Top Universities and Colleges in UK - Courses, Fees, Scholarships, Admission Requirements & Grades

The United Kingdom is one of the most sought-after choices among international students. The reasons for this country to be a top choice among international students are the presence of some of the top-ranked universities in the world, availability of diverse courses, part-time work opportunities, availability of scholarships, etc.

There are over 165 universities in the UK. It is home to some of the top-ranked universities in the world such as the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, The University of Edinburgh, UCL, etc. Some of the popular courses in the UK are BBA, MIM, BE / BTech, MSc, MBA / PGDM. According to a local daily, nearly 5 lakh students were given visas last year. As per the Ministry of External Affairs, in 2022, the estimated number of Indian students studying in the UK is above 55,000.

Check all the details about Study in UK from here

Latest Update:

• The British Council has announced winners of UK Alumni Awards in India. Some of the students who were felicitated with the awards are Sandhya Sukumaran, Dr. Sushrima Gan, Kajri Babbar, Dr. Savi Munjal and more. Check out the details about the winners and award from here. 
• The British Council has launched GREAT Scholarships 2024 for Indian students. Under the GREAT Scholarships 2024 program, Indian students are offered the opportunity to undertake postgraduate taught studies in the UK. Check the details about British Council GREAT Scholarships 2024 from here. 

Universities in UK: Highlights

A majority of the UK universities have the September and October admission intake. Other admission intake that the best universities in UK have is in January. To know more about the Universities in UK, check the admission highlights given below:

Parameter	Statistics
No. of Universities in UK	167
Tuition fees of universities in UK	Up to INR 10 L: 65 Up to INR 40 L: 167
Popular courses in UK	Law, Business Management, Computer Science, Sociology, Communications / Media
English language exams required	IELTS / TOEFL / PTE / Duolingo
Entrance exams required	GMAT / GRE / SAT

Why Study in UK?

The United Kingdom is one of the favourable countries among international students. Some of the reasons why international students choose the UK as their study destination are availability of diversified courses, high-quality education, rich cultural experience, part-time work opportunities, availability of scholarships, etc.

Part-Time Work Options in UK

International students who are studying at a degree level or more can work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Marketing, Accountancy, Health Services, Retail, Customer Service, etc. are some of the high-paying job sectors for students studying in the UK. Some of the top part-time jobs in the UK for international students are:

• Teaching Assistant
• Baby sitter
• Tutor
• Event Planner
• Library Assistant

Student Visa in UK

International students who want to pursue higher education in some of the best universities in UK must have a UK Student Visa, previously called as Tier 4 (General) Student Visa or Tier 4 Student Visa. The fee for UK Student Visa is Pound 363 (Approx INR 37,000). The documents required to apply for a UK Student Visa are a completed student visa application form, proof of parent’s or guardian’s consent, original mark sheets / provisional certificates, proof of funds, etc.

Post-Work Permit in UK

After the completion of studies in the UK, students can apply for a UK Post-Study Work Visa. Through this work permit, international students will be able to stay back in the UK to search for a job for a period of two years after the completion of their graduate studies. For graduate students, who have a PhD or other doctoral degree, the Graduate Visa will last for 3 years.

Top Job Sectors in UK & Economy

A few of the popular job sectors in the UK are Accountancy, Banking and Finance; Business, Consulting and Management, Energy and Utilities, Healthcare, Law, etc. According to OECD, in 2023, the GDP growth in the UK is expected to be at 0.3%. Furthermore, it is expected to improve moderately to 1.0% in 2024.

Top Universities in UK

Some of the top-ranked universities in the UK are the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of Warwick, etc. Check UK University ranking from the table given below: 

University	QS World University Rankings 2024	THE World University Ranking 2024
University of Cambridge	#2	#5
University of Oxford	#3	#1
Imperial College London	#6	#8
UCL	#9	#22
The University of Edinburgh	#22	#30
The University of Manchester	#32	#51
King’s College	#40	#38
London School of Economics and Political Science	#45	#46
University of Bristol	#55	#81
The University of Warwick	#67	#106

Best Engineering Universities in UK

According to QS Engineering & Technology, some of the top-ranked universities for Engineering & Technology in the UK are the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, UCL, etc.

