Lancaster Medicine 2027: UCAT, Entry Requirements & Interview

Alexandra Square, Lancaster University - central campus at Bailrigg where Lancaster Medical School is based

Lancaster Medicine (Lancaster Medical School (Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University)) for 2027 entry: entry requirements, A-level and GCSE grades, how it uses the UCAT, admissions statistics, interview format and graduate entry - from MedicHut's medical admissions team.

Last reviewed: August 2026 by MedicHut's medical admissions team.

Lancaster Medicine entry requirements (2027 entry)

Lancaster Medicine asks for AAA including two from Biology, Chemistry and Psychology at A-level, or 36 points overall with at least 6 in three Higher Level subjects, including any two of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology in the IB. At GCSE: Minimum score of 13 points from 8 subjects (A*/A/7-9 = 2 points, B/6 = 1 point), to include Combined Science or Biology, Chemistry and Physics, plus Maths and English Language at grade B/6 or above; if Biology or Chemistry is not taken at A-level, GCSE must be at least grade A/7. Candidates meeting academic requirements are ranked by overall UCAT score; for 2027 entry Lancaster expects to select from the top 7 deciles with an SJT score of 1-3. 2026 entry published cut-offs (out of 2,700): UK non-contextual 1,920, UK contextual 1,870, overseas 1,900.

A-level requirement: AAA including two from Biology, Chemistry and Psychology
Minimum A-levels: AAA at first sitting - two of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology required
IB requirement: 36 points overall with at least 6 in three Higher Level subjects, including any two of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology
GCSE requirement: Minimum score of 13 points from 8 subjects (A*/A/7-9 = 2 points, B/6 = 1 point), to include Combined Science or Biology, Chemistry and Physics, plus Maths and English Language at grade B/6 or above; if Biology or Chemistry is not taken at A-level, GCSE must be at least grade A/7
UCAS code: A100 (Medicine and Surgery MBChB, 5-year) · A104 (Gateway Year to Medicine and Surgery, 6-year)
Places: ~130 Home + ~4 Overseas (A100, 2027 entry); A104 Gateway Year is a separate small Home cohort
Applications per place: ~2.85 applicants per Home offer (2025 cycle - 926 applications, 325 offers)
Contextual offers: Lancaster may use contextual information to apply a lower UCAT interview threshold and a reduced ABB offer for care-experienced applicants, refugees, or those meeting two or more widening participation criteria such as disadvantage, low income, lower-attaining schooling, first-generation university status or young carer status.
Fees: £9,535/yr Home (under review for 2027) · ~£48,620/yr Overseas (2026/27; 2027 entry fee TBC)

Applicants predicted AAB or above are still considered, so a prediction just under the standard offer is not an automatic rejection.

A grade A in the EPQ can lower the offer from AAA to AAB here, so the EPQ is worth doing if you are on the borderline.

Band 4 in the SJT is rejected here. Band 3 can still apply with no disadvantage.

How Lancaster uses the UCAT

Candidates meeting academic requirements are ranked by overall UCAT score; for 2027 entry Lancaster expects to select from the top 7 deciles with an SJT score of 1-3. 2026 entry published cut-offs (out of 2,700): UK non-contextual 1,920, UK contextual 1,870, overseas 1,900.

2025 entry (out of 3,600): UK non-contextual cut-off 2,580, contextual 2,470, overseas 2,440 - 2026 entry (out of 2,700): non-contextual 1,920, contextual 1,870, overseas 1,900 - predicted 2027 entry: non-contextual ~1,940, contextual ~1,880

Lancaster medicine interview format

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) - typically 7-8 stations of ~7 minutes each, held on the Bailrigg campus. Values-based: motivation, communication, ethics, teamwork, reflection, role-play and a data / prioritisation task. No academic knowledge is tested. International applicants are usually offered online MMI. December-March for 2027 entry, rolling. Home applicants interviewed in person at the Faculty of Health and Medicine on the Bailrigg campus.

