A*/9/8) contextualised to the applicant's school. Tutors then review every non-shortlisted applicant and nominate any the algorithm may have underrated; those plus the 80 candidates just below the cut-off go to the A100 Shortlisting Committee, which added 80 applicants in the 2025 round. Roughly 425 are interviewed from ~1,026 eligible applicants. 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.

Oxford: Strong. Of ~425 shortlisted for 2026 entry, 175 received offers - roughly 42% of home-fee interviewees (about 167 offers from ~393 interviews) and 8 of the 32 international interviewees (25%).. Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Good. Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.. 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%.

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

OxfordEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)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.

Oxford vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Side-by-side comparison

Oxford vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Oxford vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB)?

How do interviews differ between Oxford and Queen's University Belfast (QUB)?

What A-Level grades do Oxford and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Oxford vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Oxford or Queen's University Belfast (QUB)?

Where are Oxford and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

Should I apply to both Oxford and Queen's University Belfast (QUB)?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons