Office for Students

Funding for medicine and dentistry

Medical and dental maximum fundable limits

For medical and dental schools in England, we limit the number of students on pre-registration medical and dental courses that we will count towards our funding allocations. We refer to these as ‘maximum fundable limits’ or MFLs.

The overall number of publicly-funded medical and dental training places has been set by government. Periodically, government will increase the number of places available and will ask the OfS to allocate these additional places, based on government priorities.

The number of places allocated to each provider is not reassessed each year; the MFL for each provider rolls over unless additional places are allocated.

Expansion of places for 2025-26 and 2024-25

The most recent MFL expansion exercise took place in 2024, increasing the number of medical places for the 2025-26 entry cohort by 350 home students. This was in addition to 205 places allocated in 2023 for the 2024-25 entry cohort.

The government wrote to us in December 2023 setting out their priorities for how the 350 additional places should be distributed. After engagement with the higher education sector we allocated the additional places regionally to schools with a capacity to expand in 2025-26. Full details of this process and the outcome can be found in a letter sent to providers in September 2024.

Maximum fundable limits from 2025-26

This table shows the medical and dental MFLs for all English providers. These MFLs apply for the 2025-26 entry cohort. They will also apply for 2026-27 and beyond, unless we are asked by government to assign any additional places for these years

Table: Medical and dental MFLs for all English providers

 

Maximum fundable limit
(home and overseas)

Anticipated home

Anticipated overseas

Institution

Medical

Dental

Medical

Dental

Medical

Dental

Anglia Ruskin University

128

-

128

-

-

-

Aston University

110

-

110

-

-

-

University of Birmingham

408

71

380

67

28

4

Universities of Brighton and Sussex

207

-

197

-

10

-

University of Bristol

287

71

268

67

19

4

Brunel University London

53

-

53

-

-

-

University of Cambridge

313

-

291

-

22

-

University of Lancashire

56

29

56

28

-

1

University of Chester

55

-

55

-

-

-

University of East Anglia

235

-

222

-

13

-

Edge Hill University

63

-

63

-

-

-

University of Exeter

228

-

218

-

10

-

Universities of Hull and York

239

-

228

-

11

-

Imperial College London

295

-

271

-

24

-

Imperial College London: The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (in partnership with the University of Cumbria

58

-

58

-

-

-

Keele University

171

-

161

-

10

-

Universities of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church

109

-

109

-

-

-

King’s College London

376

148

346

141

30

7

King’s College London: Portsmouth Medical School (in partnership with the University of Portsmouth)

67

-

67

-

-

-

Lancaster University

134

-

130

-

4

-

University of Leeds

294

76

275

72

19

4

University of Leicester

293

-

275

-

18

-

University of Nottingham: Lincoln Medical School (in partnership with University of Lincoln)

84

-

84

-

-

-

University of Liverpool

345

72

322

68

23

4

University of Manchester

401

71

373

67

28

4

Newcastle University

369

71

343

67

26

4

University of Nottingham

375

-

350

-

25

-

University of Oxford

200

-

186

-

14

-

University of Plymouth

173

58

167

55

6

3

Queen Mary, University of London

374

71

350

67

24

4

City St George’s, University of London

280

-

261

-

19

-

University of Sheffield

315

71

297

67

18

4

University of Southampton

278

-

260

-

18

-

University of Sunderland

117

-

117

-

-

-

University of Surrey

34

-

34

-

-

-

University College London

337

-

313

-

24

-

University of Warwick

203

-

190

-

13

-

University of Worcester

62

-

62

-

-

-

Total

8,126

809

7,670

766

456

43

The MFLs are the overall limit on the numbers that we will count for funding purposes, assuming all recruitment is of OfS-fundable students.

Some providers may choose to use a portion of their expected MFL to recruit overseas students, but will not receive any OfS funding for these international students. Typically, these are providers with more established medical schools. The recent increases to maximum intakes can only be used to recruit home students.

How we monitor recruitment

We monitor each provider’s recruitment against it’s MFL using a rolling five-year average. If a provider over-recruits against its MFL, we will apply a reduction to the student numbers counted for OfS funding purposes for the following year.

