UK Education System

The UK education system in has a worldwide reputation for its high quality and standards. In general, the British higher education system has five stages of education: early years, primary years, secondary education, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE).

Education is compulsory for all children in UK between the ages of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) and 16, Instruction is offered in English, and the academic year runs from the end of September or the beginning of October to June. Most institutions operate on a trimester schedule, with three ten-week school terms.

British higher education is highly valued around the globe for its quality and rigorous academic standards, the unique factor of education system in the UK is its Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). It is an independent body that assesses and compares universities and colleges in the country through regular audits and reviews. This ensures that the students have access to the best quality of education.

In the United Kingdom, higher education is offered by universities and non-university institutions (colleges, institutes, schools and academies) and provide both research-oriented and higher professional education. Universities provide degree programmes that culminate to a degree (bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree) and non-degree programmes that lead to a vocational qualification such as a certificate or diploma.

The minimum age for a student to begin his undergraduate course is 18 years and in Scotland it is 17. Various higher education offered by the UK institutes can be broadly classified as: