Wish to go to England for higher studies? Indeed, England is one of the most preferred study-abroad destinations for Indian students. Known as a cultural and educational hub, it is home to a few of the world’s oldest and top universities. Have a look at this article before you decide on which university to choose. 

Top 5 universities in England as per the rankings given by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020:-

1. University of Oxford
2. University of Cambridge
3. Imperial College London
4. University College London (UCL)
5. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

University of Oxford

Ranked consistently among the top 10 universities across the world and 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). 55 Nobel Laureates, 28 British Prime Ministers, 30 International Leaders and many Olympic Medal Winners are alumni of this university.

Oxford is known for its medicinal research globally. When it comes to international networks and exposure, the scholars from oxford university have worked on planetary projects with NASA as well as on discovering several new plant species. The university of oxford has over 100 libraries, well-established laboratories, and other facilities.

Major courses offered

The University of Oxford is known for its education in life sciences, social and physical sciences along with 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 experience may be required in some cases

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

Established in 1209, the University of Cambridge is ranked at number 2 in England by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020. Famous scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Niels Bohr, Charles Babbage etc; several members of the royal family, great leaders and sports icons are the alumni of this university. 92 Nobel Laureates have been a part of the University of Cambridge.

Host to about 5,800 international students at a given time, The University of Cambridge is known for the diverse academic environment, excellent research facility and a range of extra-curricular activities. There are more than 100 libraries with millions of books. Various art, science and cultural museums along with the botanical gardens add to the beauty of the university.

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 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

Ranked number 3 in England by the Times Higher Education Rankings, Imperial College London is a public research university. Established in 1907, this university has 14 Nobel prize winners as its alumni. It is mainly known for its research facilities, one of the greatest discoveries being Penicillin 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 master’s students in different 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)

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. The researchers from this institute have won 29 Nobel Prizes, the majority of them being in physiology and medicine. The ‘neuroscience and behaviour studies’ in this institute have been ranked number 1 in 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 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)

Ranked number 5 by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020, LSE houses about 8,161 overseas students including 5,461 graduates. Founded in 1895, the university comprises 16 research centres along with 23 departments and has a library with more than 4 million books. Around 18 Nobel prize winners have taught or been a part of this university. More than 37 world leaders have studied from this university. LSE is located in the heart of the beautiful and diverse city of London and provides a lot of options to its students to network with people and industry.

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. Please note that the above-mentioned fees, requirements, and scholarships provided by different universities are subject to change. Kindly check the official websites of the universities before applying. You can always rely on our student support team for any kind of assistance.