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United Kingdom

A full-time bachelor's in the United Kingdom normally takes three years. In Scotland, an honours degree takes four years. Bachelor's applications are made through UCAS, and you choose up to five programs. For 2027 entry, the deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine programs is 15 October 2026.

Photo: Marcin Nowak, Unsplash

UNITED KINGDOM

Studying in the United Kingdom

01

The route to a bachelor's: UCAS and five choices

A bachelor's application in the United Kingdom is made through UCAS, and you choose up to five programs in one application. A full-time bachelor's normally takes three years. In Scotland, an Honours degree takes four years. For 2027 entry, the deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine programs was 15 October 2026. For most other programs, the equal consideration deadline is 13 January 2027 at 18:00.

02

Child Student visa for high school

Students aged 4 to 17 apply with a Child Student visa to study at an independent (private) school. A CAS document from the school is needed before the visa application. You are asked to show money that covers the school and boarding fees for one academic year at a boarding school, meaning at most 9 months. Written consent from parents is required in every application.

03

A master's is often one year

Many master's programs in the United Kingdom are completed in one year. Postgraduate applications are not made through UCAS but through each university's own system, and there is no limit on the number of applications. Some programs have more than one start term a year.

04

Working while studying and money shown for the visa

A student at bachelor's level or above can work up to 20 hours a week during term, and full-time work is allowed during holidays. For programs below bachelor's level, the limit is 10 hours a week. For the Student visa, you show £1,529 a month in London and £1,171 a month outside London. This amount is calculated for up to 9 months.

05

Graduate visa after graduation

There is a Graduate visa for working after graduation. For applications made until 31 December 2026, the period is 2 years. From 1 January 2027, it is 18 months. Under today's rules, a student who starts a bachelor's in 2027 gets the 18-month period when they graduate. For PhD graduates, the period is 3 years.

SCHOOLS

Featured schools

The universities are the country's top three schools according to the QS World University Rankings 2026.

ICLImperial College LondonLondonQS 20262UOUniversity of OxfordOxfordQS 20264UCUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeQS 20266
COST

Cost by program

Examples from current fees for international students, as published on the schools' own pages.

Boarding schools mostly publish fees per term, and the 2026/27 figures include VAT. Rydal Penrhos charges international boarding students an annual fee that is separate from, and higher than, the fee for British students.

Full boarding, Year 9 to Upper Sixth£20.205per term · 2026/27Millfield (Somerset)
Full boarding£20.538per term · 2026/27Whitgift School (Croydon, London)
International full boarding, Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13)£46.000per year · 2026/27Rydal Penrhos (Colwyn Bay, Wales)
PLAN

Application timeline

A month-by-month plan for 2027 entry. Official date Our suggestion

  1. 30 September 2026

    Example: registration for Westminster School 16+ (Sixth Form) entry closed on this date. We suggest you draw up your school list early, together with exam and registration dates.

  2. 7 November 2026

    Westminster 16+ entrance exam. Applicants abroad can sit the exam at the British Council in their own country.

  3. 28 November 2026

    Westminster 16+ interview day. Invited applicants attend in person at the school.

  4. January to March 2027

    Accept the school's offer, pay the acceptance deposit and settle the guardian arrangement.

  5. March 2027

    The school provides the CAS document. You can apply for the Child Student visa at the earliest 6 months before the course starts.

  6. Before the visa application

    Have money ready in your account to cover the school and boarding fees for one academic year (at most 9 months).

  7. About 3 weeks after applying

    For Child Student applications made from Türkiye, a decision usually comes within 3 weeks.

  8. September 2027

    Settle in on the date the school gives and start classes.

UNITED KINGDOM

Important for the United Kingdom

01

Five choices and two separate deadlines

You choose up to five programs on the UCAS form. For 2027 entry, the deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary programs is 15 October 2026 at 18:00. For most other programs, the equal consideration deadline is 13 January 2027. Times are UK time.

02

The personal statement now answers three questions

From 2026 entry, the personal statement is no longer an open text. You answer three separate questions. The questions ask why you want the subject, how your courses have prepared you, and what you do outside school. The total limit is 4,000 characters including spaces, and each answer needs at least 350 characters. The same text goes to all your UCAS choices.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do we need a visa for a summer school in the United Kingdom?

Yes. Türkiye is on the list of countries whose citizens need a visa in advance to travel to the United Kingdom for any purpose. Courses of up to 6 months, such as summer school, can be taken under the Standard Visitor route at an accredited institution.

When can we apply for a student visa, and how long does it take to get a result?

