Advice about living in, visiting or
moving to the UK
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Why study in the UK?
The United Kingdom has been welcoming international students to its universities and colleges for many years. In 2008, there were approximately 1.8 million full-time undergraduate students in higher education, of which over 100,00 were international students. UK education must meet strict academic criteria and its qualifications are recognised and highly respected throughout the world. British universities and colleges offer a diverse, creating and supporting environment that will encourage and motivate you to excel in your chosen subject.
It is not uncommon for many universities and colleges to provide international student societies, social activities, academic support and advisers to make you feel welcome and to ensure that your time studying in the UK is a positive as it can be.
Some popular reasons why international students from over 180 different countries are studying in the United Kingdom are:
International reputation
The quality of education provided in the UK is extremely high making it well recognised and respected by employers, universities and governments all over the world by.
Quality of education
In order to maintain it’s well respected education system, UK universities are monitored closely to ensure that they uphold the high standards of teaching, learning and research set by the government. These standards are maintained by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Visit their website for more details.
International tradition
The UK consistently welcomes students from all over the world to study in the UK. During 2006/2007, there were over 23,00 international students studying in the UK at either a undergraduate or postgraduate level.
British culture and people
The UK is an extremely diverse country offering many different cultures, variety of people and mixed nationalities which is another major appeal to international students.
Financial benefits
Undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the UK are generally much shorter than those offered abroad. Not only does this help to reduce the overall cost of your UK education, but also, it will ensure that you enter the workforce much quicker than alternative education systems. Most undergraduate courses take three years to complete, although in Scotland it would be typically four years. A postgraduate Masters course will normally only take 1 year, whereas PhD will take 3 or 4 years.
International students typically are allowed to work for up to 20 hours a week during term time and full time during holidays. If you are from an EU country, there will be even more flexibility. More information about visas for studying in the UK can be found in our relocation section.
How much will a UK education cost?
■ Estimated living expenses per year average bewteen £7,000 and £9,000
■ Tuition fees per year range from £7000 to £9,000 for Arts courses and £7500 to £12,000 for Science course
We recommend using the website UCAS for finding UK courses and universities.
Studying in the United Kingdom will be one of the most exciting times of your life. Follow our application guide to ensure that your UK application is as easy as possible.
■ Step 1
Most international students will have already deciced on which course they will be studying before arriving in the UK; however, if you've already found your course or still deciding, it's important to check the entry requirements. Each course and university will have different entry requirements.
You can compare your country's qualifications to UK qualifications at the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC), which will provide you with officially recognised documents. This is a fee-based service.
■ Step 2
■ Undergraduate students
You will need to submit your undergraduate application via Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). This is the official UK government approved application service. Check out the UCAS website for more advice and a list of the key application dates.
■ Postgraduate students
Postgraduates can apply directly to your chosen university. Most UK universities allow you to send your application throughout the year; however, some courses may have their own deadlines and popular courses can fill up quickly. Contact your chosen university to find out more.
■ Step 3
You'll need to check that you are eligible for a UK student visa. It's important to note that you can only apply for a UK study visa once you are accepted by a UK university, so it's best to make sure you are aware of the requirements in advance.
The sources for the figures are the most recently published Higher Education Statistics Agency statistics, from 2008-2009, as well as figures provided by the Universities official websites. The student numbers include full-time, part-time, further education, undergraduate, and postgraduate students.
The data shows a total of close to 2.5 million people enrolled in the United Kingdom's 165 universities









