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Colleges in the UK

Christ The King

Christ The King

Established in 1992, the College has a tradition of providing high quality education for students over the age of sixteen. The mission statement underpins all our work and is central to the College ethos, where mutual respect and positive encouragement are key College values. less

St George S College

St George S College

St. George's College is one of the longest established independent colleges in the UK. It is unique in the independent college sector in being involved in three interrelated areas of work: delivery of pre-Bachelors, Bachelors and Masters programmes. STGC has delivered University Degree Courses at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels for over 20 years in collaboration with a number of British Universities including Wales, Glamorgan, Hertfordshire, Portsmouth, Thames Valley and others. less

Nottingham Tutorial College

Nottingham Tutorial College

Whether you are on Outstanding school striving to maintain your status, or one aiming to make transformational improvements - we, Nottingham Tutorial College, are a trusted alternative curriculum partner for schools and their students across the UK. Whilst we are based in Nottingham, our range of educational initiatives represent solid, tried and tested, long term investments and are available to all schools to assist your students development. less

Wessex Tutors

Wessex Tutors

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Founded in 1984, Wessex Tutors has already acquired an impressive academic record. As a small independent college we provide tuition for around 50 students on either a full time or part time basis. With excellent teaching facilities including a small library of essential textbooks and conveniently located 5 minutes walk from Central Station, Southampton, we are the college for you. less

Peterborough International College

Peterborough International College

Peterborough International College's Mission is to make quality education accessible and reachable throughout the world, by bridging the gaps of borders, languages and knowledge discrepancies. PIC seeks to achieve this within an environment which is intellectually stimulating both for staff and students and which is sensitive to national and international needs. less

South Staffordshire College

South Staffordshire College

All our campuses are really easy to get to either by car, train or public or College bus. Every year, over 4000 young people choose us. Why? Because College life is fun, interesting and varied. What's more, we have great facilities to learn in; including a zoo (with over 1000 animals) and equestrian centre, both of which are situated in a 180 hectare country estate, an art gallery, a motor vehicle workshop, stylish hair and beauty salons, high quality restaurants, a gym and a nursery. less

360 GSP Training

360 GSP Training

60% of IT professionals surveyed say a certification led to a new job, and half say it gave a salary boost. But some certs are more valuable than others. 360 GSP College offers a range of Academic and Professional Certification courses to cater for all types of students. less

Asic

Asic

British Council report paints a stark pictureA recent article in the ICEF news stated that. 8th WEBA Workshops Worldwide London - April 27th-28thThe 8th WEBA International Agents Workshops and Partnerships Conference will be held in London at the Holiday Inn Hotel at Heathrow on the 27th-28th of April. less

Queens College Arms

Queens College Arms

A beautiful 16th century, listed pub-restaurant the Queens College Arms is owned by Queens College, Oxford. Hall and Woodhouse one of the few remaining regional family brewers, brewing our award-winning Badger beers in Dorset and offering warm hospitality at our pubs for over 230 years. less

Sterling Dental College

Sterling Dental College

Sterling Dental College is adjacent to two highly successful dental practices: 'Sterling Dental Centre' and the 'Whitehouse Dental Practice'. The White House, established in 1980 serves over 50,000 regular patients as well as catering for emergencies and visitors in the area. With over 30 years' experience, the surgery proudly holds one of the largest NHS contracts in West London. Sterling Dental Centre was opened in 1994 by the then Chief Dental Officer for England and Wales, Brian Mouatt CBE. less

Hillcroft College

Hillcroft College

Special attention is always paid to the needs of individual learners and the College is proud of the amount of learning support it is able to offer. You will find weekend and weekday activities; courses that run for one to four weeks and the longer pre university programmes. less

College Of Skills & Learning

College Of Skills & Learning

College of Skills & Learning was established in 2009 to address the growing need of local communities seeking ESOL Citizenship classes to satisfy the requirements necessary to gain permanent residency or Naturalisation in UK. Our aim is to provide a good environment for our students to reach their potential by providing the right resources in terms of teaching and advice and guidance before and during the course. less

Bridgwater College

Bridgwater College

The Childcare Centre provides 71 full-time care and education places for children aged from 4 months to 5 years. Over 100 children from families in the general community access these places. To provide children with a consistent, caring and stimulating environment in which their learning and development is actively encouraged. To encourage and support children to become independent, confident and motivated learners. less

Parkhall College

Parkhall College

Thank you for your interest in Parkhall Integrated College. As a caring learning institution we aim to provide an inclusive, child-centered environment in which all students are encouraged to achieve their full potential and contribute to today's society, irrespective of academic ability, background, race and religion. less

Our Lady Queen Of Peace

Our Lady Queen Of Peace

Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Engineering College is an oversubscribed secondary school on the outskirts of Skelmersdale. We benefit from a continuous buildings and property improvement programme and our students are afforded state of the art equipment in all subject areas. Our students and staff are proud to be part of our international community. We are delighted with our reputation for high standards and academic achievement but what really sets us apart is our Catholic Ethos. less

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Many students from abroad, when visiting a foreign country for an exchange year or to simply enroll at a Bachelor or Masters degree course, or another type of an educational course, often find it difficult to figure out the educational system of the country hosting them as students. And this is totally normal and understandable. At the end of the day, the majority of the countries in the world follow their own educational system that may be similar to other countries in the world, but not necessarily exactly the same.

