The price of higher education in UK universities ranges from £ 10,000 to £ 30,000 per year (for medicine and medical sciences).

How to enter the University of England / UK? What documents and knowledge does the applicant need?

In order to enter an English university, you will need not only a standard list of documents, but also certain linguistic and academic knowledge.

The main list of required documents for the submitting family:

• copy of the passport
• for a bachelor - a school certificate and passing the Foundation program, or the International Year One program
• for master's degree - completed bachelor's degree +, if required, passing the pre-Masters program
• IELTS certificate issued no earlier than 2 years before the date of application for a student visa
• letters of recommendation from teachers of English and mathematics, sometimes from the headmaster / dean
• motivation letter
• Skype interview or personal visit to an educational institution

Benefits of Studying at Universities in England

Universities in Great Britain, including universities in England, have several advantages over other popular and prestigious educational institutions in the world. The first and foremost is the international status: highly qualified specialists are trained here, diplomas are recognized in most countries of the world. The most prestigious are Cambridge and Oxford, but diplomas from other educational centers make no less impression on international employers. The education received in the country becomes a competitive advantage of the applicant.

The TOP-10 of the best universities in the world includes institutions of two countries: these are universities in Britain, the list of which is presented in this section, and the United States. As practice shows, it is cheaper than the American one, the cost of education rarely exceeds 33,000 pounds per year, while at Harvard a student will have to spend at least 50,000 in a similar currency. In addition, an undergraduate degree in England lasts 3 years, not 4 as in the United States.

Educational institutions (you will find a list on the pages of the Smapse catalog) are also distinguished by a first-class material and technical base, which makes the learning process more effective. Educational institutions have all the necessary academic resources; here, both ancient libraries and ultra-modern laboratories are at the service of students.

Study at renowned UK universities and internships for Russian students

Great Britain is a country with centuries-old traditions of higher education. The first English university, Oxford University, was founded in the 11th century. Since then, many educational institutions have sprung up on the shores of foggy Albion. Today, some of them, like Oxford, need no introduction.

The most prestigious universities in the UK according to The Times Higher Education

One of the most authoritative publications specializing in the creation of international rankings of educational institutions, The Times Higher Education (THE) surpassed its peers in determining such rather vague indicators as the influence and prestige of an educational institution.

In addition to the overall world ranking of universities, THE website has published the World Reputation Rankings 2016. This classification was formed on the basis of a survey of experts from the academic community and represents the Top 100 most influential universities in the world.

According to THE, the ten most famous and prestigious universities in the world include 2 English educational institutions: the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

University of Oxford is the oldest university in Great Britain. The official opening date of the university has not been established: according to some sources, the first students, mainly clergy, appeared in Oxford as early as the 11th century.

Today the University of Oxford includes 38 colleges with more than 22,000 students. The teaching staff of the university is formed by members of the most prestigious scientific organizations, such as the Royal Society of London and the British Academy. Oxford alumni include Jonathan Swift, Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde, and Margaret Thatcher.

University of Cambridge- the second oldest university in Britain and the main rival of Oxford in the battle for places in international rankings (applicants are prohibited from submitting documents to both universities in the same year).

Cambridge was founded in 1209 by a group of scholars who left Oxford. Today the university is a confederation of 31 colleges, with about 19,000 students from all over the world. Among the students and employees of the university, 130 Nobel laureates - more than any other university in the world.

Famous UK universities in the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017

Other analytical giants do not undertake to form classifications solely on the basis of such a subjective indicator as the reputation of a university in the academic environment. However, they often include reputation in the general list of criteria, along with a number of objective parameters: the volume of research work of the university, the Hirsch index (scientific citation index), etc.

The top ten universities in the world according to the QS World University Rankings this year included 4 British educational institutions: the aforementioned Cambridge and Oxford, as well as UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London.

University College London (UCL) was founded in London in 1826. At the time of its opening, UCL became the first university located in the British capital, as well as the first educational institution in the country, where students, regardless of their religion, were admitted. In addition, in 1876, the university began to accept women for training before other universities in Great Britain.

Today UCL is the oldest college within the University of London. More than 38,000 students study here, the university has 2 overseas campuses - in Qatar and in Australia. Among the graduates of the university are such outstanding personalities as Mahatma Gandhi, Alexander Bell, Peter Higgs (after whom the Higgs boson was named).

Imperial College London is a prestigious technical university in South Kensington. The educational institution was founded in 1907 by merging three previously existing universities. Exactly one hundred years old Imperial College London, similar to University College London , was part of the University of London, but, since 2007, the college has been operating as an independent educational institution.

