United Kingdom

At a glance

Who it suitsStudents who want a focused degree taught in English and can already choose their subject.

Main deadline

13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time [6]

Oxford, Cambridge, most medicine

15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time [9]

UCAS fee

£34.50 for up to five choices [10]

Student visa fee

£558 from outside the UK [11]

Health surcharge

£776 per year [12]

Stay and work after

Graduate visa: 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027 [5]

Which qualification leads where

• A-LevelGood route

  Offers are written as A-Level grades. Check the required subjects, not only the grades.

• IB DiplomaGood route

  Offers ask for total points and scores in higher-level subjects.

• AP and a US high-school diplomaPossible

  Many universities accept AP scores, but each sets its own subjects and scores. Some ask for a foundation year.

• GaokaoPossible

  Some universities accept Gaokao results for direct entry; many ask for a foundation programme first.

• Chinese high-school diploma onlyHard

  Usually a foundation programme comes first.

English you need

IELTS

6.5 – 7.0 [7] Prepare for IELTS →

TOEFL iBT

4.5 – 5.0 [7] Prepare for TOEFL →

Each course sets its own band, so check the course page rather than the university. On the old TOEFL scale those are 92 and 100. The visa itself only asks for CEFR B2.

Universities to look at

• Imperial College London London

  Tuition a year £42,700 to £45,500 for science and engineering; £58,600 for medicine (2026/27)

  Admissions page → [2]

• University of Bristol Bristol

  Accepts Priced per programme, so the subject you choose changes the fee a lot.

  Tuition a year £25,500 for modern languages up to £33,400 for computer science (2026/27)

  Admissions page → [1]

• University of Warwick Coventry

  Tuition a year £27,870 for band 1 courses, £35,530 for band 2 (2026-27)

  Admissions page → [7]

• University of Sheffield Sheffield

  Accepts Gives every eligible overseas student a £2,500 fee reduction each year, automatically.

  Admissions page → [13]

• University of Glasgow Glasgow

  Accepts Scotland, so the degree is four years; its scholarship discounts £7,000 to £10,000 a year.

  Admissions page → [14]

• University of Edinburgh Edinburgh

  Accepts Publishes a detailed living-cost estimate, which is the figure this guide uses.

  Admissions page → [3]

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Choose and apply

• Shortlist courses on UCAS and note each course's required subjects and grades.
• Pick up to five choices; the 2027 application fee is £34.50. [10]
• Choose Oxford or Cambridge, not both: usually only one course at one of them. [15]
• Write the personal statement: three questions, 4,000 characters in total, at least 350 per answer. [16]
• Ask a teacher early for your reference and predicted grades.
• Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, veterinary science or dentistry: do the admissions tests and submit by 15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time. [9]
• Submit all other applications by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time. [6]

English and offers

• Meet the English level: at least CEFR B2 for a degree, tested the way your university accepts. [17]
• Reply to your offers: choose a firm choice and an insurance choice.
• When your offer is unconditional, get your CAS number from the university. [18]

Visa

• Take a TB test at an approved clinic if you will stay 6 months or more. [19]
• Hold your living money: £1,483 a month in London or £1,136 elsewhere, for up to 9 months, for 28 days in a row. [20]
• Apply for the Student visa (£558 from outside the UK) no earlier than 6 months before the course starts. [11]
• Pay the health surcharge of £776 for each year. [12]
• Create your UKVI account so you can see your eVisa. [21]

Before you fly

• Apply for university housing as soon as you accept your offer.
• Keep your passport, CAS details and TB certificate in your hand luggage.

Mar 2026 Sep 2027

1. Mar 2026 18 months before passed

   Research subjects and universities, and check which subjects each course needs.

2. Jul 2026 14 months before passed

   Ask school about predicted grades and a reference; start the personal statement.

3. Aug 2026 13 months before passed

   Register for any admissions test your course needs.

4. Oct 2026 11 months before now

   Oxford, Cambridge, most medicine, veterinary and dentistry courses: deadline 15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time. [9]

5. Jan 2027 8 months before

   Main UCAS deadline: 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time. [6]

6. Apr 2027 5 months before

   Reply to your offers and book an English test if you still need one.

7. Jun 2027 3 months before

   Take the TB test; the certificate is valid for 6 months. [19]

8. Jun 2027 3 months before

   Put your living money in the account so it is there for 28 days in a row. [20]

9. Aug 2027 1 month before

   Results in August: confirm your place, get your CAS and apply for the visa at once.

10. Sep 2027 At the start

    Arrive: register with a doctor (GP) and open a bank account.

