A quick Wikipedia search will show notable alumni across the main universities in the UK. High level politicians, CEOs, and Nobel prize winners consistently feature British universities as their alma mater.
While most people will be familiar with Oxford and Cambridge, the UK university system has a lot more to offer. We can almost guarantee that you will find an university that will match your expectations.
From the bustling London to the green pastures of Scotland, there is something for everyone.
Is the UK still open for international students?
And while some countries have seen significant drops in the number of international students they receive (for example, the United States), this has hardly been noticeable in the United Kingdom.
In fact, British universities are actively targeting international students due to three main reasons:
- International students pay higher fees than local students, hence they are critical to university funding
- UK universities are targeting a more diverse student body which enriches the experience for international and local students alike.
- The British government is heavily focused on attracting international talent. For example, high potential visas are being considered to facilitate incorporating high-calibre graduates into the UK workforce
Now, what are some of the main benefits of studying university in the UK?
Benefits of studying in the UK
High quality education
British universities are universally recognised and score well in rankings. Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, LSE and UCL are examples of world-class universities.
However, there are many others that carry a good reputation both if you decide to stay in the UK or take your degree elsewhere.
Generally speaking, although there are some nuances for some professions (for example, Medicine), degrees from British universities are globally recognised and will advance your career anywhere in the world.
This is specially the case in the United States and the Commonwealth (including 56 countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, such as Australia and Canada)
However, do note that teaching standards vary across individual universities and courses. That is why we recommend you to work with us!
NavigateUni can rely on our own data and third-parties to get a feeling whether your chosen course has good reviews and whether its specific department are well regarded. Do not just fall for the cheap marketing on the university website!
The number of “contact hours” (which means, time the student spends in a lecture or a more-focused seminar) varies across subjects, but it is typically higher for STEM subjects (such as Medicine or Engineering) and lower for social sciences, where students are typically expected to regularly conduct coursework on their own.
Variety of courses
The ratio of university to population is very high in the UK. Coupled with its historical tradition as an educational hub, you will have plenty of choice.
The large majority of universities are publicly funded and regulated by the education authorities. Therefore, you can expect certain quality standards and guidelines to be followed across universities.
Although, needless to say, teaching quality varies significantly!
Although NavigateUni can help you navigate (pun intended!) the large breadth of options, you can use the UCAS search to browse courses of interest to you: https://digital.ucas.com/search
At the undergraduate level, British universities may typically offer a BSc (Bachelor of Science), a BA (Bachelor of Arts), a MSc (Master of Science) or a MA (Master of Arts).
BSc and BA are undergraduate-equivalent degrees, typically 3 years long. The main difference between a BSc (Bachelor of Science) and a BA (Bachelor of Arts) in the UK is the focus of the degree.
BSc degrees are typically more focused on using quantitative and scientific methods, while BA degrees are more focused on learning via a qualitative approach.
MSc and MA are master-equivalent degrees with the same rationale.
All types of degrees are well recognised so it should not be a big decision factor in choosing the ideal course. Depending on your specific career aspirations, one might be better than the other.
Shorter courses
The large majority of degrees are 3 years long, with the following exceptions:
- Degrees in Scotland
- Degrees with a study abroad year or placement year
- Degrees that result in a MSc, MA or an equivalent master’s qualification
This is a significant advantage compared to the US, Canada or Australia, where the majority of degrees are 4 years long.
Postgraduate degrees may be one or two years, which is shorter than the standard 2 year duration in most of the world.
Universities have specific policies on whether students need to re-take a full year, therefore extending the duration of the degree.
However, generally speaking, the percentage of students having to retake a year is very low.
Living in world-class London or pleasant parts of the UK
London continues to attract thousands of international students, and it is easy to see why. Unlimited opportunities in terms of culture, entertainment and job opportunities.
A large portion of jobs in prestigious industries (such as investment banking, law or consulting) are based in London.
If your goal is to get a job in London or in the UK more broadly, we recommend choosing a university that is in London or not more than a couple of hours away by train.
Being close to London will massively facilitate attending interviews and networking events.
If you are less career-focused or have other priorities, there are many other environments or cities to choose from.
North England tends to feature many green spaces, friendly people and pleasant walkable cities such as Manchester, Leeds or Birmingham.
Many of our students place more priority on their campus experience, which acts as a hub for their educational and recreational activities.