More than 16 thousand students study at Imperial College London. Among the graduates and employees of the college are 15 Nobel laureates, as well as many members of reputable scientific communities.

Most famous UK universities in other international rankings

For the sake of completeness, let us consider 2 more classifications of higher educational institutions from reputable rating agencies.

The top 20 universities in the world according to CWUR in 2016 includes all the same Oxford and Cambridge. Top 20 from the U.S. In addition to Oxbridge, News & World Report also includes Imperial College London.

After analyzing the information from the above sources, it is not difficult to notice that the list of the most famous universities in England is not so extensive and is not very open. From year to year, "prizes" in the ratings of the best universities in the world go to the same British universities (Oxbridge + - 1, 2 universities). Young educational institutions are simply unable to compete with the ancient giants, whose reputation and authority have been developing over the centuries.

The higher education system in the United Kingdom is one of the oldest, most developed and most prestigious. Currently, there are dozens of famous universities in the country and hundreds of lesser known ones. One way or another, they all provide a high level of education, with which only a few universities in the world can be compared. And in this article we will look at what higher educational institutions there are in England, what are the main features of the higher education system in Great Britain, and also what our layman needs to do in order to become a student at a university or institute in Foggy Albion.

The main features of universities in the UK

Universities in England have a thousand-year history of origin. The first universities in the country were Oxford, which was formed in the 12th century, and Cambridge, which was founded a little later. Since then, the UK higher education system has begun to improve, and over the centuries, its own educational methodology has been developed, universities have received hundreds of awards, and education in England has become a symbol of prestige.

How to enter an English university and what is needed for this?

The entire higher education system in the UK is represented by several categories of educational institutions - universities, colleges and institutes. Upon admission to them, no indulgences and discounts are given to either local applicants or foreign ones - equal conditions are created for everyone, and advantages in distribution are given only to those future students who have the highest scores in their certificates.

To submit documents and enroll in UK universities, you need to have a GCSE certificate, which is analogous to domestic certificates of high school graduation and secondary education. An important condition is the presence in the certificate of indicators in at least five subjects, two of which must be passed with excellent marks. In a word, if you want to go to universities in England, you will have to try on your own grades while still in school. For foreign applicants who have not been trained in English schools, it is necessary to take a two-year course of pre-university education in special international schools in the UK, the result of which will be the passing of exams and obtaining an A-levels diploma.

Another equally important condition is perfect knowledge of the English language, which is confirmed by an IELTS certificate. The certificate is obtained by the results of passing a special difficult test, which can only be passed if the study of the English language has been taking place for more than one year (ideally, in schools in Britain itself).

The collected documents (and this is the A-levels or GCSE certificate, IELTS certificate, as well as the applicant's personal documents) are collected in advance. Each UK university sets its own requirements for the content of the full package of documents. Direct submissions are made to UCAS, a dedicated University Admissions Service, from September 1 to October 15. Applicants can submit a package of documents to six different educational institutions at once. For those applicants who want to enter the best universities in England (for example, Oxford or Cambridge), you need to come to these universities on their own, submit documents, pass an interview and pass difficult entrance exams. Hard? Rather, it is natural, since studying at the most famous and prestigious universities in the world offers incredible opportunities.

What are the difficulties of studying in English universities?

The applicant passed all the necessary tests, exams, submitted documents, even passed interviews and can finally be considered a student at an English university. Did the difficulties end there? No, because all the difficulties are just ahead.

The first 3-4 years the student studies for a bachelor's degree. This is the first academic degree, and after training, the student can become a bachelor of law, medicine, technical, humanitarian and other sciences. In addition to the compulsory training program, the student must choose an additional one that best suits his needs and knowledge. For example, a required law course might include an additional course in international law, tax law, or M&A. As in domestic universities, UK universities have lectures and seminars.

Studying at the university is very difficult. The author of this article had to communicate directly with a teacher from England and draw a similar conclusion based on the following information: no more than 4-5 basic disciplines are studied in one semester, while every 3 months a most difficult control test is done for each of them and one comprehensive test for all disciplines. No usual cheat sheets - if they are found, then there will be no retakes, only expulsion from the university. English universities have earned their international prestige for centuries, so teachers carefully monitor the quality of their students' education. Of course, there can be no talk of any bribes.

After 4 years of study, the student is eligible for a Master of Science degree. And here, in addition to training, research and scientific work is connected. The difficulty in obtaining a master's degree is colossal, but after training the graduate becomes a high-class specialist in demand on the labor market of almost any country.

