UCAS Medicine Statistics 2027: Reapplicants Up Almost a Third as Places Stay Frozen

For 2027 entry, 25,840 people applied to study medicine by the 15 October 2026 deadline, almost exactly the same as last year. The big change is who is applying: reapplicants are up by almost a third to 4,420, first-time applicants are down about 4%, and England still has 8,126 places.

If you're applying to medicine, or your child is, these are the numbers worth knowing. UCAS published them on 29 October 2026 and we've been through the full UCAS data so you don't have to. Last year's figures are still on our 2026 UCAS medicine statistics page.

The 2027 medicine figures at a glance

• Applicants: 25,840 people applied to UK medicine for 2027 entry, almost the same as the 25,770 who applied for 2026 entry.
• Reapplicants: 4,420 of 2027's medicine applicants had applied before, up from 3,380 last year. That's about one in six applicants.
• First-time applicants: 21,420 people applied to medicine for the first time for 2027 entry, about 4% fewer than last year.
• Places: England still has 8,126 funded medical school places for 2027 entry, the same as for the last two years.
• Odds: there are just over three medicine applicants for every funded place in England for 2027 entry.
• Where applicants live: UK medicine applicants are up about 3% for 2027 entry, while international applicants are down nearly 10%.

Key Takeaway: The total hasn't changed, but more of the people applying have done it before.

How many people applied to study medicine for 2027 entry?

25,840 people applied to study medicine in the UK by the 15 October 2026 deadline. Last year it was 25,770, so the number is essentially unchanged. That comes straight after a big jump the year before, when applications rose by about 10%.

Medicine has held up better than the other courses with an October deadline (dentistry, veterinary medicine, Oxford and Cambridge), where applications fell overall. About a third of everyone who applies by 15 October is now applying for medicine.

Key Takeaway: About the same number of people applied as last year, but the mix of applicants is different.

Why are so many students reapplying to medicine this year?

This is the number that stands out. 4,420 medicine applicants this year have applied before, compared with 3,380 last year. That's a rise of almost a third, and it means about one in six applicants is a reapplicant.

It makes sense when you look back a year. Applications jumped for 2026 entry but the number of places didn't, so more good students ended up without an offer. Plenty of them took a gap year and applied again.

Most reapplicants are 19. Of the 4,200 19-year-olds who applied this year, 2,640 had applied before, almost two in three.

Key Takeaway: Last year's jump in applications has come back round as a jump in reapplicants.

Is it harder to get into medicine for 2027 entry?

For most school leavers, yes, a little. The total hasn't changed, but a few things work against first-time applicants this year.

• The number of places hasn't moved: England has 8,126 funded places, an Office for Students limit that has stayed the same since 2025 entry. No new places have been announced for 2027.
• Reapplicants tend to be strong applicants: many already have their A level results, have sat the UCAT twice and have been to interviews. There are over a thousand more of them this year.
• Fewer first-time applicants doesn't mean better odds: there are about 4% fewer, but that still leaves more than two first-time applicants for every place in England, before you count anyone reapplying.

Key Takeaway: If you're applying from school this year, expect it to be a little tougher than last year, even though the headline number looks the same.

What is the medicine acceptance rate in the UK for 2027 entry?

Roughly one in three, at best. England has 8,126 funded places and 25,840 people applied, which works out at about 31%. Medical schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland add more places, but they also have their own applicants, so treat one in three as a ceiling.

That's about the same as last year. The difference is who you're up against: more of the other applicants have been through the process before.

UCAS publishes the final number of students accepted at the end of the cycle, in late 2027. Your own chances depend a lot on where you apply, because some schools interview far more of their applicants than others. You can compare them on our interview offer rates by medical school page.

Key Takeaway: Roughly one in three applicants will get a place, and choosing the right four schools makes a big difference to your chances.

Where do medicine applicants come from?

More UK students applied this year (21,280, up about 3%) and fewer international students (4,560, down nearly 10%). Applications from outside the EU fell from 4,120 to 3,760, and from the EU from 920 to 800.

International applications fell across all the October-deadline courses, with fewer students applying from China, the USA and Singapore. If you're applying from overseas, there are still only around 456 places for international students in England, so our guide for international medicine applicants is worth reading before you choose your schools.

Key Takeaway: The extra competition this year comes from UK students, not international ones.

How old are medicine applicants?

14,170 applicants were 18, about 4% fewer than last year, and UCAS saw a similar drop in 18-year-olds across all the October-deadline courses. UK applicants aged 21 and over went up from 4,920 to 5,180, and many of them are graduates applying to standard or graduate-entry medicine.

Women still make up most applicants: 15,910, about 62% of the total, alongside 9,770 men.

Key Takeaway: Fewer 18-year-olds are applying, and more people are applying at 19 or later.

What does Dr Akash Gandhi make of the 2027 figures?

Dr Akash Gandhi is an NHS GP and co-founder of TheUKCATPeople, which has helped students apply to medicine since 2012.

"On the surface nothing has changed, but this is a tougher year to apply straight from school. About one in six applicants has done this before. They've sat the UCAT twice, many already have their A level grades, and they know what an interview feels like."

"Last year more students applied but no extra places were created, so lots of good students missed out. A lot of them are back this year, which is why reapplicants are up by almost a third."

"If you're in Year 12, plan as if you'll only apply once. Get your UCAT as strong as you can, pick your four schools carefully, and practise for interviews before the invitations arrive."

Key Takeaway: Our view: it's the same number of applicants as last year, but more of them have done this before.

What should 2027 and 2028 applicants do?

• Pick your schools carefully: each medical school shortlists differently and uses the UCAT in its own way. Our guide to choosing a medical school walks you through it, and if your score is on the low side, see where to apply with a low UCAT score.
• Put real time into the UCAT: it's the part of your application you can change the most in Year 12. If you'd like help, our 1-1 UCAT tutoring focuses on the sections you find hardest.
• Start interview practice early: reapplicants have been to interviews before, so it pays to practise well before yours. Our medicine interview coaching can help.
• If you're reapplying: work out what held you back last time and focus on that. Our no offers guide and UCAT retake guide explain how.

Key Takeaway: With places fixed, the things you can control are where you apply and how well you prepare.

Where do these figures come from?

• Source: UCAS 15 October deadline data for the 2027 cycle, published on 29 October 2026 (the UCAS press release and the data files on the release page), and the Office for Students limits on medical places, last updated on 3 June 2026.
• Rounding: UCAS rounds every count to the nearest 10. We worked out the percentages from those rounded counts, so they can be a fraction out from UCAS’s own.
• Reapplicants: students UCAS records as having applied in an earlier year. First-time applicants are everyone else.
• Entry years: "2027 entry" means students who applied by 15 October 2026 to start in autumn 2027.
• Places: the 8,126 figure is for England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland fund their own places.

Key Takeaway: All the figures come from UCAS and the Office for Students. We worked out the percentages and the first-time applicant numbers.

How should these figures be cited?

Source: TheUKCATPeople analysis of UCAS 15 October deadline data, 2027 cycle (November 2026). Media enquiries: info@theukcatpeople.co.uk or our contact page. Teachers can find the figures in a shareable form on our key numbers page for schools.

Key Takeaway: Cite the figures as TheUKCATPeople analysis of UCAS 15 October deadline data, 2027 cycle.