Universities in the UK

A brief history

• Teaching at Oxford was under way by the end of the 11th century; scholars who left Oxford in 1209 founded Cambridge
• University College London and King's College became the founding colleges of the University of London in 1836; Durham was founded in 1832
• Around 1900, the "red-brick" civic universities — Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield — opened with a focus on science and engineering
• In 1994 the Russell Group was formed: research-intensive universities often called Britain's answer to the Ivy League

The Russell Group (24 universities)

Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Imperial College London, King's College London, Leeds, Liverpool, LSE, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Queen Mary University of London, Queen's University Belfast, Sheffield, Southampton, UCL, Warwick and York.

How to get in

A school certificate from most countries is not enough for direct entry, so students first complete A-levels, the IB or a Foundation programme. All routes require strong English, usually proven with IELTS.

Applications go through UCAS — up to five choices, a personal statement, a reference and predicted grades. Each university sets its own criteria: some only consider A grades, others weigh extracurricular achievements more. If all choices decline, Clearing offers a second chance in the summer.

Degree levels

• Undergraduate (bachelor's): usually three years — four in Scotland or with a foundation or placement year
• Postgraduate taught (master's): usually one year — often taken after some work experience
• Doctorate (PhD): typically three to four years of research, normally after a master's
• Scholarships and bursaries exist at every level; they are competitive, but some cover tuition in full

Further and higher education

After 16, students can also choose Further Education colleges — more than 600 across the country — offering vocational qualifications, English courses, GCSE and A-level retakes. Higher Education covers bachelor's, master's, doctoral and MBA programmes at universities and colleges.

Two main routes from abroad

• Two-year A-levels alongside British students — the choice for ambitious applicants aiming for Oxford, Cambridge and the Russell Group. Colleges such as Cardiff Sixth Form College, d'Overbroeck's and Cambridge Tutors College specialise in this
• A one-year Foundation designed for international students. It improves academic English and introduces British teaching methods; many lead to a guaranteed place at partner universities, which are mostly mid-ranking