From Applications to Offers: What UK Medical School Data Tells Us
- Andy Porter
- Mar 5
- 1 min read
The journey to becoming a doctor in the UK is highly competitive, but who exactly is securing a place at medical school? Recent statistics reveal some eye-opening trends—from declining application numbers to the persistent overrepresentation of privately educated students. Despite efforts to widen access, only 5% of entrants come from working-class backgrounds, raising concerns about diversity in the medical profession. Meanwhile, applications have dropped significantly in recent years, sparking fears about future NHS staffing levels.
In this blog post, we’ll dive into the most interesting and important figures surrounding UK medical schools—shedding light on the challenges, progress, and what the future might hold for aspiring doctors.
As of 2025, only 5% of entrants to UK medical schools come from working-class backgrounds, despite efforts to increase diversity over the past decade.
Applications to study medicine have decreased, with 24,150 applicants for 2024 entry, down from 26,820 in 2023 and 29,710 in 2022, returning to pre-pandemic levels.
For the academic year 2024-25, UK medical schools have an initial intake of 10,417 students, indicating a slight increase from 10,203 in 2023-24.
Approximately 25% of first-year medical students were privately educated, a significant overrepresentation compared to the 7% of UK pupils attending private schools.
Medical schools are actively working to widen access to medicine through outreach programs, development of gateway programs, and the use of contextual admissions, aiming to increase representation from disadvantaged areas.
Women now make up around 60% of medical school entrants, continuing a long-term trend of female dominance in the field.
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