Particulars	QS Subject Ranking for Engineering & Technology 2023
University of Cambridge	#3
University of Oxford	#4
Imperial College London	#6
The University of Manchester	#32
UCL	#39
The University of Edinburgh	#59
University of Southampton	#88
University of Leeds	#100
University of Bristol	#112
University of Birmingham	#114

Best Business & Management Universities in UK

To have an idea about the top Business & Management Universities in UK, students can have a look at the table given below:

Particulars	QS Subject Ranking Business & Management Studies 2023
London Business School	#3
University of Cambridge	#8
University of Oxford	#9
LSE	#11
The University of Warwick	#22
Imperial College London	#28
The University of Manchester	#35
The University of Leeds	#67

Best Law & Legal Studies Universities in UK

A few of the top-ranked universities in the UK for Law & Legal Studies are the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, LSE, UCL, The University of Edinburgh, etc. The top-ranking Law Universities in UK are mentioned below:

University	QS Law & Legal Studies Ranking 2023
University of Oxford	#2
University of Cambridge	#3
LSE	#7
UCL	#14
King’s College London	#15
The University of Edinburgh	#17
Durham University	#46
University of Glasgow	#56
The University of Manchester	#57
University of Bristol	#59

Also Read

Top Ranked MBA Universities in UK	Top Ranked MS Universities in UK
Top Ranked LLB Universities in UK	Top Ranked BBA Universities in UK

Top Cities to Study in UK

A majority of the best universities in UK are situated in London and West Midlands. Other UK Universities are located in the cities like Scotland, Hampshire, West Yorkshire, etc.

Particulars	QS Best Student Cities 2024
London	#1
Edinburgh	#16
Manchester	#30
Glasgow	#36
Bristol	#44
Coventry	#44

Also Read:

• Top 10 Universities in London
• Top Universities in Scotland

Top Courses in UK

A large number of best universities in UK offer courses like BBA, MIM, BTech, MSc, BSc, MA, MBA / PGDM, BA, BJMC, LLM, etc. Check the number of UK universities offering these courses from the table given below:

Courses	No. of Universities
BBA	142
MIM	141
BE / BTech	121
MS	120
BSc	117
MBA / PGDM	101
BA	96
BJMC	80
LLB	78
LLM	78

Admission Requirements in UK

To study in the UK universities, international students are required to submit the test scores of some of the standardized exams. Besides this, students are also required to submit a proof of English language proficiency.

Entrance Exams Accepted by Universities in UK

GMAT / GRE / SAT are some of the entrance exams that are accepted by universities in the UK. The number of UK universities accepting these tests is given below:

Tests	No. of Universities
GMAT	16
GRE	9
SAT	2

English Language Requirements by Universities in UK

One of the admission requirements to study in UK for Indian students is the submission of English language proficiency scores. The English language test scores that are accepted by the universities in the UK are IELTS / TOEFL / PTE / Duolingo / OET.

Tests	No. of Universities
IELTS	167
PTE	147
TOEFL	31
Duolingo	31

Documents required

• Academic transcripts
• Test scores of standardized exams like GMAT / GRE / SAT
• English language proficiency test score like IELTS / TOEFL / PTE
• Completed application form
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation
• Resume
• Portfolio
• Passport size photographs (if asked)
• Copy of the passport
• Relevant certificates of extra-curricular activities

Also Read: Documents required for Admission in UK

Cost of Studying in UK

The range of first-year tuition fees for the majority of the UK universities is between INR 20 lakh – INR 40 lakh. Usually, the tuition fee to study in the UK varies as per the university, courses and city. For international students in the UK, the tuition fee starts from £10,000 and goes up to £38,000 per year. The average cost of studying in the UK is around £22,200 (Around INR 23 lakh).

Range of 1st-Year Tuition Fees	No. of Universities
Max 10 Lakh	65
Max 20 Lakh	160
Max 30 Lakh	165
Max 40 Lakh	167
40 Lakh+	31+

Also Read: Cost of Studying in UK

Cost of Living in UK

The average cost of living in UK is around  £12,000 per year (Around INR 12 lakh). Note that the average cost of living in London will be higher as compared to other UK cities. As per Numbeo, on average, the cost of living in the United Kingdom is 171% higher than in India.

Also Read: Cost of Living for International Students in UK

Scholarships in UK

Various universities in the UK offer scholarships to international students. Given below is a list of the scholarships offered by the UK universities.

Scholarship Name	Offered by	Scholarship Amount
Rhodes Scholarship – MBA	University of Oxford	Around INR 90 L
Felix Scholarships - MBA	University of Oxford	Around INR 75 L
Kent Graduate Scholarship	University of Kent	Around INR 3 L
Gates Cambridge Scholarship - MBA	University of Cambridge	Around INR 87 L
WBS Scholarship	The University of Warwick	Around INR 25 L

Also Read: UK Scholarships for Indian Students 

Jobs in UK

Some of the highest-paying jobs in the UK are Legal Professionals, Marketing and Sales Directors, Medical Practitioners, Financial Managers and Directors, IT and Telecommunication Directors, etc. The average salary for the graduates of some of the top-ranked universities in the UK is given below:

University	Average Salary
University of Oxford	£78,895 (MBA Class of 2020/21)
University of Cambridge	£75,198 (MBA Class of 2021/22)
Imperial College London	£68,441 (MBA Class of 2022)
The University of Warwick	£70,746 (MBA Class of 2020/21)

Akanksha Malhotra04-17-2024 14:15