Sample Lancaster interview questions

Why Lancaster specifically - what draws you to a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum in a small cohort at Bailrigg over a larger school like Manchester or Liverpool?
Tell us about a piece of work experience that changed how you view the role of a doctor.
Role-play: your patient has just missed an appointment and is embarrassed to reschedule. Support them through the next few minutes.
Ethics: an elderly patient with capacity refuses a treatment you believe would benefit them. Discuss.
A fellow student in your PBL group is not contributing and is holding the group back. What do you do?
Data / prioritisation station: here are three patients with limited theatre time - talk us through your priorities.
Tell us about a time you worked in a team and things did not go well. What did you learn?
What do you know about health inequalities in Lancashire, Cumbria and Morecambe Bay, and what could a newly qualified doctor realistically do about them?
Describe a time you received critical feedback. How did you use it?
What does professionalism mean to a first-year medical student in 2027?
Why medicine and not another caring profession such as nursing, physician associate or paramedic?
Tell us about a hobby or interest outside academic study that has made you a better team member.

Lancaster Medicine FAQs

Is Lancaster Medical School good?

Yes - Lancaster is a well-regarded UK medical school with consistently high student-satisfaction scores. It sits inside the UK top 20 for Medicine in the Complete University Guide (2024/25), is fully GMC-approved, and runs one of the most established problem-based learning (PBL) curricula in the country. Clinical training runs across Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Furness General and Westmorland General (University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust), and Lancaster graduates have strong Foundation Programme allocation. The small cohort size (~140 per year) gives a genuinely different student experience to the large city medical schools.

When did Lancaster Medical School open?

Lancaster Medical School accepted its first students in 2006, initially as a partnership degree awarded by the University of Liverpool. Lancaster gained its own MBChB degree-awarding powers in 2013, and today the MBChB is fully independent, awarded solely by Lancaster University. It has been GMC-approved throughout.

What UCAT score do I need for Lancaster Medicine 2027 entry?

There is no published cut-off but the 2025 effective threshold to be invited to MMI sat around 2,500-2,570 for Home applicants. International applicants typically need 100-150 points higher (~2,650-2,750). Aim for 2,600+ to be safe. Lancaster uses UCAT alongside a scored non-academic questionnaire, so a mid-range UCAT can be offset by a strong personal statement / non-academic score.

What are the Lancaster Medicine entry requirements for 2027 entry?

AAA at first sitting including A in Biology or Chemistry (a second science or Maths at A is strongly preferred), plus a third A in any subject (General Studies and Critical Thinking excluded). At GCSE: nine subjects at grade 6+ including English Language, Maths and Sciences. IB: 36 points with 6,6,6 at HL including HL Biology or Chemistry. A valid UCAT is required. Contextual applicants may be made an ABB offer, and A104 Gateway Year offers are typically BBC.

How do I get into Lancaster Medical School?

You need predicted or achieved AAA at first sitting including A in Biology or Chemistry, nine GCSEs at grade 6+ including English/Maths/Science, a UCAT that ranks you in the top slice (~2,570+ Home / ~2,700+ International), a strong scored non-academic questionnaire covering motivation and work experience, and a strong MMI performance across 7-8 values-based stations. Academic + UCAT + non-academic score decide interview invites; the MMI decides the offer.

Where is Lancaster Medical School?

Lancaster Medical School is based in the Faculty of Health and Medicine on the University's Bailrigg campus, about 3 miles south of Lancaster city centre. Pre-clinical PBL teaching runs on the Bailrigg campus; clinical placements from Year 1 onward run across Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Furness General Hospital (Barrow-in-Furness) and Westmorland General Hospital (Kendal) - all part of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust - plus community, GP and mental-health placements across Lancashire and Cumbria.

How many places does Lancaster Medical School have?

