Medical Schools in Northern Ireland
2027 Entry · 2 schools
Northern Ireland has two medical schools: Queen's University Belfast (5-year A100, established) and Ulster University at Magee (5-year A100, newer route). Both are NHS NI-funded with placements across Belfast Trust, the Ulster Hospital, Antrim Area Hospital and other regional sites. NI-domiciled places are highly competitive due to a small quota, and the Department for the Economy (DfE) caps total intake.
Studying medicine in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland-domiciled applicants funded by Student Finance NI pay £4,710/year (significantly below the UK rate). Rest-of-UK and International applicants pay standard or overseas fees. Both schools strongly weight academic attainment alongside UCAT, and both run interviews tailored to the local healthcare context. Graduates predominantly enter the Northern Ireland Foundation School, which has historically had strong retention.
Northern Ireland funding
NI-domiciled: £4,710/year (substantially below the £9,250 RUK rate). Rest of UK: £9,250/year. International: standard overseas rates. NI Foundation School is the predominant career path for graduates.
Medical schools in Northern Ireland
2 medical schools in Northern Ireland for 2027 Entry. Click any school for the full how-to-get-in guide including UCAT cut-offs, NGMP TrueScore prediction, and Northern Ireland-specific entry advice.
Frequently asked questions
- How many medical schools are in Northern Ireland?
- Two: Queen's University Belfast (the long-established A100) and Ulster University at Magee (a newer A100 graduate-entry route).
- Is Queen's Belfast harder to get into than mainland UK schools?
- For Northern Ireland-domiciled applicants Queen's is one of the most realistic routes — the NI quota gives them a much higher offer rate than at competitor English schools. For Rest-of-UK applicants the Queen's quota is small and competition is intense.
- How much is medical school tuition in Northern Ireland?
- NI-domiciled applicants pay £4,710/year (Student Finance NI rate). Rest-of-UK applicants pay the standard £9,250/year. International applicants pay overseas fees (~£25,000-£42,000/year depending on school).
- What UCAT score do I need for medicine in Northern Ireland?
- Queen's typically requires UCAT 2580+/3600 for NI applicants and 2680+/3600 for Rest-of-UK. Ulster's thresholds are slightly lower but its programme is graduate-entry. See each school's NGMP TrueScore prediction for the latest cycle.
- Is foundation training better in Northern Ireland?
- The NI Foundation School has high retention and strong satisfaction scores. Many Queen's and Ulster graduates remain in NI for foundation training. Allocation is national — you can apply elsewhere — but most NI medical-school graduates rank NI Foundation programmes highly.
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