What Highers do you need for Medicine in Scotland?

There are five places in Scotland you can study Medicine straight from school: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews. On paper they all say AAAAB. The differences are in the fine print: what they want in S6, which sciences count, whether a resit is allowed, and how much the UCAT matters.

The offers side by side

University	Standard offer	Also needs in S6	Widening access offer
Aberdeen	AAAAB in S5, one sitting	Apply in S6, doing at least two Advanced Highers (typical offer BBB)	AAAB in S5
Dundee	AAAAB, one sitting	BB at Advanced Higher	AAABB + BB at Advanced Higher
Edinburgh	AAAAB by end of S5	BB at Advanced Higher	AAABB by end of S5 + CC at Advanced Higher
Glasgow	AAAAB in S5	BB at Advanced Higher	AAABB or AAAAC in S5 + BC at Advanced Higher, and you have to complete Reach
St Andrews	AAAAB in S5	Predicted at least BBB in Highers or Advanced Highers	AAABB in S5 + BB in S6

Edinburgh describes its AAAAB + BB as the grades most successful applicants have had recently, not a guarantee. Its lower offer is only for applicants who get a widening access “Plus Flag”.

Which Highers they want

University	Higher subjects	National 5
Aberdeen	Chemistry at B or above, plus two from Biology/Human Biology, Maths or Physics	English and Maths at B
Dundee	Chemistry or Biology, plus another science (Maths counts)	Biology and Chemistry at A. English and Maths at B if not taken at Higher
Edinburgh	Chemistry, plus two from Biology/Human Biology, Maths/Applications of Maths or Physics	Biology, Chemistry, English and Maths at B
Glasgow	Chemistry, Biology, and Physics or Maths	English at B
St Andrews	Chemistry, plus one from Biology/Human Biology, Maths or Physics, in the same sitting	Biology, Maths and English at B if not passed at Higher

On Glasgow’s adjusted offer the C can’t be in Chemistry. Glasgow and St Andrews both say Applications of Maths doesn’t count as the Maths science.

Resits

This is the bit that catches people out. Medicine is one of the few subjects where a resit usually doesn’t help:

• Glasgow doesn’t accept resits, and Highers from S4 don’t count towards the S5 grades.
• Edinburgh wants grades at the first attempt.
• Aberdeen and Dundee want the S5 Highers in one sitting.

Aberdeen is the most flexible. If S5 gave you AAABB or AAAAC, it’ll still consider you with a new Higher at A plus Advanced Highers at BB in S6.

The UCAT

All five want the UCAT, and each one uses it differently:

• Edinburgh has a minimum score of 1850 for 2027 entry, and a Situational Judgement band 4 rules you out. Plus Flag applicants are exempt from the cut-off.
• Glasgow uses UCAT to decide who gets an interview. Its 2027 threshold won’t be known until November 2026. For 2026 entry it was 1870 for Scottish applicants.
• St Andrews ranks everyone who clears its other hurdles on UCAT total and interviews roughly the top 650.
• Aberdeen has no cut-off. It ranks UCAT in deciles and makes it 20% of the decision, with grades at 30% and interview at 50%.
• Dundee says there’s no minimum score.

For 2027 entry, UCAT registration and booking closed at 3pm on 16 September 2026, and the last test day is 24 September. If you’re reading this after that and haven’t sat it, you’re looking at 2028 entry for most routes, or a gateway year (below) that doesn’t need one.

Interviews

• Aberdeen and St Andrews use multiple mini interviews (MMIs). St Andrews usually runs four stations of about six minutes each.
• Edinburgh runs a half-day assessment with a series of short interviews.
• Glasgow is online for 2027 entry: two 30-minute panels between late November 2026 and March 2027.
• Dundee does a group discussion that’s watched by assessors, followed by a one-to-one, in person in January.

Gateway years

If you meet widening access criteria (things like living in an SIMD20 postcode, being care experienced or being a young carer), each medical school also runs a one-year course that leads into Medicine:

• Glasgow, Gateway to Medical Studies: AABB in one year, including Biology and two of Chemistry, Physics or Maths. No UCAT, usually 40 places.
• Dundee, Gateway to Medicine: AABB by the end of S6 with Chemistry and Biology. No UCAT to get in.
• Aberdeen, Gateway2Medicine: AABB over one or two sittings, including two sciences. 30 places, and the application deadline is in January.
• St Andrews, Gateway to Medicine: BBBB in S5 including Chemistry at B.

Finish the year well and you move into the Medicine degree. Each one has its own conditions, so read the page.

Deadlines

The UCAS deadline for Medicine is 6pm UK time on 15 October 2026, months before most other courses. You can pick a maximum of four medicine courses, and your fifth choice can be something else. A lot of people use it on Biomedical Sciences or a similar degree they’d be happy doing.

One caveat: when this was checked, St Andrews’ pages were still labelled 2026 entry, and some of the admissions numbers above are from last year’s cycle. Check each university’s page before you apply.