News and Events

heriot-watt university halls

Reasons To Study At A Younger University In The UK

April 14, 2016

When international students browse the prospectuses of the many fine universities in the UK, their eyes are typically drawn towards some of the more established names. Known around the world for their academic excellence, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Kings frequently come top of the list for students looking to study in the UK. \r\n\r\nUnfortunately the cost of studying at these prestigious and established universities can often be prohibitive, which is why many international students are now applying to younger universities instead.\r\n\r\nA younger university is typically one which has been running in its present state for less than 50 years, yet the majority of these establishments were actually formed from the merging of older educational institutions such as technical colleges, polytechnics, or arts and medical schools. \r\n\r\nThis means that whilst an older university may have a historical reputation for the outstanding provision of traditional subjects like English, Maths or History, a younger university tends to offer excellent teaching in areas which its predecessors specialised, such as the Arts or medicine.\r\n\r\nStudents attending a younger university are also likely to benefit from the more modern and accessible facilities in place at a recently constructed institution. \r\n\r\nMany of the UK’s historical university campuses are hundreds of years old, whereas those built in the past few decades tend to have newer buildings, better transport links, and are quite often situated closer to the town or city’s local amenities. \r\n\r\nStudent life in the UK is rather expensive compared to other nations, so the reduction in travel costs afforded by a well-planned campus can make a huge difference to an international student’s budget.\r\n\r\nInternational students applying to a younger UK university will also likely have to adhere to less stringent entry requirements than a more established name, and thanks to the increasing reputation of some of these educational establishments many are expanding their course offerings and campuses at an impressive rate. \r\n\r\nAt present the UK dominates the rankings of young universities, with 25 in Britain and Northern Ireland featuring in the top 150. And whilst some of these institutions may drop off the top 150 list in the near future, this is solely down to their age rendering them ineligible. \r\n\r\nBritain is also in the process of awarding university status to 10 more higher education establishments over the next 20 years, so the range of options for international students looking to study in the UK at a young university will remain broad. \r\n\r\nWhen you also consider that newer universities are often hungry for foreign students and the financial rewards they bring, it becomes clear that the young universities of the UK offer an outstanding option for international students of any background.\r\n\r\n\r\n