Do I need to speak Welsh to study medicine in Wales?

No. All teaching at Cardiff and Swansea is in English. Welsh-speaking clinical placements are optional but increasingly valued; Welsh-medium tutorial groups are available at Cardiff for Welsh speakers.

What UCAT score do I need for Cardiff medicine?

Cardiff uses a combined academic + UCAT score for shortlisting. Recent year cut-offs for Home applicants have been around 1930-2000/2700 - see the Cardiff how-to-get-in guide for the NGMP TrueScore prediction.

Is Swansea medical school graduate-only?

Yes. Swansea's A101 route is a 4-year graduate-entry programme requiring a 2:1 (or higher) bachelor's degree in any subject and the GAMSAT. Cardiff offers the standard 5-year A100 route open to school leavers.

Are Welsh medical schools easier to get into?

Cardiff is competitive but slightly less oversubscribed than Imperial / UCL - its applicant ratio is around 7-9:1 vs London's 12-15:1. Swansea is highly competitive in its specific graduate niche. Neither is meaningfully "easier" - the bar for medicine UK-wide is high.

NextGenMedPrep

UK Medicine · 2027 Entry

Medical schools inWales

2 schools2027 entry

Wales has two medical schools: Cardiff University (5-year A100) and Swansea University Medical School (4-year graduate-entry A101). Both are NHS Wales-funded, with strong placements across South Wales hospitals including the University Hospital of Wales, Morriston Hospital and Singleton Hospital. Cardiff selects via a mix of UCAT and academic profile; Swansea uses a distinctive GAMSAT-based selection for graduate applicants.

Overview

Studying medicine in Wales

Welsh-domiciled applicants funded by Student Finance Wales pay reduced fees (currently £9,250/year, but with up to £8,100/year of grant support means-tested). Rest of UK and International fees are at the standard or overseas rates. Cardiff is bilingual-friendly with optional Welsh-language placements; clinical Welsh competency is increasingly valued. Both Cardiff and Swansea graduates feed primarily into the Wales Foundation Programme.

Welsh funding. Welsh-domiciled: £9,250/year tuition + means-tested maintenance grant up to £8,100. Rest of UK + EU + International: standard rates. Welsh-language clinical competency increasingly valued.

Schools