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Medical school comparison

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) vs Southampton

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and Southampton are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is based in Belfast (Northern Ireland) while Southampton sits in Southampton (England), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination. On UCAT alone there is roughly a 300-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Panel — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the older institution (founded 1849); the other (founded 1952) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

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

Southampton

Southampton

Quick comparison

Location
Southampton, UK
A-Level offer
AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Biology and one of Chemistry / Physics / Psychology / Sociology / Environmental Studies / Geography
TrueScore
2000
UCAT home cut-off
~2000+ /2700 (2024 entry lowest invited ≈ 1958)
Interview format
Selection Day - Panel and Group
Post-interview chance
Home Students: 574/834 = 69%; International (2023): 17/59 = 30%
Decision date
March onwards
Compare different schools

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

UCAT thresholds compared

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1700, while Southampton sits at approximately 2000. That's a 300-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1800-1900 band would be competitive at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) but borderline at Southampton. Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Queen's University Belfast (QUB): ~1500+ /2700 (with strong GCSE); Southampton: ~1850+ /2700 (WP - 2024 entry lowest invited ≈ 1778). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Southampton 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

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)); Southampton uses Panel (Selection Day - Panel and Group). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Panel rewards depth and consistency. If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Southampton may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the better fit. Interview windows: Queen's University Belfast (QUB) interviews in January - February; Southampton in January - March.

Post-interview offer rate

Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Home: 332/778 = 43%; International: 51/214 = 24%. Southampton: Home Students: 574/834 = 69%; International (2023): 17/59 = 30%. 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

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. Southampton: Personal statement carries unusual weight - selectors use it to drive the panel section if you reach Selection Day. SJT is not considered. Course updated for 2025: the integrated BMedSc award is being removed in favour of more clinical learning time.

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 — Queen's University Belfast (QUB) feeds into the Northern Ireland foundation programme network; Southampton into the England 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

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)'s typical home cut-off is around 1700, while Southampton sits at approximately 2000 — a 300-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while Southampton expects performance closer to the top 44% 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.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Southampton uses Panel interview: Selection Day - Panel and Group. 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: January - February (Queen's University Belfast (QUB)); January - March (Southampton).

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

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) — GCSE performance considered as part of the broader academic profile; specific scoring not published. Southampton — Strong GCSE profile expected - typically 6+ at grade 7+ including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. Southampton's selection methodology: UCAT-based shortlisting after academic minimums met. Historically uses a banding/decile-based UCAT approach. 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.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Home: 332/778 = 43%; International: 51/214 = 24%. Southampton: Home Students: 574/834 = 69%; International (2023): 17/59 = 30%. 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%.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is in Belfast, UK. Southampton is in Southampton, 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).

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) typically releases medicine decisions April onwards. Southampton 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.

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.