Why Study in the UK?
With around 162 higher education institutions across UK, and a generous range of degree types to study in UK, it makes sense that Britain is a popular destination in international education. The education system varies depending on where in the UK you choose to study, with some subtle differences. Regardless of where you study, you will receive high quality teaching from leading professionals. Any qualification gained in the UK will be highly regarded internationally.
Many of the UK universities and colleges are seen in the leading education ranking tables. In the 2019 QS World University Rankings, the UK has 4 institutions in the top 10. There are also 18 UK institutions in the top 100. The highest ranked is the University of Oxford, which occupies 5th place. It is followed by the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, in 6th and 8th place respectively.
Education system in the UK
It was during the 19th century when a major expansion in the higher education sector in the UK happened, with the awarding of the royal charters to some of the prominent UK institutions. Since then, many initiatives were launched to bestow the university status to some of the institutions, which went on to become the popular ones in the world.
The UK universities are categorized into colleges of different subjects, which means you need to be sure, beforehand, about which subject you want to study before applying to a UK college. Unlike in the US where you have an option to choose electives and switch over to some other subject at the end of first year, UK colleges, irrespective of being autonomous bodies, expect you to adhere to your choice of subject. Hence, you either apply at each college of the subject that you are interested in or you apply through a centralized (common) system that allows you to apply at various colleges at the same point in time.
Types of higher education institutions in the UK
In addition to universities and colleges, which are recognized institutional bodies conferring degrees in both undergraduate and postgraduate levels to its students, there are some institutions that fall in the category of ‘listed bodies’.
Listed bodies do not have any authority to award degrees, but they do offer some vocational and pathway programs that may lead to direct employment or transition to a degree program.
UK university intake seasons
The main intake seasons in UK are September/October and January/February. The services offered by UCAS are designed for the admission to the September or October intake in the UK.
Cost of studying in uk for Indian students
The cost of studying in the UK for international students varies from institution to institution. Undergraduate programs could cost somewhere around £10,000–35,000 and postgraduate programs could cost somewhere around £9,000–42,000, depending on a classroom-based or laboratory-based program.