Are you considering studying in the United Kingdom? That’s a good choice. The UK is home to some of the best universities in the world. Universities of Cambridge and Oxford consistently rank in the top ten best universities in the world. However, the education landscape of the country is far richer than that with dozens of universities considered highly prestigious and academically rigorous. That is probably why the UK is the second most popular study destination in the world with over a million international students. Business schools are the most desired universities for international schools in the UK.

Studying in the UK is not very cheap, though. While it is less expensive than in the United States, the cost of living in places like London can drive up the expenses significantly. Tuition fees for UK undergraduate and graduate degrees generally range from $17,000 – $25,000. So let’s look at the top UK universities.

To identify top universities, we’re using The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 (THE). THE evaluates schools based on performance indicators in the following five areas:

• Teaching (the learning environment) – 30%
• Research (volume, income and reputation) – 30%
• Citations (research influence) – 30%
• International outlook (staff, students and research) – 7.5%
• Industry Income (knowledge transfer) – 2.5%

Top universities in the UK

10. University of Bristol (#87 worldwide)
9. University of Warwick (#77 worldwide)
8. University of Manchester (#55 worldwide)
7. King’s College London (#36 worldwide)
6. University of Edinburgh (#30 worldwide)
5. London School of Economics and Political Science (#27 worldwide)
4. UCL (#15 worldwide)
3. Imperial College London (#10 worldwide)
2. University of Cambridge (#3 worldwide)
1. Oxford University (#1 worldwide)

Facts about best universities in the UK

Did you know that the University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world? Furthermore, it’s the world’s second oldest surviving university. While its exact founding date is unknown, there is evidence that teaching took place as far back as 1096. When it comes to top universities in the UK, the University of Cambridge and Oxford University have a rivalry similar to that between Yale and Harvard. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research institution. Cambridge is the fourth-oldest surviving university in the world and the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world.

When applying to top universities in the UK – or any schools of higher education in the UK – here are a few things you need to know:

• UK higher education degrees and qualifications are recognized by employers and academia worldwide.
• To apply to UK universities, you’ll use an application system UCAS.
• UK universities offer over 50,000 courses, in more than 25 subject areas.
• UK courses are generally shorter than other countries, helping to reduce overall tuition fees and accommodation costs. Most of the universities will take you 3 years to complete your undergraduate degree.

As you can probably imagine, applying to the best universities in the UK is highly competitive. For example, the admission rate at the University of Cambridge is 21% (that’s the overall ranking; depending on the specific school you’re applying to or the type of program – undergrad vs postgrad – the numbers vary). For Oxford University it’s 17.5%.

What is your dream university? Share with us in the comments section below.