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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

Medical schools in Wales

2 medical schools in Wales for 2027 Entry — click any school for the full how-to-get-in guide including UCAT cut-offs, NGMP TrueScore prediction, and Wales-specific entry advice.

Cardiff
Cardiff · Established 1893
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
TrueScore
1700+
home
Swansea (GEM)
Swansea · Established 2004
Assessment Day
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Two: Cardiff University (5-year A100) and Swansea University Medical School (4-year A101 graduate-entry). A new North Wales medical school is in development at Bangor but does not yet admit students.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 26 June 2026