Study in United Kingdom

Who this applies to

International (foreign) students at UK universities. UK universities are autonomous and set their own admissions and (international) fees — this is a per-university system with a centralized UNDERGRADUATE application portal (UCAS).

Governing authority

Autonomous universities; regulator Office for Students (OfS, England) + QAA (quality). Undergraduate admissions centralized via UCAS; postgraduate applications made directly to universities.

Degree system

Bachelor 3 yrs (England/Wales/NI; Scotland 4 yrs) · Taught Master 1 yr · MPhil/PhD 3–4 yrs · Integrated Master's 4 yrs · Medicine 5–6 yrs.

Undergraduate Admission

Portal

UCAS (ucas.com) — apply to up to 5 courses; application fee £28.50 (2025 entry).

Requirements

Course-specific entry grades (A-levels / IB / equivalents); international qualifications mapped to UK equivalents. Some courses require admissions tests (e.g. UCAT/BMAT for medicine, LNAT for law) and/or interviews (esp. Oxford/Cambridge, which also have an earlier 15 Oct deadline).

Graduate Admission

Master

Apply directly to the university; recognized bachelor's (often a UK 2:1 or equivalent); personal statement, references, sometimes GRE/GMAT (mainly some MBAs).

PhD

Apply directly; recognized master's (or strong bachelor's); research proposal + supervisor agreement; funding via studentships/scholarships.

Language Requirements

Tests

IELTS (commonly 6.0–7.0 overall depending on course/university; UKVI IELTS for visa), TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, or other Secure English Language Tests (SELT).

Note

Threshold set per course; competitive/clinical courses require higher (e.g. IELTS 7.0–7.5).

Tuition Intl Per Year Gbp

Undergraduate

£11,400 – £38,000 (clinical/medicine higher, up to ~£40,000–£67,000)

Postgraduate Taught

£9,000 – £30,000+ (some MBAs higher)

Home Uk Fees For Reference

Capped at £9,250/yr in England (does NOT apply to international students)

Source

British Council 'Cost of studying in the UK'; UCAS

Student visa & residence permit

Type

Student visa (points-based immigration system).

Requirements

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from a licensed student sponsor; proof of funds (≈£1,483/month for London or £1,136/month outside London, for up to 9 months, 2024/25 figures); approved English (SELT); Immigration Health Surcharge (~£776/year).

Work Rights

Typically 20 hours/week during term time.

Scholarships

Chevening (UK govt FCDO — fully funded Master's), Commonwealth Scholarships, GREAT Scholarships (British Council), and extensive university-specific scholarships/bursaries.

Sources & references

• tuition/living — https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/moving-uk/cost-studying (2026-06-10)
• undergrad application/fees — https://www.ucas.com/international/international-students (2026-06-10)
• visa — https://www.gov.uk/student-visa (2026-06-10)