The United Kingdom may be a small country, but when it comes to international students, its lure is large.
The U.K. is the second-largest host of international students behind the U.S., according to the Institute of International Education's Project Atlas. The country drew 480,000 international students during 2012-2013 – the most recent year for which data were available – with most students coming from China, India and the U.S.
That makes sense, experts say, as the U.K. is home to some of the world's best universities, rivaled only by the U.S. in terms of quality and prestige.
Prospective bachelor's students should realize that although the U.K. shares a common language with its U.S., Canadian and Australian counterparts, many aspects of its higher education system are distinct. Here are five facts prospective international students should know about the country's universities.
1. The U.K. is a good fit for students who know what they want to study. Before students commit to earning a bachelor's in the U.K., they need to know whether they want depth or breadth in their studies, says Loren Griffith, director of international strategy at Oxford University.
While in the U.S., students are encouraged to take a variety of courses before homing in on a major, the U.K. requires students to take a deep dive into their subject from the start, he says. "There are lots of students who come to the U.K. or Oxford with a passion for a particular subject. They spend their entire undergraduate career focused on that."
As a result, students apply for a specific subject at the university, rather than to the university generally, as might be the case in the U.S., says Kevin McCarthy of London & Partners, the official promotional company for London. "If a student wishes to change to a completely different subject to that which they applied for, they will usually need to apply again for the new subject," he said through email.
2. Students can expect a common application system. Like domestic students, international students can apply through the U.K.'s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, called UCAS.
While some universities may accept direct applications from international students, that's not the norm, McCarthy says. He notes a number of U.K. universities also accept the Common Application, allowing international students to apply to U.S. and U.K. universities at the same time.
All UCAS applications will require information about grades and a personal statement explaining a student's motivation for choosing his or her subject, says Tim Sowula, a spokesman from the British Council, an organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities that provides international students with information about studying in the U.K. Institutions have minimum requirements for English language ability, and some will require an extra exam or interviews, he says.
Before applying, Sowula says prospective students should check an institution's website or prospectus to find out the requirements for their chosen course.
3. U.K. universities can save students money and time. Tuition in the U.K. ranges from 9,000 pounds to 15,000 pounds in U.K. dollars – about $14,000 to about $24,000 – per year, depending on the college and not including room and board, says Tamsin Thomas, higher education manager for the British Council's U.S. offices.
While that might not seem like a steal, the figure can be less than at many private U.S. institutions.
Another advantage: Many programs in the U.K., with the exception of Scotland, award bachelor's degrees after three years, Thomas says. That means international students can save a year's worth of tuition.
4. International students can work while studying.International students who study a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate degree course at a recognized university are allowed to work part time during a term and up to 20 hours a week and full time during the holidays on a student visa, McCarthy says.
And unlike in the U.S., where international students face strict guidelines governing when it's permissible to work off campus, in the U.K. they can work anywhere they find a job, Thomas says.
5. Studying in the U.K. isn't only a British experience – it's an international one. "The U.K. is more globally connected than the U.S. is, and part of that is because there are more international students here," says Griffith, with Oxford. "You come to the U.K. and you have a European experience because you are with lots of students from Europe – it’s a train ride away from dozens of countries."
