How is the student's life in the UK?
You will have a guaranteed fantastic student life in the UK. The country is welcoming and offers courses in several disciplines.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or simply the UK or the United Kingdom is home to astounding and exemplary architecture, monumental buildings, beautiful landscapes and cityscapes, extraordinary castles and famous universities and colleges. The land has more than 130 universities, and the famous ones are Cambridge and Oxford University in England. These universities and colleges offer many impressive and advantageous scholarships for Indian students to remove the extra financial burden and thus make the study process easier. The United Kingdom's education policies for international students attract many students from all over the world, including Indian students making it a hotspot and one of the desired education destinations.
Before jumping into the topic, Student Life in UK, let us understand why the UK is the most desired education destination for international students, particularly Indian students, and let us also discuss Indian student life in UK later.World-Famous Universities - The U.K has many famous universities where they have highly learned scholars as Lecturers who are proficient in their teaching skills. These universities have high education standards deploying the most modern facilities for students, including high-tech practical labs (computer and scientific), libraries, and more educational facilities.
Some of the famous universities or colleges in the UK ranked by the QS Ranking system are:
Land of Multiple Cultures - The United Kingdom is a land of multiple cultures which means many people from all over the world have made the U.K their home. This factor makes the hottest educational destination for overseas students since many brilliant minds occupy the position of lecturers and professors. This is one of the advantages for international or overseas students, as they can learn from a diverse group of people and interact with them.
Vast Work Opportunities - There are some excellent work opportunities for students even before graduation. They can work part-time for 20 hours per week after their college hours, and work for 10 hours during their semester holidays. Universities also help students get internships in various famous companies as a part of their degree.
Financial Advantages - There are many advantages regarding the living and study expenses of students wishing to study in the U.K. Many scholarships are provided by private universities and government-funded scholarships by government universities. Let us explore them later in the blog.
Unique and Modern Culture - The U.K has a mixed culture. People from all over the world have found their homes in the U.K. So it is easy to find people from different ethnicities and cultures. Many other factors such as a variety of restaurants, art galleries, clubs and concerts keep you interested in the country. Students by exploring the city can significantly have a rich student life in UK.
There are further eight more things students have to notice before applying or joining the UK universities or colleges.
Now, we shall discuss the students' life in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom ranks second in the top international destinations to study and eighth in the entire study destination in Europe. After getting feedback from 7,000 students who studied in the U.K, these places were given after getting feedback. Many notable scholars who have studied in the UK Universities are Charles Darwin, Micheal Faraday, Sir Issac Newton, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Alexandar Fleming and more. Student Life in UK varies significantly from city to city and university to university.
Studying in the U.K includes many factors like:
Fifteen universities in the United Kingdom have received a Student Satisfaction Award. Among them, five were also awarded the Outstanding Student Satisfaction award. This factor clearly states that the UK is one of the best places to study where students can have an incomparable educational and life experience. By choosing the UK as their education or study destination, students can choose from varied study programs available in the country. Once they get accustomed to the country, students can enjoy their two or three-year study period as the UK has flexible and diverse study options for students. Students can significantly grow their talents, skills, and knowledge by studying in UK universities and getting educated through the world's best minds. This way, student life in UK or the Indian student(s) life in UK enhances more by learning and educating through the best professors in the country.
The United Kingdom is also the best place for students to enhance their overall English skills by getting acquainted with its native people. Students are also delighted with the teaching methods and faculties with extensive teaching experience. The universities have the latest teaching syllabus, computer labs, libraries, and advanced technologies to teach students in the best way. By studying in any of the U.K cities, you can also make a great set of friends for life.
Apart from studies, students can also enjoy their study programs in the UK. By staying in any of the cities in the UK. Students can travel to many unique locations, especially when they have holidays or leisure time. Students can enjoy the cities' rich culture by exploring the art galleries and museums. The transportation infrastructure in the UK is also extraordinary making it easier for everyone to travel to places and hotspots in the country. In the UK, students can enjoy the mix of educational and social aspects and learn extensively about the country's culture, art, philosophy and much more. Students can also extend their stay if they want to work in the country. These factors make Student Life in the UK more enjoyable and memorable during their entire visit.