Approximately 125 Home + 15 Overseas places on A100 each cycle (total ~140), plus a small A104 Gateway Year cohort of around 10-15 Home widening-participation places. The A100 application-to-place ratio runs at roughly 6:1 - less competitive than most Northern schools, but the UCAT threshold is still meaningful.

Does Lancaster Medical School accept lower grades?

Standard offers are AAA at first sitting. Lower grades (typically ABB) are only accepted through Contextual Admissions - Lancashire, Cumbria and North-West widening-participation postcodes, POLAR4 Quintile 1, care-experienced, free-school-meals, first-generation-university and other flagged criteria. The A104 Gateway Year takes BBC for eligible Home widening-participation applicants who don't meet standard entry.

Does Lancaster accept resit A-levels for Medicine?

Standard applicants are expected to achieve AAA at first sitting. Resits are considered only where there are documented mitigating circumstances submitted with your UCAS reference. Applicants with resits and no accepted mitigation are typically not shortlisted.

Does Lancaster accept the IB for Medicine?

Yes - 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at Higher Level, to include HL Biology or HL Chemistry.

Is the Lancaster Medicine interview MMI or panel?

MMI - typically 7-8 stations of about seven minutes each, held in person on the Bailrigg campus. Stations are values-based: motivation, communication, ethics, teamwork, reflection, role-play and a data / prioritisation station. No academic knowledge is tested. International applicants are offered online MMI.

Does Lancaster have contextual offers for Medicine?

Yes. Lancaster Contextual Admissions offer a reduced ABB grade requirement and a relaxed UCAT threshold for eligible widening-participation applicants - Lancashire, Cumbria and North-West postcodes, POLAR4 Quintile 1, care-experienced students, free-school-meals, first-generation-university applicants and other flagged criteria.

What is the A104 Gateway Year to Medicine at Lancaster?

Lancaster's A104 Gateway Year is a 6-year widening-access route for Home applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds who do not meet standard A100 entry requirements. Entry is typically BBC at A-level (or equivalent), and successful completion of the Gateway Year guarantees progression onto Year 1 of the standard 5-year MBChB. It's one of the best-established Gateway routes in Northern England.

Does Lancaster offer Graduate Entry Medicine?

No - Lancaster does not run a stand-alone 4-year graduate-entry programme. Graduates apply through the standard 5-year MBChB (A100) and must meet the same AAA A-level (or equivalent - typically a 2:1 degree with a scientific component) profile plus UCAT.

What is the Lancaster MBChB curriculum like?

Lancaster uses a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. Years 1-2 combine small-group PBL cases with anatomy, clinical skills and early clinical placements in GP and hospital settings. Years 3-5 are clinically dominant, based across Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Furness General Hospital and Westmorland General Hospital (University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust), plus community, mental-health and specialist placements across Lancashire and Cumbria. PBL, small-group learning and early clinical contact are the signature features - if you prefer traditional lecture-based teaching, Lancaster is not the right fit.

Can I apply to Lancaster as an international student?

Yes. Lancaster offers around 15 Overseas places on A100 each cycle. Expect to need AAA including Biology or Chemistry at first sitting, a UCAT in the top decile (~2,700+), a strong non-academic questionnaire and a strong MMI (offered online for international applicants). Fees for 2026/27 are approximately £43,540/yr and 2027 rates are expected to rise around 3%.

Why choose Lancaster Medical School over Liverpool, Manchester, Edge Hill or UCLan / University of Lancashire?

Three reasons applicants pick Lancaster: (1) the small cohort (~140/year) and problem-based learning curriculum - much smaller and more small-group-driven than Liverpool or Manchester; (2) clinical training across University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay - a well-integrated trust covering Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Furness General and Westmorland General - with a much better student-to-patient ratio than a large city school; (3) strong widening-participation support (contextual offers plus the A104 Gateway Year) and a scored non-academic questionnaire that rewards a strong personal statement, not just a top UCAT score. If you prefer lecture-based teaching or a large city student experience, Liverpool or Manchester are better fits.

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