United Kingdom
At a glance
- Living index rating
- Expensive
- Monthly rent
- £500 – £1,000 (London £900 – £1,500)
- Monthly food
- £180 – £300
- Other monthly expenses
- £200 – £400
- Visa processing time
- About 3 weeks from outside the UK
- Family allowed for students
- Limited
Visa requirements
- Student visa, applied for online with a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) from a licensed university
- Proof of English, usually IELTS for UKVI or an approved equivalent
- Proof of funds: course fees plus £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 a month in London, for up to 9 months, held for 28 days (rising to £1,203 / £1,570 from 30 November 2026)
- £558 visa fee, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 a year
- TB test certificate for applicants from certain countries
- Work limit of 20 hours a week in term time for degree-level students
Work permit after studies
- Graduate Route: 18 months after a bachelor's or master's if you apply from 1 January 2027 (2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026); 3 years after a PhD
- No job offer or sponsor needed. Apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires, once your university confirms you have completed your course
- The Graduate visa costs £937, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge (usually £1,035 a year)
- You can switch to a Skilled Worker visa if you get a qualifying job offer
Citizenship route
- Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) after a qualifying period on a work route, then British citizenship usually 12 months later
- The government is moving to an 'earned settlement' model with a 10-year standard qualifying period (previously 5 years), which can be shortened by high earnings or contribution
- Time on Student and Graduate visas generally doesn't count towards the shortened routes; check GOV.UK for the current rules
Family details
- Since January 2024 only students on postgraduate research courses (PhD, research master's) or government-sponsored courses of 6 months or more can bring a spouse/partner and children
- Taught master's and undergraduate students can't bring dependants
- Dependants who are allowed can work full-time
Universities in the United Kingdom
Top-ranked
QS #4THE #1ARWU #7
Famous for: Medicine, Law, Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
Imperial College London · London
QS #2THE #8ARWU #29
Famous for: Engineering, Medicine, Computing
University of Cambridge · Cambridge
QS #6THE #5ARWU #4
Famous for: Natural sciences, Mathematics, Engineering
University College London (UCL) · London
QS #8=THE #17=ARWU #17
Famous for: Architecture, Education, Medicine
University of Edinburgh · Edinburgh
QS #35THE #29=ARWU #38
Famous for: Medicine, Veterinary medicine, Informatics and AI
King's College London · London
QS #37THE #40ARWU #67
University of Manchester · Manchester
QS #40THE #60ARWU #51
London School of Economics and Political Science · London
QS #62THE #47ARWU 101–150
University of Bristol · Bristol
QS #57THE #82ARWU #91
University of Birmingham · Birmingham
QS #68=THE #97=ARWU 101–150
University of Warwick · Coventry
QS #68=THE #113=ARWU 101–150
QS #77THE #113=ARWU 151–200
All other universities and colleges (264), A–Z
Aberystwyth University · Aberystwyth
THE 701–800
Anglia Ruskin University · Chelmsford
THE 601–650
THE 401–450
THE 501–550ARWU 401–500
Birkbeck College, University of London · London
THE 326–350ARWU 801–900
Birmingham City University · Birmingham
THE 801–1000
Bournemouth University · Bournemouth
THE 501–550
Brunel University London · Uxbridge
THE 401–450ARWU 701–800
Canterbury Christ Church University · Canterbury
THE 1201–1400
Cardiff Metropolitan University · Cardiff
THE 1001–1200
THE #257=ARWU 201–300
City St George's, University of London · London
THE 326–350ARWU 601–700
Coventry University · Coventry
THE 601–650
De Montfort University · Leicester
THE 701–800
QS #85THE #157=ARWU 201–300
Edge Hill University · Ormskirk
THE 1001–1200
Edinburgh Napier University · Edinburgh
THE 601–650
Glasgow Caledonian University · Glasgow
THE 801–1000
Goldsmiths, University of London · London
THE 551–600
Heriot-Watt University · Edinburgh
THE 451–500ARWU 701–800
Keele University · Newcastle-under-Lyme
THE 601–650ARWU 801–900
Kingston University · Kingston upon Thames
THE 1001–1200
Lancaster University · Lancaster
THE #183=ARWU 301–400
Leeds Beckett University · Leeds
THE 801–1000
Liverpool Hope University · Liverpool