You first need the CAS document from the university to apply for the visa. You can apply 6 months before the course starts at the earliest. According to GOV.UK, applications made from outside the United Kingdom are usually decided within 3 weeks.

How much is the visa application fee?

According to the July and August 2026 copies of GOV.UK, the application fee from outside the United Kingdom is £558 for both the Student visa and the Child Student visa. On top of this fee, the immigration health surcharge (IHS) is paid at the time of application.

How long before the course starts can we travel to the United Kingdom?

For programs longer than 6 months, you can enter up to 1 month before the course starts with a Student visa. For programs of 6 months or less, this period is 1 week. We recommend that you do not set off before you have your visa in hand or before the start date.

Is VAT added to boarding school fees?

The three schools we checked publish their 2026/27 fees including VAT: Millfield, Whitgift and Rydal Penrhos. In Whitgift's 2025/26 table, the termly fee for full boarding is £16,475 excluding VAT and £19,770 including VAT. When you compare schools, we suggest checking whether the figure includes VAT.

FIELDS OF STUDY

Subjects you can study in United Kingdom

158 subjects, 57 schools. Programmes were checked on the schools’ own websites. Tap a subject to see what you study, what graduates do and the options in other countries.

Other subjects

Forensic ScienceActuarial ScienceAnimationSports CoachingAnthropologyAstrophysicsBankingNutrition and DieteticsComputer Engineering / Computer ScienceCognitive ScienceBiochemistryBiology / Biological SciencesBiomedical SciencesBiomedical EngineeringBiodesignBiotechnologyNetwork and Cloud ComputingDanceBehavioural EconomicsMarine ScienceDigital MediaDigital HealthSpeech and Language TherapyLinguistics and Modern LanguagesReligious StudiesDentistryEast Asian StudiesCircular EconomyEsports ManagementMidwiferyPharmacyEcologyElectrical and Electronic EngineeringElectric Vehicle EngineeringIndustrial Design / Product DesignEnergy EngineeringEvent ManagementEducationEducational LeadershipPharmacologyPhilosophy, Politics and EconomicsFinanceFinancial TechnologyPhysiotherapyPhotographyCulinary Arts / GastronomyReal EstateJournalismNaval Architecture and Marine EngineeringEntrepreneurshipGraphic DesignVisual EffectsFine ArtFood InnovationPublic HealthAviation ManagementAerospace EngineeringAnimal ScienceNursingGeology and Earth SciencesDevelopment StudiesPublic PolicyComparative LiteratureChemical EngineeringCriminologyQuantum ComputingQuantum TechnologiesCultural StudiesLiberal ArtsMechanical EngineeringMaterials Science and EngineeringMathematics and Computer ScienceMechatronics EngineeringMeteorologyMicrobiologyArchitectureFurniture DesignFashion DesignFashion ManagementModern LanguagesMolecular Biology and GeneticsAccountingTranslation and InterpretingMuseum and Heritage StudiesMusicMusic ProductionMusic TechnologyMusic BusinessMusical TheatreAudiologyOptometryMiddle Eastern StudiesAutomotive EngineeringGames ProgrammingPastry ArtsMarketingPetroleum EngineeringLandscape ArchitectureCommercial Pilot TrainingPsychologyRoboticsVirtual and Augmented RealityArt HistoryScreenwritingGame AudioFilm and Television Production / Film StudiesNeurosciencePolitics / Political ScienceSocial InnovationSociologySport and Exercise ScienceSport and Exercise ScienceSport PsychologySustainable EnergySustainable FashionJewellery DesignTheatre and PerformanceMedicineUser Experience DesignInternational LawInternational RelationsInternational BusinessData ScienceVeterinary Medicine / Veterinary ScienceArtificial IntelligenceAI Ethics and PolicyAI and CreativityCreative TechnologyCreative WritingPublishingSoftware EngineeringWeb DevelopmentManagement Information SystemsZoologyEnvironmental Science / Environmental SciencesProduct DesignCommunication and Media StudiesIllustrationHuman RightsHuman Resource ManagementStatisticsInterior Architecture / Interior DesignContent Creation and Social MediaBusiness Management / Business AdministrationWine BusinessUrban and Regional Planning
UNITED KINGDOM

In their words

Foundation
Queen Mary University of LondonInternational Foundation Programme in Business and ManagementLondon
I'm in my second year now. I came with a lounge visa. We started the application at the end of November and by the end of January I was in class. Thanks, Berkay.
UtkuStudent
CALENDAR

Upcoming dates

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