Chances are that if you’re like most people, you think of either Oxford or Cambridge when you think of going to university in the UK. After all, they’re old, famous, prestigious, and there’s something just downright British about them.
However, there are so many other UK universities worth considering.
At most of them, you’ll graduate in three years, study on what you want, and be admitted almost solely on the basis of your academic performance within your field, with very little attention paid to extracurriculars, ethnic background, or irrelevant test scores.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with Oxbridge. Check my post history, I’ve written on why you should and should not consider them. But for many students, an even more fulfilling experience can be had away from them.
Generalist Universities
Let’s start with the big research universities, the ones that would be most like a Stanford. University College London and King’s College London are both in central London and have strong research ties to Oxbridge, as well as two other universities we’ll discuss shortly. UCL was established as the core part of the University of London, which both universities remain a part of (think of it as similar to the UC system). They have great connections with every industry imaginable, and even some opportunities to study across different subjects (a rarity in the UK).
But you don’t have to stay in London to get a big research university with a lot of prestige. The Universities of Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh, among others, are all leaders in a variety of fields; additionally, the University of Warwick has a political science and international relations department that is consistently ranked higher than Oxford or Cambridge. All are big universities, with vibrant cities that are much more affordable than London.
Specialist Universities
Remember how I said that the University of London was more akin to the UC system than an actual university? That means that there are institutions within the university that allow for enormous specialization. Chances are you’ve already heard of one of the most famous constituent institutes, the London School of Economics. For anyone with a business or social science bend, there is no better place on Earth to study. Investment banks and consulting firms practically line up for their graduates.
Perhaps you’re more interested in STEM? Then you’ll want to look at Imperial College London. Imperial views itself as the UK version of MIT or Caltech, and has the Nobel prizes to prove it. All study here is in STEM, business, or medicine.
Finally, if you’re into learning about how the world works from a completely different perspective than is taught in the Western mindset, you’ll want to look at the School of Oriental and African Studies. You’ll get the chance to learn languages from Arabic to Zulu, study non-Western philosophy, and learn developmental economics from some of the top minds in the field. Even their law degree requires a course in non-Western law, with plenty of electives in Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and African traditions.
Best of all, unlike Oxbridge, many (but not all) of these universities, as well as dozens of others across the UK, will see you (as an American) as a diverse admit. I’m not going to wade any further into that, but you can do the math.
Of course, there are downsides. You have to know what you want to study, and if you’re expecting a lot of need-based aid, it’s not for you. That said, if you do know what you want to study, you can dig much deeper, and if your family is looking at paying for college without financial aid, it is cheaper than four years at many flagship public universities here in the states.