National approach to Higher Education in the United Kingdom

Higher education (HE) in the UK is provided by universities and some further education colleges. Courses can last from two to five years and may include work placements or training.

Every university and college sets its own entry requirements for each course. Higher education includes the following courses:

• Bachelor’s degrees (for example BA, BSc, BEng, BDS, LLB)
• Undergraduate Masters degree (MA in Scotland) usually in Science or Engineering
• Foundation degrees, work-focused qualifications available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Higher National Diplomas (HND) or Higher National Certificates (HNC)
• National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ 4 or 5) which is linked with a degree, a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) or other job-related course such as Diploma in Nursing
• Postgraduate courses (Master’s degrees, a doctorate called a PhD, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education called a PGCE or other postgraduate diplomas)

At undergraduate level, universities use the UCAS tariff (UCAS is the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). They set the level of UCAS points required for each of their courses. Oxford University and Cambridge University operate a separate system through their own institutions. The UCAS tariff is a points system, which compares grades achieved by applicants with different qualifications. Some universities have introduced their own admissions tests for popular subjects, and the results are considered along with your UCAS points.

If you do not have usual formal qualifications, institutions may look at other experience or qualifications gained through work or on an access course. Contact the individual institution you want to attend if this applies to you.

The UCAS application has a list of disability categories. You do not have to select one of these but it is helpful to both UCAS and the institution if you do. The online application asks you to choose from a drop-down menu. If you do not want to mention your disability or impairment at this stage select ‘No disability’, but be sure to tell the institution if you need any support once you have been offered a place.

The cost of higher education in the UK varies, depending on whether you are a UK, EU or non-EU citizen. The cost also depends on where in the UK you decide to study, with some areas more expensive than others. These issues are discussed in more detail below.