Let us now see the top best U.K cities for Indian students' higher education. The list is based on the QS ranking system.
U.K Ranking |
World Ranking |
City |
1 |
1 |
London |
2 |
15 |
Edinburgh |
3 |
29 |
Manchester |
4 |
39 |
Glasgow |
5 |
47 |
Coventry |
6 |
48 |
Nottingham |
7 |
49 |
Birmingham |
8 |
57 |
Newcastle Upon Tyne |
9 |
64 |
Aberdeen |
10 |
83 |
Brighton |
The U.K education system is split into four main categories. They are:
Stages |
Age |
School |
Standard |
Key Stage 1 |
5 - 7 years old |
Primary School or Primary Education |
Standard 1 & 2 |
Key Stage 2 |
7 - 11 years old |
Primary School or Primary Education |
Standard 3 - 7 |
Key Stage 3 |
11 to 14 years old |
Secondary School or Secondary Education |
Standard 8 -10 |
Key Stage 4 |
14 - 16 years old |
Secondary School or Secondary Education |
Junior College |
16 - 18 |
Further Education |
College |
|
After 18 |
Higher Education |
Education in the U.K is split into four main categories seen above. The categories are called Key Stages in the UK Education System, divided into primary education, secondary education, further education, and higher education.
The kids in the UK must attend all the Key Stages in the UK Education System, standard 1 to junior college.
Following is the grading system followed in the UK. The UK Grading Scale is designed to understand the students' performance and where students stand in knowledge, skills and talents.
Grade |
Percentage |
Grade Definition |
Pass/Fail |
Type of Degree |
A |
70% - 100% |
Excellent to Outstanding |
Pass |
First Class |
B |
60 - 69% |
Good to Very Good |
Pass |
Upper Second Class |
C |
50 - 59% |
Satisfying |
Pass |
Lower Second Class |
D |
40 - 49% |
Sufficient |
Pass |
Third Class Honors |
E |
30 - 39% |
Un-satisfactory |
Fail |
Fail |
F |
0 - 29% |
Un-satisfactory |
Fail |
Fail |
Students who have achieved the A grade are often classified as "Distinction" students and are usually qualified for scholarships funded by government and private universities. Students who have got grade B are also eligible for merit scholarships. The UK Grading Scale is also followed in other countries like Canada, Australia and India.
U.K majorly accept or welcome students' applications three times a year. The seasons are Fall, Winter and Spring. Some universities like Oxford, Liverpool and Coventry accepts applications in Fall and Spring. During these seasons, the applications are received, processed and streamlined.
These are the Intakes in the UK that happen every year to accept, process, and streamline students' applications.
According to QS Ranking, the following are the Top Ranking Universities in UK.
UK Ranking |
World Ranking |
Institution |
Location |
1 |
2 |
University of Oxford |
Oxford |
2 |
3 |
University of Cambridge |
Cambridge |
3 |
7 |
Imperial College London |
London |
4 |
8 |
UCL |
London |
5 |
16 |
The University of Edinburgh |
Edinburgh |
6 |
27 |
The University of Manchester |
Manchester |
7 |
35 |
King’s College London |
London |
8 |
49 |
The London School of Economics and Political Science |
London |
9 |
61 |
The University of Warwick |
Warwick |
10 |
62 |
University of Bristol |
Bristol |
U.K universities are famous for many reasons. From giving quality education to best work opportunities, the U.K universities stand tall among other country universities. Let us see some of the best features of UK Universities one by one.
1. Internationally Recognised - The U.K universities are internationally recognised universities because of the quality of education. The education provided in the U.K universities is world-class because of the inclusion of the latest syllabus, technology-based teaching methods, research-oriented and more. All these features make the universities much more reliable and worthy of study.
2. High-Quality Education - The universities in the U.K are known for providing quality education to their students. The Quality Assurance Agency regularly audits the universities for Higher Education (QAA) to ensure that the syllabus and teaching methods are relevant for the students and students are best benefitted.
3. World-Class Opportunities - Students studying in the U.K have world-level opportunities because of the quality and reliability of U.K universities. After students complete their education at a U.K university, their professional value rises high and are globally valued. They can land a job in any country and can get prestigious designations.