A year

¥350,000 – ¥570,000

Whole degree

¥1,100,000 – ¥1,700,000 over 3 years

Converted to RMB at two significant figures — the rate moves and the ranges are wide. Rate: European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates, 18 September 2026, checked 2026-09-19.

Tuition

Set by each university for international students; see the course page.

Living money to show

£1,483 a month in London, £1,136 elsewhere, up to 9 months [20]

Visa fee

£558 from outside the UK [11]

Health surcharge

£776 per year [12]

UCAS fee

£34.50 for the 2027 cycle [10]

Scholarships and funding

• What UK scholarships actually are [1]

  Almost all of them are fee discounts of a few thousand pounds a year against fees of £25,000 to £45,000. They reduce the bill; they do not fund a degree. There is no UK equivalent of American need-based aid or Hong Kong's full entrance scholarships at undergraduate level, and Chevening is postgraduate only.

• University of Bristol: Think Big Undergraduate Scholarships [22]

  £6,500 to £13,000, for up to four years of study.

  International students on eligible undergraduate programmes; Dentistry and Medicine are excluded.

• University of Sheffield: International Undergraduate Scholarship [13]

  £2,500 for each year, up to £10,000 over a four-year programme, as a tuition-fee reduction.

  Self-funded overseas-fee students who make Sheffield their firm or insurance choice. Awarded automatically, with no separate form.

• University of Glasgow: World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship [14]

  A tuition discount of £7,000 a year in arts, humanities and social sciences, or £10,000 in science, engineering, medicine and life sciences.

Visa

• You need a Student visa and a CAS from a licensed university; apply within 6 months of getting the CAS. [18]
• From outside the UK you can apply up to 6 months before the course starts. [11]
• Your permission to stay is an eVisa in your UKVI account; a share code proves it to landlords and employers. [21]

Work during and after studies

• During term: up to 20 hours a week at degree level; full-time work is allowed outside term time. [4]
• You cannot be self-employed or claim public funds. [23]
• Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027. Apply in the UK before your Student visa ends. [5]
• Graduate visa costs: £937 plus a health surcharge of £1,035 per year. [5]

When you arrive

• Register with a local doctor (GP) soon after you arrive.
• Ask your university which documents banks accept as proof of address.
• Keep your UKVI login safe: jobs and landlords will ask for a share code. [21]

Common mistakes

• The money rule is strict: the 28 days in a row must end within 31 days of your visa application. [20]
• Mainland China is on the TB test list, so plan the clinic visit before you apply. [24]
• Answer all three statement questions with your own examples; template text reads as generic. [16]
• The Graduate visa is shorter for anyone applying from 1 January 2027, so start the job search early. [5]

Sources

1. University of Bristol: overseas undergraduate fees, 2026/27 checked 2026-09-19
2. Imperial College London: undergraduate tuition fees, 2026-27 checked 2026-09-19
3. University of Edinburgh: living costs, 2026-2027 checked 2026-09-19
4. GOV.UK: Immigration Rules, Appendix Student checked 2026-09-13
5. GOV.UK: Graduate visa checked 2026-09-13
6. UCAS: dates and deadlines checked 2026-09-13
7. University of Warwick: English language requirements checked 2026-09-19
8. Imperial College London: English language requirement checked 2026-09-19
9. UCAS: 2027 entry deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine courses checked 2026-09-13
10. UCAS: application fee for the 2027 cycle checked 2026-09-13
11. GOV.UK: Student visa checked 2026-09-13
12. GOV.UK: immigration health surcharge checked 2026-09-13
13. University of Sheffield: International Undergraduate Scholarship 2026 checked 2026-09-19
14. University of Glasgow: international undergraduate fees and scholarships checked 2026-09-19
15. UCAS: applying to more than one university or course checked 2026-09-13
16. UCAS: how to write your personal statement checked 2026-09-13
17. GOV.UK: Student visa, knowledge of English checked 2026-09-13
18. GOV.UK: Student visa, your course and CAS checked 2026-09-13
19. GOV.UK: TB tests for visa applicants checked 2026-09-13
20. GOV.UK: Student visa, money you need checked 2026-09-13
21. GOV.UK: eVisas checked 2026-09-13
22. University of Bristol: scholarships for international students checked 2026-09-19
23. GOV.UK: what you can and cannot do on a Student visa checked 2026-09-13
24. GOV.UK: countries where you need a TB test checked 2026-09-13

Rules and fees change. Everything here was checked against the official pages on the date shown. Confirm on those pages before you apply or pay.