Universities & University Life in the UK

University Life & List of Universities in the UK

King's College, Cambridge, England. — King's College, Cambridge, England

There are well over 100 universities in Britain with the majority (106) in England. There are 15 universities in Scotland, 8 in Wales and 2 in Northern Ireland. Colleges in the UK attract thousands of students from overseas in particular from China and various European countries.

Oxbridge - Oxford & Cambridge Colleges

The colleges of Oxford and Cambridge are some of the most famous academies in the UK, churning out an endless stream of government ministers and senior civil servants.

Keble, Merton, Christ Church in Oxford and King's and Trinity in Cambridge are some of the most well-known of the Oxbridge colleges.

In addition, Imperial College, UCL and LSE in London are also world famous educational institutions with glowing global reputations for academic excellence. Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and UCL frequently appear in the rankings for the top 10 universities in the world. Oxford is also the second oldest university in the western world.

St. Andrew's in Scotland is often attended by members of the British aristocracy. For example, Prince William studied geography there from 2001-2005.

The University of Glasgow, Scotland. — The University of Glasgow

Russell Group

The Russell Group of universities consists of 24 self-selected members and includes the various London colleges, the University of Birmingham, the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford.

York St John University, York, England. — York St John University, York

Red Brick

Red brick universities were originally ten universities in the major industrial cities of England founded in the 19th century.

The name later came to incorporate all universities founded before polytechnics became universities in the 1990s.

Of the original ten institutions, nine are still in existence: Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Reading and Sheffield. Eight are now also part of the Russell Group.

Course Length & Fees

The basic undergraduate course in England is 3 years (4 years in Scotland) with a post-graduate degree mainly 1 year.

Language courses in England are often 4 years with one year spent overseas acquiring the target language.

Fees vary depending on the university and are now paid by student loans. This means that many students take on long-term debt and devout Muslim students have issues with taking out loans with interest. Fees are higher for overseas students. Students usually stay in halls of residence in their first year before moving to private accommodation from their second year on.

Academic Year

The academic year in the UK is split into 3 terms. The approximate dates are September-December (autumn term), January-March (spring term) and April-June (summer term).

See a listing of universities in the UK.

Student life in the UK. — Student life in the UK

All Souls College, Oxford, England. — All Souls College, Oxford, England

Universities in England

AECC University College, Bournemouth
Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough
Arden University, Coventry (distance learning)
Arts University Bournemouth, Poole
University of the Arts London, London
Aston University, Birmingham
University of Bath, Bath
Bath Spa University, Bath
University of Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes
University of Birmingham*, Birmingham
University College Birmingham
Birmingham City University
Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln
University of Bolton, Bolton
Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, Poole
BPP University, Abingdon-on-Thames, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester
University of Bradford, Bradford
University of Brighton, Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings
University of Bristol*, Bristol
Brunel University London, Uxbridge (London)
University of Buckingham, Buckingham
Buckinghamshire New University, High Wycombe, Uxbridge
University of Cambridge*, Cambridge
Canterbury Christ Church University, Broadstairs, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells
University of Central Lancashire, Preston
University of Chester, Chester, Warrington
University of Chichester, Chichester
Coventry University, Coventry
Cranfield University, Cranfield, Shrivenham
University for the Creative Arts, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone, Rochester
University of Cumbria, Carlisle, Lancaster, Penrith, Cumbria, Tower Hamlets (London)
De Montfort University, Leicester
University of Derby, Derby
Durham University*, Durham, Stockton
University of East Anglia, Norwich
University of East London, Newham (London)
Edge Hill University, Ormskirk
University of Essex, Colchester
University College of Estate Management, Reading
University of Exeter*, Exeter, Penryn
Falmouth University, Falmouth, Penryn
University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, Gloucester
University of Greenwich, Greenwich (London)
Harper Adams University, Edgmond
Hartpury University, Gloucester
University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

University of Huddersfield. — University of Huddersfield

University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield
University of Hull, Hull, Scarborough
Imperial College*, South Kensington (London)
Keele University, Keele
University of Kent, Canterbury, Medway, Athens, Brussels, Rome
Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames
Lancaster University, Lancaster
University of Law, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, Leeds, London, Nottingham
University of Leeds*, Leeds
Leeds Arts University
Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Trinity University
University of Leicester, Leicester
University of Lincoln, Lincoln
University of Liverpool*, Liverpool
Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool
Liverpool John Moores University
University of London, London, Paris
Birkbeck, University of London
City, University of London
Courtauld Institute of Art, London
Goldsmiths, University of London
Heythrop College, London
Institute of Cancer Research, London
King's College London*
London Business School
London School of Economics*
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Queen Mary, University of London*
Royal Academy of Music, London
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London
Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey
Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire
St George's, University of London, London
School of Oriental and African Studies, London
University College London*
London Institute of Banking & Finance
London Metropolitan University
London South Bank University, Southwark
Loughborough University, Loughborough
University of Manchester*
Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
Middlesex University, Hendon (London)
Newcastle University*, Newcastle
Newman University, Birmingham
University of Northampton
Northumbria University, Newcastle
Norwich University of the Arts
University of Nottingham*, Nottingham
Nottingham Trent University
Open University, Milton Keynes
University College of Osteopathy, London
University of Oxford*, Oxford
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
Plymouth University
University of Portsmouth
Ravensbourne University London
University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire
Regent's University London
Roehampton University, Roehampton (London)
Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester
University of Salford, Salford
University of Sheffield*
Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield
University of Southampton*, Southampton
Southampton Solent University, Southampton
University of St Mark & St John, Plymouth
St Mary's University, Twickenham, Strawberry Hill (London)
Staffordshire University, Lichfield, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Stoke
University of Suffolk, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft
University of Sunderland, Sunderland
University of Surrey, Guildford
University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton
Teesside University, Darlington, Middlesbrough
University of Warwick*, Coventry
University of West London, Ealing, Reading
University of the West of England, Bristol
University of Westminster, London
University of Winchester, Winchester
University of Wolverhampton, Burton, Telford, Walsall, Wolverhampton
University of Worcester, Worcester
Writtle University College, Chelmsford
University of York*, York
York St John University, York

Sterling University campus, Sterling, Scotland. — Sterling University campus, Sterling, Scotland

Universities in Scotland

University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife
University of Glasgow*, Glasgow
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen
University of Edinburgh*, Edinburgh
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
University of Dundee, Dundee
University of Stirling, Stirling
Edinburgh Napier University
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Glasgow Caledonian University
University of Abertay Dundee
Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, East Lothian
University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Hamilton, Dumfries and Ayr
University of the Highlands and Islands, Highlands, Western Isles and Northern Isles

Universities in Wales

Cardiff University*, Cardiff
University of South Wales, Cardiff, Newport (Caerleon), Pontypridd
Swansea University
Bangor University
Cardiff Metropolitan University
University of Wales Trinity Saint David, (campuses in Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, London and Swansea)
Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth
Wrexham Glyndŵr University