4. Research-Oriented - Universities in the U.K follow a precise and research-oriented syllabus rather than following the same curriculum for ten years or so. Lecturers or Professors are majorly Doctorate holders or research personnel who have an in-depth knowledge of the courses or subjects.
These are the critical features of UK universities that make them stand out from the rest of the universities worldwide.
The average cost of studying in UK depends on many factors, including your study program, travel, accommodation, food, city, university and more. But let us now see the average cost of studying in UK depending on your study program
Study Program |
Average Cost in GBP and INR |
Undergraduate Level |
GBP 8,000 to 30,000 (INR 8,05,145 to 3,019,296) |
Post Graduate Level |
GBP 12,000 to 35,000 (INR 1,207,718 to 3,522,512) |
Doctoral Program |
GBP 15,000 to 30,000 (INR 1,509,648 to 3,019,296) |
Let us now see the living expenses in UK for Indian students that includes visa, accommodation, travel, food and much more.
Expenses |
Cost in GBP and INR |
Visa Application Fees |
350 GBP (INR 35,225) |
Housing |
550 GBP (INR 55,353) |
Travel |
250 GBP (INR 25,160) |
Food |
250 GBP (INR 25,160) |
Clothing and Leisure |
40 GBP (INR 4025) |
Mobile |
40 GBP (INR 4025) |
There are numerous scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK that depend on their higher secondary education marks and the universities they will choose. Let us see the scholarships one by one.
The National Health System of the U.K covers the health insurance of international students, and they get benefits as same as the British Residents. International students have to pay GBP 470 per year when applying for their student visas. This is called Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), a fee everyone has to pay for living in the country to avail of the NHS Health Insurance. If the study course is lesser than six months, then to avail of the health coverage in UK, students have to pay GBP 235.
There are many part-time jobs in the UK for Indian students or international students who can choose to work to earn money during their study program. They are,
Job |
Salary in GBP |
Salary in INR |
Server or Waiter |
9 GBP/hour |
INR 906 |
Teaching Assistant |
9.85 GBP/hour |
INR 991 |
Tutor |
24.50 GBP/hour |
INR 2466 |
Dog Walker |
11.03 GBP/hour |
INR 1110 |
Retail Worker |
9.34 GBP/hour |
INR 940 |
Translator |
12.58 GBP/hour |
INR 1266 |
Research Assistant |
14.49 GBP/hour |
INR 1458 |
Hotel Receptionist |
8.97 GBP/hour |
INR 903 |
Barista |
8.72 GBP/hour |
INR 877 |
Prep Cook |
9.75 GBP/hour |
INR 981 |
There are various job opportunities in UK for Indian Students who are graduated. The variety of roles pays them a huge salary for their professional qualification.
Job |
Salary in GBP |
Salary in INR |
Software Engineer |
27,000 GBP |
INR 2,719,350 |
Data Analyst |
33,000 GBP |
INR 3,323,651 |
Pharmacy Manager |
37,000 GBP |
INR 3,726,517 |
Data Scientist |
41,000 GBP |
INR 4,129,384 |
Data Engineer |
33,000 GBP |
INR 3,323,651 |
Software Developer |
30,000 GBP |
INR 3,021,501 |
Technical Director |
1,02,000 GBP |
INR 10,273,103 |
Veterinary Surgeon |
39,000 GBP |
INR 3,927,951 |
Project Manager (IT) |
71,000 GBP |
INR 7,150,885 |
Project Manager (Software) |
60,000 GBP |
INR 6,043,002 |
Psychotherapist |
25,000 GBP |
INR 2,517,917 |
To get a post-study work visa, students must apply before their student visa or their Tier 4 general student visa expires. Students need not wait until they graduate or get their course completion certificate. They can apply once their education provider, a university or college, tells them that you have completed the course.
At AECC Global, we provide free services for students (guiding them) to get their student visas successfully. Students can approach AECC global anytime as we have expert and professional counsellors who can help you from the visa application till your arrival in London for your course study. Therefore the student life in UK dramatically depends on the course you study, the university you choose, the city you live in and many more. Mainly Indian student life in UK depends on the lifestyle, university and the city you choose to study.