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Colleges in the UK
College Street Medical Centre
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, NG10 4NP
Please note: Due to essential building works the main site on College Street will be closed from Wednesday 25th March 2015 to Monday 6th April 2015 inclusive. All services will be transferred to Long
Caedmon College Whitby
Whitby, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber, YO21 1QA
Opened in September 1912 as The County School, Whitby, the College began life as a co-educational grammar school, with about 300 pupils. In 1972, it received its first comprehensive intake and a new
St John Rigby College, Wigan
Wigan, Greater Manchester, North West England, WN5 0LJ
SJR student Mayumi Pachecho is making waves for the England U17s football team. Mayumi, whose club team is Liverpool Ladies FC has just returned from Cork, Ireland, where the 2nd Elite UEFA round was
Regent College Higher Education
Brent, North West London, London, HA9 7EX
Regent College welcomes you to vibrant Wembley in North West London. We are a diverse community active in promoting learning and education, with an established record of success rates within UK Higher
Adult College For Rural
Uckfield, East Sussex, South East England, TN22 3DJ
We provide adult learning opportunities across Wealden, including Crowborough, Hailsham, Heathfield, Uckfield, Wadhurst and surrounding areas. Sponsorship of ACRES' Courses - Would you like to sponsor
Saint Vincent College
You can login at any time to continue working on your application or check your work before submitting the forms. You can contact St Vincent College by phone, post, fax or email. Alternatively, you
Masters Performing Arts College
Rayleigh, Essex, East England, SS6 7UQ
Masters was founded in 1995 by Wendy Headford and is now recognised as one of the leading dance/musical theatre colleges in the country, offering extensive training in the performing arts industry.
Helios International College
Harrow, North West London, London, HA2 8EB
Helios international college was founded in 2009 and recently celebrated its 4th anniversary. It is a private independent school, aiming to provide a wide variety of high quality affordable secondary
Central College Nottingham
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, NG1 6BJ
Inspired by her teenage children going off to study, Amna Ilyas (47), chose to develop her own skills and enrolled on a Level 2 course in Hairdressing at Central College Nottingham. Well, we have the
Gate College
Bournemouth, Dorset, South West England, BH8 8JX
GATE COLLEGE was established in 2006 in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England. It comprises of a team of highly experienced and qualified teachers and trainers, who have worked in EFL for many
AccRoss College
Accrington, Lancashire, North West England, BB5 2AW
For over 60 years, Accrington & Rossendale College has been providing award-winning education and training to the people of Hyndburn, Rossendale, the Ribble Valley and beyond. In recent years we have
Bright World
Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, South East England, BN6 9RG
Bright World Guardianships Ltd and its sister company, Bright World Education Ltd, were founded in 2000. Our role is to help overseas students to find the right place at a British school, college, or
The Muslim College
Ealing Common, West London, London, W5 3RP
The Muslim College is an Islamic higher education institution based in West London which is committed to promoting excellence in teaching, research and training. It offers post-graduate students the
John Leggott Sixth Form College
John Leggott College is really supportive of each and every student and really tries to accommodate everyone's ideas. In fact I was able to work with the College to establish an equestrian team. John
Redbridge College
Marks Gate, East London, London, RM6 4XT
Our mission is ‘to inspire, develop and provide the opportunity for all Redbridge College students and staff to succeed.' As part of this mission, we've recently opened our Apprenticeship
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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 UKWhat makes a university different than a college
College in the UK explained
The benefits of studying in a college
College tuition fees