University Intake Targets for Dentistry AY 2026–27

2. SFC receives annual guidance from the Chief Dental Officer (CDO) and Dentistry, Optometry & Audiology Division, providing recommended intakes for dental schools in Scotland. This letter of guidance for AY 2026-27, dated 9 February 2026, is provided in Annex A.

3. The guidance received from the CDO recommends that intake targets for AY 2026-27 should remain the same as AY 2025-26.
4. In line with this guidance, the overall university intake target for Dentistry for AY 2026-27 is 172 students; with an intake target for Scottish-domiciled/’home fee’, rest of UK (rUK) and Republic of Ireland (RoI) students of 145, and an intake target for international students of 27. This is shown in Table 1
5. As was the case last year, AY 2026-27 will see all three universities – University of Aberdeen, University of Dundee and University of Glasgow – being allowed to recruit international Dentistry students (see Table 1). International students will be expected to contribute towards Additional Cost of Teaching (Dentistry) via their student fees as previously agreed.

6. SFC will confirm the funded places and the funding associated with this programme in the final university funding announcement for AY 2026-27, due to be published at the end of May 2026.

7. Please contact the Funding team in our Investment & Research Directorate, tel: 0131 313 6500, email: funding@sfc.ac.uk.

Helen Cross
Director, Investment & Research