Tuition fees at universities in England

Tuition fees at universities in England are different in all cases. If you deduce the average, then the student will have to pay at least 10-12 thousand pounds a year for tuition (this is about 20 thousand dollars). In the most prestigious universities in Great Britain and in medical specialties, the cost of training is already from 20 thousand pounds per year or more. The calculation does not take into account the cost of accommodation, meals and other expenses.

Benefits of studying at universities in England

A graduate diploma from an English university is a real carte blanche that allows you to enter virtually any organization, institution and company in the world without hindrance. Only some European universities and US universities can compete, and so - a graduate is out of competition. And this is ensured not only by the diploma itself, but also by the highest level of knowledge. And if a student was able to graduate from a British university (and we are now not even talking about Oxford or Cambridge), then his level of knowledge will be so high that employers will have no doubts when choosing an applicant for a place. This is the main advantage, compared with which the rest are simply leveled out. However, we will also note the opportunity to get acquainted with the culture of one of the oldest countries in the world, and the possibility of perfect command of the English language, etc.

What universities are there in the UK?

Today, there are dozens of different universities, where hundreds of thousands of students are educated. We will consider only the most famous and significant both in terms of training qualified specialists and in terms of prestige and the possibility of further employment.

And others), of course, can serve as a guideline for choosing a place of study. But all the same it is necessary to start not with the university, but with the choice of a specialty. Try to understand what is interesting to you and where it is better to study it. You can find out which universities are strong in your chosen direction from the ranking of specialties. And then you should study the entrance requirements of different universities and correlate them with your capabilities. The best university for you may not be the first in the ranking, but the most optimal one for solving your today's educational tasks.

One of which is the demand for a diploma. In recent years, British education has become more and more applied in nature and is closely connected with production and business, and the level of employment of graduates is becoming a criterion for the success of the university. Nevertheless, it is not so easy for a graduate with a Russian passport to stay in the UK to work. The country's immigration laws allow you to apply for a work visa for up to 5 years with the right to renew, but in order to obtain it, you must meet many conditions: be hired, have a sponsorship certificate from an employer and a salary of at least 20.3 thousand pounds per year, besides, it will still be necessary to prove that no worthy candidates were found for this vacancy from among the local ones.

Another type of work visa - Tier 1 - is designed for foreign graduates of universities in England who are planning their business in the country (Graduate Entrepreneur). The university must be registered in this program and be eligible to provide the student with visa support. The visa is issued for a year with the possibility of extension for another year.

Taking into account the above, for a future career, it may be much more promising to receive or complete higher education at universities in the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, where highly qualified foreign graduates are welcome.

How to proceed

An A-level diploma or equivalent is required for admission to a British university. Since the Russian certificate of complete secondary education is not such an equivalent, our graduate must complete one or two years of pre-university training, for example, within the framework of the Foundation program. Now this preparatory program is available in almost all universities and is recognized by almost all universities, including those that are part of the Russel Group.

It should be borne in mind that the best universities in England are very selective in their choice of students. The level of training of applicants is growing every year. Increasingly, the highest A-level scores are no longer enough for admission to a prestigious university, you still need to pass an interview and entrance tests in specialized subjects, to demonstrate how you are better than others (for example, what additional skills you have). For foreigners, knowledge of English is also an important factor (IELTS not lower than 6.5). Additional rules exist for admission to creative, medical and legal specialties. In the first case, a portfolio of works will be required, BMAT or UCKAT exams are taken for medicine, some law schools require the LNAT test.

Acceptance of applications for the first year at a British university is centralized - through a special service UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service). Applications from foreigners are accepted from September 1 to June 30. In the best universities in the UK, places are usually allocated until January 15, and in Oxbridge and in medical specialties until October 15. Based on the intermediate grades, you can get a conditional offer. To turn it into a final solution (unconditional offer), you need to present the final results of final exams and / or pass an interview. The universities of England also have a procedure for summer recruitment of students for the remaining unfilled places (clearing), and as the practice of recent years shows, this is not only the last chance for those who have not gone anywhere, but also the opportunity to reconsider their decision by choosing a more prestigious university (in most of the Russell Group universities now participate in the clearing procedure) or a more interesting program (tens of thousands of courses are exhibited). Thanks to this procedure, annually about 70 thousand applicants from the total number of enrolled (more than 400 thousand) receive places in British universities.

Bachelor to Doctor

Bachelor's programs at universities in England for most specialties last only three years. Therefore, while entering, the student must clearly understand what he wants to do in the future. And just as clearly explain in a letter of motivation (personal statement) why he wants to study in this particular university and in this specialty, and how he can be useful to the university.

For those who have not yet decided on their specialization, it is better to go to Scotland. There, basic higher education lasts 4 years (as in the USA), and you can think about your future profession up to the 3rd year. Popular in Scottish universities and "sandwich courses" that combine study and practice.

