Foundation Programme competition ratios
There is no application score for UKFP 2027: places go by a random computer-generated rank and your preferences, and 82.3% of applicants allocated in March 2026 got their first-choice foundation school.
First choices per place
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First preference ratios by foundation school
Applicants who put each school first, for each programme. Above 1, more people wanted the school than it had places.
| Foundation school | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | Our estimate, first choice | Programmes 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 2.04 | 1.78 | 2.42 | 43% | 1,216 |
| West Midlands Central | 1.39 | 1.11 | 1.35 | 66% | 286 |
| Severn | 1.32 | 1.22 | 1.68 | 75% | 421 |
| Thames Valley Oxford | 1.29 | 1.64 | 1.42 | 77% | 342 |
| North West of England | 1.14 | 1.35 | 1.35 | 86% | 1,081 |
| Scotland | 1.08 | 1.01 | 1.00 | 92% | 1,237 |
| Peninsula | 0.88 | 0.87 | 0.65 | Over 95% | 319 |
| KSS | 0.85 | 0.96 | 0.63 | Over 95% | 703 |
| Northern Ireland | 0.79 | 0.85 | 0.66 | Over 95% | 387 |
| Northern | 0.76 | 0.94 | 0.82 | Over 95% | 568 |
| LNR | 0.75 | 0.72 | 0.53 | Over 95% | 330 |
| East of England | 0.71 | 0.65 | 0.47 | Over 95% | 921 |
| Wales | 0.66 | 0.65 | 0.57 | Over 95% | 460 |
| Wessex | 0.59 | 0.60 | 0.51 | Over 95% | 437 |
| Trent | 0.54 | 0.47 | 0.50 | Over 95% | 474 |
| West Midlands South | 0.52 | 0.54 | 0.45 | Over 95% | 294 |
| West Midlands North | 0.40 | 0.38 | 0.39 | Over 95% | 436 |
How many got their first choice
| Year | Allocated | First choice | Reserve list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10,810 | 82.3% | 738 |
| 2025 | 10,634 | 84% | None |
| 2024 | 9,702 | 75% | Not published |
How UKFP 2027 allocation works
- No application score. The SJT and the EPM score went from UKFP 2024. Your medical school performance does not affect your rank.
- A random rank. Oriel gives every applicant a computer-generated rank when the allocation runs.
- Your preferences decide the rest. In rank order, each applicant gets the highest foundation school on their list that still has a place.
- The priority group goes first. Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act, UK medical graduates and others in the priority group are allocated first. In 2026, everyone else went on a reserve list.
- Pre-allocation comes before that. Applicants with a parental or caring role, a health condition, widening participation status or extraordinary circumstances can be placed at a set school first.
Get the UKFP 2027 figures by email
One email when UKFPO publishes the 2027 allocation results and first preference ratios.
Questions people ask
Is there an application score for the Foundation Programme?
No. Since UKFP 2024 there is no SJT and no EPM score. Each applicant gets a random computer-generated rank, and the ranking is not informed by performance at medical school.
Which foundation school is most competitive?
London. In 2026, 2,484 priority applicants put London first for 1,216 programmes, a ratio of 2.04 to 1. West Midlands Central, Thames Valley Oxford and Severn came next.
How many people get their first choice foundation school?
82.3% of the 10,810 applicants allocated in March 2026 got their first preference. It was 84% in 2025 and 75% in 2024.
What happens if you are not in the priority group?
In 2026 the 738 applicants outside the priority group went on a national reserve list instead of the main allocation. 476 reserve list applicants were placed later and 188 were not placed.
How many people apply to the Foundation Programme?
UKFPO received 11,752 applications for the 2026 programme. 11,548 were eligible at allocation and 11,286 of them, 98%, were allocated a place.
More free tools
How we work this out
What it does
Choose your first-choice foundation school to see how many applicants put it first for each place.
The UK Foundation Programme's main allocation of final-year medical students and other eligible applicants to foundation schools.
Method
- Each ratio is UKFPO's own: applicants who put the school first, divided by its programmes, for the priority group in 2026 and all applicants in 2025 and 2024.
- Our estimate of a first-choice place is one in the 2026 ratio after pre-allocation, because under a random rank each remaining place goes to a random applicant who put the school first.
- Added up over every school, that estimate gives 81.6% of applicants their first choice for 2026, against UKFPO's 82.3%.
Sources
Checked .