There are some high performing and globally renowned universities in the United Kingdom. All the top universities in the UK welcome international students whether on a full length degree course or as part of international student exchange schemes. The majority of UK universities have many years of experience in terms of international students opting to study on their courses. Therefore these universities will make things as straightforward as possible to allow international students to live and study in thestudy abroad uk university UK. Only the USA attracts more students from other countries than the UK, meaning many thousands of students that want to go to university abroad pick universities in the UK.
There are some obvious reasons why the UK has become such a popular destination for international students to pick British and Northern Irish universities to complete degree courses at. There are hundreds of universities to chose from for students that aim to gain a degree from a UK university. These range from the various colleges of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford, and St Andrews that have several centuries of history through to the local polytechnics that were granted university status in the 1990’s. Then there are the universities that were opened between 1900 and the 1960’s that are sometimes referred to as red brick universities. Although red brick was used to demonstrate that these universities were not as good as the older universities international students have found that these institutions provide high quality courses. Universities in cities such as Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle have deservedly gained recognition for their achievements and the success of their graduates.
The thing that all of these universities have in common is that they all provide a high standard of teaching leading to degree awards, which are recognized all around the world. Whilst the older universities have their fine heritage they only remain popular as places to obtain degrees from as their standards are so high. While having a degree from Cambridge, Oxford, Queens, or the London School of Economics undoubtedly look great on anyone’s resume these universities can be hard to gain undergraduate places at. The best universities in UK are aware of how good they are, and have raised the entry requirements to study there simply as there are more students applying for a place then there are places available. Sometimes the best way of gaining a place at a more prestigious university is to study one of the more obscure courses, with less demand for places.
Besides the best universities for international students to attend in the UK could depend on the exact course or subject they intend to study. When students are interested in studying a highly specific course it can mean there are only a handful of universities that are suitable compared to hundreds if they want to study a more generic subject. It is better for students contemplating studying in the UK to research the course they would prefer to study, and the universities that offer it.
Before coming to study in the UK, international students need to arrange how they will be financing their degrees and covering their living expenses whilst living in the UK. Students are advised to check options for bursaries, grants and loans in their home countries, and researching if any funding is available from UK sources as well.
International students will find that UK universities will go out of the way to make them feel welcome, and can help them to adjust to living in the UK. For instance, universities can offer help in finding accommodation before students arrive, or have students from their respective countries greet them on arrival.