THE 1401–1600
Liverpool John Moores University · Liverpool
THE 551–600ARWU 501–600
London and South East University Group (Greenwich and Kent) · London and Canterbury
London Metropolitan University · London
THE 801–1000
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · London
ARWU 201–300
London South Bank University · London
THE 701–800
Loughborough University · Loughborough
THE 326–350ARWU 601–700
Manchester Metropolitan University · Manchester
THE 551–600
THE 601–650
New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering · Hereford
Newcastle University · Newcastle upon Tyne
THE #154=ARWU 201–300
North London NHS Foundation Trust (Tavistock and Portman) · London
Northumbria University · Newcastle Upon Tyne
THE 451–500ARWU 801–900
Nottingham Trent University · Nottingham
THE 601–650ARWU 701–800
Oxford Brookes University · Oxford
THE 701–800
Queen Mary University of London · London
QS #103THE #129=ARWU 201–300
Queen's University Belfast · Belfast
QS #174THE #196=ARWU 201–300
Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance · Twickenham
Richmond The American International University in London · London
Robert Gordon University · Aberdeen
THE 801–1000
Royal Holloway, University of London · Egham
THE 401–450ARWU 801–900
Royal Veterinary College, University of London · London
THE 551–600ARWU 901–1000
Sheffield Hallam University · Sheffield
THE 801–1000
SOAS, University of London · London
THE 401–450
South Essex College of Further & Higher Education · Southend-on-Sea
SRUC – Scotland's Rural College · Edinburgh
THE 701–800
THE 351–375ARWU 801–900
Teesside University · Middlesbrough
THE 701–800
The Open University · Milton Keynes
THE 801–1000
THE 651–700ARWU 801–900
University of Aberdeen · Aberdeen
THE #233ARWU 301–400
QS #125THE #284=ARWU 501–600
University of Bedfordshire · Luton
THE 1201–1400
University of Bradford · Bradford
THE 601–650
University of Brighton · Brighton
THE 701–800
University of Chester · Chester
THE 1601–1800
THE 801–1000
THE 326–350ARWU 401–500
University of East Anglia · Norwich
THE 301–325ARWU 301–400
University of East London · London
THE 801–1000
University of Essex · Colchester
THE 351–375ARWU 501–600
THE #157=ARWU 151–200
University of Glasgow · Glasgow
QS #80THE #83ARWU 151–200
University of Gloucestershire · Cheltenham
THE 1001–1200
University of Greater Manchester · Bolton
THE 1201–1400
University of Hertfordshire · Hatfield
THE 701–800
University of Huddersfield · Huddersfield
THE 451–500
THE 551–600ARWU 801–900
University of Lancashire · Preston
THE 1001–1200
University of Leicester · Leicester
THE #209=ARWU 301–400
University of Lincoln · Lincoln
THE 701–800
University of Liverpool · Liverpool
QS #139THE #154=ARWU 151–200
University of Northampton · Northampton
THE 1601–1800
University of Nottingham · Nottingham
QS #97THE #157=ARWU 101–150
University of Plymouth · Plymouth
THE 551–600ARWU 601–700
University of Portsmouth · Portsmouth
THE 401–450ARWU 901–1000
University of Reading · Reading
THE #219=ARWU 501–600
University of Roehampton · London
THE 801–1000
University of Salford · Salford
THE 801–1000
University of Sheffield · Sheffield
QS #82THE #104=ARWU 151–200
University of South Wales · Pontypridd
THE 1401–1600
University of Southampton · Southampton
QS #111THE #136=ARWU 201–300
University of St Andrews · St Andrews
QS #115THE #185=ARWU 301–400
University of Staffordshire · Stoke-on-Trent
THE 1201–1400
University of Stirling · Stirling
THE 501–550ARWU 801–900
University of Strathclyde · Glasgow
THE 351–375ARWU 701–800
University of Sunderland · Sunderland
THE 1401–1600
University of Surrey · Guildford
THE #237=ARWU 401–500
University of Sussex · Brighton
THE #273=ARWU 201–300
University of the Arts London · London
THE 1401–1600
University of the West of England · Bristol
THE 651–700
University of the West of Scotland · Paisley
THE 801–1000
University of Wales Trinity Saint David · Carmarthen / Lampeter / Swansea
University of West London · London
THE 1401–1600
University of Westminster · London
THE 801–1000
University of Winchester · Winchester
THE 1201–1400
University of Wolverhampton · Wolverhampton
THE 801–1000
University of Worcester · Worcester
THE 1601–1800
QS #158THE #168=ARWU 301–400
York St John University · York
THE 1001–1200
No universities match your search.
This guide is for general information. Visa and immigration rules change often, so always check the official government website before you apply. Last updated 12 October 2026.