Archive

Expansion of maximum fundable medical places for 2024-25

On 30 June 2023, the NHS published its Long Term Workforce Plan, which announced a planned increase in undergraduate student numbers for medicine and dentistry courses. The plan sets out proposed trajectories for growth in the number of doctors, dentists, nurses and other health professionals.

On 1 October 2023, we received a letter from the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education and the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care, providing us with sufficient additional funding to increase the maximum fundable limits for home students by 205 medical training places for the academic year 2024-25.

After consideration and engagement with the higher education sector, we allocated these additional places to five universities:

Universities Increase to expected maximum medical intake for academic year 2024-25

Brunel University London

50

University of Central Lancashire 

35

University of Chester

50

Edge Hill University

20

University of Worcester 

50

2024-25 expected maximum intakes

The expected maximum intake shows the overall limit on the numbers that we will count for funding purposes, assuming all recruitment is of OfS-fundable students. These figures include the additional places that were allocated to five universities following an expansion exercise for the academic year 2024-25.

We monitor each provider’s recruitment against these maximum fundable limits, using a rolling five-year average. If a provider over-recruits against its maximum fundable limit, we will apply a reduction to the student numbers counted for OfS funding purposes for the following year.

Some providers in the table may choose to use a portion of their expected maximum intake to recruit overseas students. (Providers do not receive any OfS funding for these international students.) Typically, these are providers with more established medical schools. Recent expansions to the expected maximum intakes have allocated places on the basis that they should be used to recruit home students.

 

Expected maximum intake
(home and overseas)

Anticipated home

Anticipated overseas

Institution

Medical

Dental

Medical

Dental

Medical

Dental

Anglia Ruskin University

100

-

100

-

-

-

Aston University

100

-

100

-

-

-

University of Birmingham

400

71

372

67

28

4

Universities of Brighton and Sussex

203

-

193

-

10

-

University of Bristol

270

71

251

67

19

4

Brunel University London

50

-

50

-

-

-

University of Cambridge

313

-

291

-

22

-

University of Central Lancashire

50

29

50

28

-

1

University of Chester

50

-

50

-

-

-

University of East Anglia

208

-

195

-

13

-

Edge Hill University

50

-

50

-

-

-

University of Exeter

218

-

208

-

10

-

Universities of Hull and York

231

-

220

-

11

-

Imperial College London

345

-

321

-

24

-

Keele University

164

-

154

-

10

-

Universities of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church

100

-

100

-

-

-

King’s College London

430

148

346

141

84

7

Lancaster University

129

-

125

-

4

-

University of Leeds

278

76

259

72

19

4

University of Leicester

290

-

272

-

18

-

University of Nottingham: Lincoln Medical School (in partnership with University of Lincoln)

80

-

80

-

-

-

University of Liverpool

332

72

309

68

23

4

University of Manchester

397

71

369

67

28

4

Newcastle University

367

71

341

67

26

4

University of Nottingham

371

-

346

-

25

-

University of Oxford

200

-

186

-

14

-

University of Plymouth

156

58

150

55

6

3

 

King’s College London: University of Portsmouth branch campus (in partnership with University of Portsmouth)

54

0

54

0

0

0

Queen Mary, University of London

371

71

347

67

24

4

St George’s Hospital Medical School

279

-

260

-

19

-

University of Sheffield

306

71

288

67

18

4

University of Southampton

261

-

243

-

18

-

University of Sunderland

100

-

100

-

-

-

University College London

334

-

310

-

24

-

University of Warwick

193

-

180

-

13

-

University of Worcester

50

-

50

-

-

-

Total

7,830

809

7,320

766

510

43

The expected maximum intake shows the overall limit on the numbers that we will count for funding purposes, assuming all recruitment is of OfS-fundable students. However, within this overall limit, we also specify a separate limited allowance for overseas recruitment (should a provider wish to use it). Net recruitment beyond the overall limit (whether of OfS-fundable students or others), monitored over a rolling five-year period, will lead to a reduction to the student numbers we count for funding purposes for the following year.