A more affordable and economical option for us, foreigners, is the option of studying at the best universities in England - a master's degree or any other postgraduate course. Study lasts, as a rule, a year and a half, the cost of a full course of study (excluding accommodation and living expenses) - from 15 to 40 thousand pounds, depending on the specialty and the university. For admission, you need a bachelor's degree or a specialist diploma from a Russian university, IELTS 6.5 or more, a letter of motivation, at least two recommendations (from a supervisor or employer) and a detailed curriculum of the subjects passed for the bachelor's program. Documents are submitted directly to selected universities. Top universities in England and selected faculties can also add entrance exams and interviews. For foreigners whose level of preparation is below the required level, universities in the UK offer a pre-master program (pre-masters), which prepares for study at the second stage of higher education in the same way as the Foundation does at the first.

And finally, the last stage of higher education is doctoral studies. This is another three to four years of dissertation preparation and participation in research projects. In addition to the classical degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), more professionally oriented doctoral degrees can be obtained at universities in the UK: DEd (Doctor of Science in Education) DEng (Doctor of Engineering), DBA (Doctor of Business Administration), DClinPsych (Doctor of Science in the field of clinical psychology), etc. The privilege of foreign doctoral students, in contrast to bachelors and masters, is the opportunity to stay in the country for a year after defending a thesis in order to find a job.

Universities in England have a centuries-old tradition and are also some of the most prestigious in the world. Check out the list and descriptions of the most popular universities in the UK and choose the one that suits you in all respects.

Getting it can seriously affect your ability to find a good job and advance faster. Traditions are honored in this country and, not least, they relate to education. It is not for nothing that English higher education institutions are among the best, according to various experts. You can see a lot of foreigners here, their number exceeds 65 thousand. The restrictions are related to the age, which must be at least 18 years old. Of course, you need to finish school in your home country.

Requirements and features of training

Since in England it takes 13 years to complete secondary education, a foreign applicant will not need a matriculation certificate, but an A-levels exam. This can be done at one of the international colleges or private schools with a two-year pre-university degree.

Also, you can unlearn preparatory courses in advance that will help you enter an English institute. There is an opportunity to go to study after the first or second year of a domestic university. You will have to demonstrate excellent knowledge of the English language and pass the exam.

The first three to four years will be required for a bachelor's degree. This makes it possible to have a first academic degree and become a bachelor of law, humanities, technical, pedagogical sciences, as well as medicine and music.

Much attention in many universities is paid not only to study and a well-organized and comfortable life, but also to the opportunity to study English more deeply for students.

An important advantage is that every foreign student will be able to choose for himself such a program that will meet his own capabilities and needs. Of course, this does not negate the required course. But if at the lectures you can get general information, then at the seminars there is an opportunity to study almost individually with a teacher, since usually classes are held in small groups.

Some orthodoxy did not prevent it from building so that everyone could reveal their abilities more fully, learn to independently solve various problems and find a solution.

After the bachelor's degree, you can move on to the second stage and get a master's degree. This will allow you not only to improve your professional level, but also to actively engage in research work. Therefore, it is important to choose a university with a good laboratory and library funds. True, it should be noted that many well-known scientists work in universities and, in addition to their own research, help young graduate students in writing a dissertation.

Rules and fees

It is important to know a few rules that will help you enter an English university faster and more successfully.

You need to pay attention to the English language. The Foundation program will help fill the gaps and raise the level of knowledge.

After choosing a specialty, you need to study the ranking of universities and choose two universities that are most suitable. Those in the top ten have stricter, more specific requirements.

The collected documents and the application must be sent in advance. Reception and consideration is from September 1 to October 15. You will have to come to Oxford and Cambridge and apply directly to the admissions office.

The UCAS College and University Admissions Service operates in England, so admission is done through it.

It is imperative to send the results of the exams, because only then there is a real chance to start your studies at the university.

For international students, tuition fees may vary, as EU citizens receive certain discounts and certain benefits. In addition, after receiving a diploma in this country, you can even work for two years in your specialty.

It will take three years to get a bachelor's degree in England, and even four in Scotland. However, no one bothers to simultaneously pass industrial practice and earn extra money at the same time. This combination of study and work is very common in England.

Until the age of seven, those who have chosen some areas of medicine or architecture will have to study. But it only takes two years to become a master.

The cost of education is also influenced by the prestige of the university and the rating of the specialty. On average, the price ranges from 10 to 12 thousand pounds per year. True, medical specialties can cost 20-22 thousand pounds.

But wherever the training takes place, one can only say that the money was well spent.