Universities like Warwick, Loughborough and Nottingham have excellent campuses with plenty to do!
Work and internship opportunities
The access to job and internship opportunities in London is unparalleled. About a quarter of total jobs in the UK are based in London.
However, looking at jobs in the most desirable professions, that percentage easily rises to over 80%.
Despite the COVID pandemic and the implementation of remote working, most top companies keep hiring in London and they expect their employees to be based there permanently.
The average salary in London for graduates is between £30-35k while graduates beginning their careers in Finance, Technology and Law will typically start on £50-60k.
However, note that the competition for top jobs in London (and anywhere else, for that matter) is fierce.
This is one of NavigateUni’s core competencies – we can help you with job applications but also, preparing your CV at a much earlier stage.
We encourage all of our students to consider their career options even before applying to university! In fact, studying at the right university, choosing the right course, pursuing appropriate extra-curriculars will boost your chances of getting your dream job far more than anything else!
So, have you decided that the UK is the right place for you? Here are 3 tips:
Tips for researching universities in the UK
Choose what subject you want to study
The application process is highly centralised as all applications are submitted via UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
Applicants only get to apply to 5 options. There is a unique application file for all 5 receiving universities.
In practice, students can apply to two courses by the same university.
While not common, some students may be particularly keen on a particular university and will apply to two similar courses (eg. Sociology and Anthropology).
However, this is not advised since your application will be more successful if it is targeted to your favourite course and university.
Admissions staff want to see that you are particularly committed to them, therefore you must be convincing yet flexible enough to appeal to 5 different universities. Not an easy task.
In fact, this is one of things that NavigateUni can help. Our applicants have been particularly successful by playing the delicate balance of tailoring your application to your favourite university while not putting off your “back-up” choices.
Choose your university
There are hundreds of universities in the country, but you should quickly filter out 80% of them by considering the following:
- Your predicted / achieved grades versus the academic requirements for your course. Keep in mind how particular universities interpret foreign high school systems!
- The part of the UK you want to spend at least 3 of your best years in!
- Whether you prefer living in a campus or an urban environment
- Are there any particular sports or extra-curriculars that I want to follow during my studies, so that an appropriate university can be shortlisted.
Depending on your personal circumstances, we typically recommend 3-4 universities which are achievable / aspirational and at least one back-up option (ie. Where your grades are significantly in excess of the admission requirements, and therefore, admission is likely).
Timelines
University applications must be sent by January 15th of the year you intend to begin your studies.
However, the application window opens sometimes in September and applications are regularly considered as they come in, therefore applying early is important.
Applications to “Oxbridge” (ie. University of Oxford and University of Cambridge), as well as a few subjects such as Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine, must be submitted earlier by October 15th.
Some universities will require further steps or interviews as part of their admission process.
Should you reject any of your offers, fail to receive any offer or fail to meet the academic conditions associated with your offer, UCAS has two additional processes that can be considered.
UCAS Extra: UCAS Extra is a service available to students who have already used all five choices on their UCAS application but have not received any offers, or have declined all their offers.
It allows students to apply for additional courses with available spaces at universities and colleges that participate in UCAS Extra.
The service operates between late February and early July each year. During this period, eligible students can add one course at a time to their application through UCAS Extra.
If they receive an offer, they can choose whether to accept it or continue applying for other courses through UCAS Extra until they secure a place.
UCAS Clearing: UCAS Clearing is a service that helps students find available places on university courses after the main application cycle has ended.
It is primarily used by students who have not received any offers, have declined all their offers, or have not met the conditions of their conditional offers.
Clearing typically opens in July and remains open until September, although specific dates may vary.
During Clearing, universities and colleges advertise any available spaces on their courses, and students can search for these vacancies through the UCAS website.
If eligible, students can contact institutions directly to discuss their suitability for the course and potentially secure an offer.
Clearing is also beneficial for students who may have exceeded their conditional offer grades and wish to explore courses with higher entry requirements.
We understand that going through these processes may be stressful and NavigateUni is well positioned to help throughout.
How NavigateUni can help
We know that applying to university is daunting. Particularly so for international students.
We want all of our students to be as successful as possible.
We all have experienced mistakes which we could have prevent in hindsight.
That is why NavigateUni exists. We are a premier university admissions consultancy that aims to empower students.
In other words, we do not want students to make costly and preventable mistakes!
Contact us for a free consultation so that we can assess if we are the right fit for you