This is a common case when it comes to the term “college” in the UK. When students from the USA and many other countries in the world are asked to define what college is, they will quickly explain to you that college is the same thing as university. However, is it the same in the UK? Did you know that college in the UK is something different from university? Today we are about to explain the basic differences between a college and an university in the UK, so stay tuned if you are interested in this topic.

The Difference Between University and College in UK

Confusion about a foreign educational system is a common thing students from abroad face and they may feel intimidated by that. However, there is no place for worries, because things are often easy to explain and get used to. This applied for the difference between a college and a university in the UK. In many countries both terms are pretty much interchangeable and mean the same thing. Other countries simply never use the term college and they have universities only. However, when it comes to the UK, there are both a college and a university as a part of the educational system and they mean something different. Well, if you are an exchange student in the UK or going there to study for a degree, you will soon find out that the country has a pretty unique educational system and the college is not the only thing different here.

Before explaining more in-depth the difference between a university and a college in the UK, let’s get some basic understanding about the educational system in the country in general, about a university, and about a college. It is a very good and important beginning if you are interested in studying in the UK and getting a degree, because there are different options and opportunities and you can choose the one that best suits and meets your requirements and needs as a student. Both a university and a college can help you develop in different ways and achieve different goals. Therefore, it is important to understand the difference between a college and a university and make the right decision, depending on your plans for the future.

In general, the UK educational system is divided in five major stages as it follows: Early years, Primary years, Secondary School, Further education, Higher education. The first three stages of education in the UK are the base of what the world knows as compulsory education. What happens at the end of secondary school is that students will sit for GCSE or A-Levels exams and next they will be free to make the decisions and choices about their future. This is the first stage, where the difference between a college and a university in the UK is very apparent. Basically, the main thing that differs a college and a university in the UK is that both terms determine a different level of education in the country.

In the most common way around the world, students will move from secondary school to a university, if they wish so. However, the UK educational system throws one more option for students in the whole mix and this is the college. UK students face a few opportunities by the end of this period and they can either decide to simply find a job right away and not to follow further education plans, they can enroll at a higher education, which is a university, if they have taken their A-Levels, or they can choose to enroll at a further education course and gain particular set of skills needed to land a specific job and start a specific career, which in the UK is referred to as a college. With these options in mind, it is safe to say that there are a bunch of differences when we compare a college and a university in the UK. The main one is that both terms are used for different levels of education, however, both a college and a university will differ in the context of degrees, duration, study curriculums, and more.

What Makes a University Different Than a College

When it comes to the UK, national universities can offer two types of degrees – undergraduate degrees and postgraduate degrees. Some universities in the country can also offer some further and specific educational courses, such as foundation degrees.

College in the UK Explained

A college is an educational institution that offers further education courses that will lead to specific qualifications and degrees. With that in mind, a college is usually assumed to offer more practical skills and qualifications. College qualifications in the UK include the following: diploma, foundation degrees, GCSE, Higher National Certificate, Higher National Diploma, International Baccalaureate.

In general, college courses in the country are designed in a way that students can obtain a certain level of skills and qualifications in a particular field. By finishing college, students are able to get a job or gain academic preparation for continuing their education at a university. A college course will also be more focused on providing students with a set of more practical skills. Therefore, a college in the country is often chosen by students, who want to obtain skills and become employable in a shorter period of time. A college will usually offer a part-time and flexible studying option besides the full-time studies that normally list last for one to two years.

The Benefits of Studying in a College

Almost two hundred thousand people in the UK are attending a college every year according to recent studies. So what makes so many people decide to continue their studies at a college? Is it beneficial to study at a college? However, it is important to mention that more students in the country prefer to attend a university over a higher education college. But still, their many benefits when it comes to a college, including:

• Lower tuition fees for a college

• Less overloaded college classes

• Study at college from home and reduce expenses

• Flexible college study programs

• Opportunity to continue with a university degree after college

• More individual support at college

College Tuition Fees

When it comes to higher education in the UK, it is pretty much costly and expensive, therefore, a college is a good option if you are on a budget. Enrolling and studying at a UK college will cost you significantly less. So if you don’t have the money for university tuition and you don’t want to rely on a student loan, a college is a good solution. College students in the UK are further encouraged by being provided with a range of merit-based and need-based bursaries.

The difference between university and college in UK
What makes a university different than a college
College in the UK explained
The benefits of studying in a college
College tuition fees