  Expected maximum intake
(home and overseas)		 Anticipated home Anticipated overseas
Institution Medical Dental Medical Dental Medical Dental

Anglia Ruskin University

100

-

100

-

-

-

Aston University

100

-

100

-

-

-

University of Birmingham

400

71

372

67

28

4

Universities of Brighton and Sussex

203

-

193

-

10

-

University of Bristol

270

71

251

67

19

4

University of Central Lancashire

15

29

15

28

-

1

University of Cambridge

313

-

291

-

22

-

University of East Anglia

208

-

195

-

13

-

Edge Hill University

30

-

30

-

-

-
University of Exeter

218

-

208

-

10

-

Universities of Hull and York

231

-

220

-

11

-

Imperial College

345

-

321

-

24

-

Keele University

164

-

154

-

10

-

Universities of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church

100

-

100

-

-

-

King’s College London

430

148

400

141

30

7

Lancaster University

129

-

125

-

4

-

University of Leeds

278

76

259

72

19

4

University of Leicester

290

-

272

-

18

-

University of Nottingham: Lincoln Medical School (in partnership with University of Lincoln)

80

-

80

-

-

-

University of Liverpool

332

72

309

68

23

4

University of Manchester

397

71

369

67

28

4

University of Newcastle

367

71

341

67

26

4

University of Nottingham

371

-

346

-

25

-

University of Oxford

200

-

186

-

14

-

University of Plymouth

156

58

150

55

6

3

Queen Mary, University of London

371

71

347

67

24

4

St George’s Hospital Medical School

279

-

260

-

19

-

University of Sheffield

306

71

288

67

18

4

University of Southampton

261

-

243

-

18

-

University of Sunderland

100

-

100

-

-

-

University College London

334

-

310

-

24

-

University of Warwick

193

-

180

-

13

-

Total

7,571

809

7,115

766

456

43

Archive

  Intake target
(home and overseas)		 Anticipated home Anticipated overseas
Institution Medical Dental Medical Dental Medical Dental

Anglia Ruskin University

100

-

100

-

-

-

Aston University

100

-

100

-

-

-

University of Birmingham

400

71

372

67

28

4

Universities of Brighton and Sussex

203

-

193

-

10

-

University of Bristol

270

71

251

67

19

4

University of Central Lancashire

15

29

15

28

-

1

University of Cambridge

313

-

291

-

22

-

University of East Anglia

208

-

195

-

13

-

Edge Hill University

30

-

30

-

-

-
University of Exeter

218

-

208

-

10

-

Universities of Hull and York

231

-

220

-

11

-

Imperial College

345

-

321

-

24

-

Keele University

164

-

154

-

10

-

Universities of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church

100

-

100

-

-

-

King’s College London

430

148

400

141

30

7

Lancaster University

129

-

125

-

4

-

University of Leeds

278

76

259

72

19

4

University of Leicester

290

-

272

-

18

-

University of Nottingham: Lincoln Medical School (in partnership with University of Lincoln)

80

-

80

-

-

-

University of Liverpool

332

72

309

68

23

4

University of Manchester

397

71

369

67

28

4

University of Newcastle

367

71

341

67

26

4

University of Nottingham

371

-

346

-

25

-

University of Oxford

200

-

186

-

14

-

University of Plymouth

156

58

150

55

6

3

Queen Mary, University of London

371

71

347

67

24

4

St George’s Hospital Medical School

279

-

260

-

19

-

University of Sheffield

306

71

288

67

18

4

University of Southampton

261

-

243

-

18

-

University of Sunderland

100

-

100

-

-

-

University College London

334

-

310

-

24

-

University of Warwick

193

-

180

-

13

-

Total

7,571

809

7,115

766

456

43

For previous years, see the UK government web archive:

Last updated 05 August 2025
05 August 2025
Updated expected intake numbers for Imperial College London and King's College London, and adjusted totals.
28 April 2025
Published 2025-25 expected maximum intakes.
17 October 2024
Added new partnership (KCL/Portsmouth) to table 'For entry in 2024-25'.
15 May 2024
Updated with maximum fundable limits for entry in 2024-25 and added information on expansion of maximum fundable medical places for 2025-26.
05 February 2024
Added information on expansion of maximum fundable medical places for 2024-25.
06 July 2023
Updated from target intakes to maximum fundable limits and added introductory detail.
09 February 2023
Targets updated for entry in 2023-24.
26 January 2022
Targets updated for entry in 2022-23.
29 September 2021
Intake target figures updated
01 June 2021
Targets updated for entry in 2021-22
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