Age requirements vary between different Medical Schools. Some universities specify that all students must be 18 by the start of the course without exception, while others have no minimum age for entry.

Minimum Age For Medicine

If you’re applying to study Medicine and you will be younger than 18 years old when the course is due to start, this could narrow down the options of where you can apply.

Alternatively, some Med Schools might allow you to apply and then defer your entry until the following year, when you will be the appropriate age to start your studies.

You can see details of every UK Med School’s age requirements for Medicine in the table below.

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Med School Age Requirements

UniversityAge requirement
AberdeenNo minimum age requirement listed.
Anglia RuskinYou must be a minimum of 18 years old by 1st November in the year that you start your course.
AstonNo minimum age requirement listed.
BartsStudents must be 18 or over by the end of course enrolment.
BirminghamYou must be a minimum of 18 years old by 1st November in the year that you start your course.
BoltonNo minimum age requirement listed.
Brighton and SussexYou must be 17 by the beginning of the course.
BristolStudents are required to be 18 or above by registration (September 1st) in their year of entry – this is so they can undertake the clinical placements and have the legal capacity to be bound by the confidentiality rules of NHS partners.
BuckinghamStudents must be 18 by March (for the January start, 4.5yr degree).
CambridgeTo undertake clinical elements of the course, students must have reached the age of 18 by the start of the second term (January) of Year 1.
CardiffAs students are in a clinical environment from the first year, applicants must be 18 years of age or older by the beginning of the academic year – normally around 20th September each year.
City St George’sUnder 18s can apply, but their offer may be deferred. This could be reverted to current year pending paperwork.
DundeeNo minimum age requirement listed.
Edge HillStudents must be 18 by the first day of the course (September).
EdinburghThere is no minimum or maximum age for entry. Admissions selectors will not normally consider applications from Scottish S5 applicants for either immediate or deferred entry.
ExeterExeter requires students to be 18 by the start of the third term.
GlasgowStudents can be any age, providing they meet the minimum entry requirements.
Hertfordshire Students must be 18 by the beginning of the course.
Hull YorkYou must be aged 18 or over on 1st October in the year you start the course.
ImperialStudents must be 18 by the start of the course.
KeeleBecause of the clinical work which students will be involved in from an early stage in the course, applicants need to be at least 18 by the start of the course (October 1st ).
Kent and Medway Medical SchoolAll applicants must be 18 years old or above when they undertake their first clinical placement in week seven of the first term of Year 1.
King’sKing’s is only able to accept applicants who will turn 18 before commencing the second year of the Medicine degree.
LancasterNo minimum age requirement listed.
LeedsStudents must be 18 by the first day of the programme.
LeicesterApplicants must be 18 years old by 1st September of their year of entry. This is due to patient contact from Semester 1.
LincolnYou must be 17 or older on 1st September of the year that you will begin the course for your application to be considered.
LiverpoolApplicants must be 18 years old by 1st October in the year of entry to the programme.
ManchesterThey accept students who are 17 years old or above onto the course, but do not consider applications from students who would be 16 on the start day of the course.
NewcastleStudents must be 18 years of age by the time they finish their first semester.
Norwich (UEA)The course involves considerable patient contact within Year 1, so students should be 18 years old at the time when they are projected to start the course.
NottinghamYou must be 17 or older on 1st September of the year that you will begin your course to be considered.
OxfordStudents must be 18 years of age by 1st November in the year they start this degree course.
PlymouthApplicants must be 18 by the end of the induction period finishing (September). They still consider applications, but offer deferred entry if successful.
Queen’s BelfastApplicants must be 16 or over at the start of the course.
Queen MaryApplicants must be 18 by the start of the course (mid-September).
SheffieldThey require students to be 18 years old by the first day of the course.
SouthamptonDue to early clinical contact, students must be a minimum of 18 years of age when they start their medical degree.
St AndrewsThe university welcomes applications from people of all ages and applications will be considered on their individual merits. Where applicants will be under 18 at the point of enrolment, the applicant and a parent or guardian will both sign the Young Student Authorisation Form, declaring that they understand the conditions under which young students will be accepted to study at the University.
St George’sStudents are typically required to be 18 by the entry date of the course.
SunderlandApplicants should be 18 years old by 31st December in the year they intend to start the course, due to the nature of early clinical placements.
SwanseaGraduate Entry Medicine – no upper age limit.
UCLStudents must be 18 years of age at the time they start the medical degree programme.
University of Central LancashireNo minimum age requirement listed.
WarwickGraduate Entry Medicine – no upper age limit.
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