Study Programs at the Top Universities in England: Everything an Indian Student needs to know.

England has been one of the most preferred study-abroad destinations for Indian students for decades now. With England’s past colonial presence in India and the prominence of the British empire in history, the country is home to some of the world’s oldest and top universities

Here are the top 5 universities in England as per the rankings given by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 and what international students can expect. 

University of Oxford

Ranked consistently among the top 10 universities across the world and at number 1 in the UK, the University of Oxford is the oldest university in the UK and the second oldest working university in the world (teaching existed since 1096 CE). Oxford is known for its medical research, globally. When it comes to international networks and exposure, the University makes many premier partnerships including its collaborations with NASA. 

Campus Life

The university of oxford has over 100 libraries, well-established laboratories, and other facilities.

Famous Alumni

55 Nobel Laureates, 28 British Prime Ministers, 30 International Leaders and many Olympic Medal Winners are alumni of this university.

Major courses offered

The University of Oxford is known for its education in life sciences, social and physical sciences as well as the arts and humanities.

Average Tuition Fee and Living Cost

The average tuition fee maybe around £23,000- £45,000 (~ INR 21-42 Lakhs)

The living cost adds up to £13,500 (~ INR 13 Lakhs) 

Entry Requirements

• An undergraduate degree with a minimum of 70% marks
• IELTS: 7.5 overall scores with no less than 7 in any module
• GMAT/GRE may be required for certain specific courses
• Statement of Purpose may also be required
• 2- 3 Letters of Recommendations (LORs) may be required
• Financial Declaration
• Related work experience may be required for some programs. 
• Scholarships 

Oxford accepts and provides a lot of scholarships to master’s students. A few of them include:

• Commonwealth Shared Scholarships
• Clarendon Fund
• Felix Scholarships
• Oxford-Indira Gandhi Graduate Scholarships

University of Cambridge

About the University

Established in 1209, the University of Cambridge is ranked number 2 in England by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020.

Campus Life

Home to about 5,800 international students at any given time, the University of Cambridge is known for its culturally diverse campus life, prolific faculty, excellent academic and research facilities and infrastructure for a range of extra-curricular activities. There are more than 100 libraries hosting extraordinary titles. The presence of art, science and cultural museums along with botanical gardens add to the beauty of the university.

Famous Alumni

Famous scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Niels Bohr, Charles Babbage, several members of the royal family, great leaders and sports icons have studied at Cambridge. The University has cultivated 92 Nobel Laureates to date. 

Major courses offered

The university offers various STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses along with arts and humanities. The main focus of the university is on medicine, science, and research.

Average Tuition Fee and Living Cost

The average tuition fee maybe around £24,000- £35,000 (~ INR 22-33 Lakhs)

The cost of living adds up to £9,000 (~ INR 8 Lakhs)

Entry Requirements

• A 3-4 years bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 70-75% marks
• IELTS: 7.5 overall scores with no less than 7.0 in any module (some courses accept overall 7.0 as well)

Scholarships

University offers various need-based scholarships based on the course you choose. A few common scholarships include:

• Cambridge Trust Scholarship
• Chevening Scholarship
• Commonwealth (Cambridge) Scholarship
• Commonwealth Shared Cambridge Scholarship
• HRH The Prince of Wales Commonwealth Scholarship
• Inlaks Cambridge Scholarship
• Narotam Sekhsaria Cambridge Scholarship

Imperial College London

About the University

Established in 1907, the Imperial College, London is a historic institution that remains modern in its approach to science, research and education. Ranked number 3 in England by the Times Higher Education Rankings, the public research university maintains high academic standards.  

Campus Life

The college has over 8 campuses spread across the city, each with its distinct academic schools and offerings. 

Famous Alumni

Imperial College has produced 14 Nobel prize winners and is famous for its research laboratory where penicillin was first discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming. 

Major courses offered

The university mainly focuses on science, engineering, medicine, and business courses and is famous globally for world-class education in these streams.

Average Tuition Fee and Living Cost

The average tuition fee maybe around £24,000- £34,000 (~ INR 22-34 Lakhs)

The living cost adds up to £11,000 (~ INR 10 Lakhs)

Entry Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in a related field with a minimum of 60-70% marks
• IELTS: 6.5 overall scores with no less than 6.0 in any module (some courses need overall 7.0)

Scholarships

Imperial College London provides a lot of scholarships to students looking to pursue Masters courses. Some of the famous scholarships provided and accepted by the university are:

• Imperial College India Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships
• Inlaks Scholarships
• Chevening Scholarships
• Imperial Commonwealth Scholarships

University College London (UCL)

About the University

Established in 1826, University College London is ranked number 4 in England. This is the first institute in England that started providing education on equal grounds to women in 1878. 

Campus Life

One of the key features of the UCL is its holistic study environment with nature spots, recreational centres, and great study spaces. 

Famous Alumni

With researchers at the UCL having won 29 Nobel Prizes, primarily in physiology and medicine, the institute has been host to prolific achievers. The ‘neuroscience and behaviour studies’ department at the UCL ranks number 1 in all of Europe. 

Major courses offered

The institute offers several courses on art, history, international languages, engineering, science, medicine, mathematics, law, and business.

Average Tuition Fee and Living Cost

The average tuition fee maybe around £25,000- £31,000 (~ INR 24-30 Lakhs)

The living cost adds up to £11,000 (~ INR 10 Lakhs)

Entry Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in a related field with a minimum of 60% marks

IELTS: 6.5 overall scores with no less than 6.0 in any module (some courses need overall 7.0 or 7.5)

GMAT or GRE (for some courses)

Scholarships

Some of the famous scholarships offered and accepted at the UCL include:

• Chevening Scholarships
• Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Awards
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme
• Professor Sir Malcolm Grant Postgraduate Scholarship

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

About the University

LSE is one of the foremost sites of international research, education and practice in economics and the political sciences. Home to 8,161 overseas students including 5,461 graduates, tis is also one of the most diverse student bodies in the world. 

Campus Life

Founded in 1895, the university comprises 16 research centres along with 23 departments and has a library with more than 4 million books. An added bonus: LSE is located at the heart of the beautiful and diverse city of London and provides a lot of options to its students to network with the city’s prominent people and industry!

Famous Alumni

Around 18 Nobel prize winners have taught or been a part of this university. More than 37 world leaders have studied at the LSE.

Major courses offered

This university mainly focuses on subjects related to economics, politics, law, social sciences, media & communications and anthropology.

Average Tuition Fee and Living Cost

The average tuition fee maybe around £22,000- £37,000 (~ INR 21-36 Lakhs)

The cost of living adds up to £12,000 (~ INR 11 Lakhs)

Entry Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in a related field with a minimum of 60% marks
• IELTS: 7.5 overall scores with no less than 7.0 in any module
• Statement of Purpose (SoP)
• 2 Letters of Recommendation (LoR)
• CV / Resume

Scholarships

Some of the famous scholarships include:

• Inlaks Foundation
• J N Tata Endowment Scholarships
• Lady Meherbai Tata Education Trust
• Marchant Foundation LLM Scholarship
• Margaret Basu Scholarship

Now that you know about the top 5 universities in England, you can make an informed decision based on your course preference. Don’t forget to check the individual university and course websites for the latest updates on fees, requirements, and scholarships provided by different universities as these are always subject to change. Our student support team is always here for your assistance.