How will England make your study abroad experience the best part of your college career? Let us count the ways.
Whether you’re traveling alone for the first time or signing up for study abroad to feed some already-existing wanderlust, whether you’re longing for the bustle of a big city or a cozy countryside escape, the vibrant student communities and variety of program choices will make you feel welcome in your new home away from home. And that’s just the start of why study abroad in England is such a great idea.
England offers the chance to study just about any subject without a language barrier, so if you’re asking, “Can I study abroad in England?” as you check up on your degree requirements, you’ll get a clear yes as your answer. While you’re earning credits for your degree back home, you’ll learn from another culture—and see why England is such a popular study abroad destination. Below are the 14 reasons to study abroad in England that do the most persuading.
14 reasons to study abroad in England
Your decision will be a no-brainer!
1. You’ll get a top-tier education
As home to Oxford and Cambridge, two of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, England delivers when it comes to university name recognition. Of course, you don’t have to enroll in an Oxbridge college to get a high-quality education in England (though you can do that, too!).
Whether you study abroad at a top-ranked Russell Group university or take classes at any of a number of other highly regarded universities in the country, you’ll know you’re learning with some of the best in England.
2. Society culture makes student life easy to join
British universities run on student societies: sign-up fairs during freshers’ week, then clubs for everything from hiking to baking to quidditch (really). It’s a built-in social engine that makes England especially welcoming to international students, and it means your calendar fills up in week one, not month three.
3. England’s program menu is one of the deepest anywhere
As one of the world’s most popular study abroad destinations, England runs programs at every length: fall, spring, full year, summer, even January terms. Whatever duration fits your goals, someone offers it here, at price points to match.
4. You won’t have a language barrier
Ordering in pubs and cafes with new friends will be no problem.
Another reason why study abroad in England is so appealing for first-time travelers from English-speaking places? You’ll get the full experience abroad without the stress of getting around in another language. Sure, you’ll encounter some language differences (see: pants vs. trousers), but you won’t be second-guessing your language skills when you sit in your lectures and chat with local students.
5. You’ll find classes for your major
England’s sheer volume of universities and programs means your degree requirements travel well. From health sciences to creative writing, just about any major can stay on track here, and STEM students, often the hardest to place abroad, have real options.
6. Afraid of the expenses? You may even save money!
You might think of cities like London as super expensive, but plenty of places in England actually make studying abroad affordable. Tuition fees at universities in the UK are typically a whole lot less than their American and Australian counterparts.
While England can be pricey, programs outside of big cities can make it easier to pay for study abroad while enjoying the experience—and you can apply for scholarships to study abroad in England and bring down your costs even more.
7. You may be able to work
Maybe you’re trying to figure out how to afford to study abroad for a longer time. Maybe you want to add on to your study abroad adventure with an internship experience. In England, you have options. A UK Student visa lets you work while studying abroad (and you need to get this visa if you’re studying in the UK for more than six months typically up to 20 hours a week during term time).
8. Tap into your travel dreams…
You may find yourself skipping town in pursuit of Spanish paella or Italian pizza.
Take a study break and wake up to a cappuccino in Italy or croissant in France. Major airports in London and Manchester plus the Eurostar (Paris in under two and a half hours) make traveling while studying abroad a breeze. You’ll have access to places throughout England and the UK, and you can easily plan weekend trips with top European destinations just a short train or plane ride away.
9. …and England itself is the weekend goldmine
Before you jet off every Friday, look closer to home: the Lake District, the Cornish coast, Bath, York, and the Peak District are all a train ride away on one of the world’s densest rail networks. Balance the budget between the bucket list and the backyard; the backyard wins more often than you’d think.
10. England offers students affordable health care
If you’re studying abroad in England for more than six months, you’ll need to apply for a Student visa and pay a small health surcharge (about $1,000, or £776, a year for students). You’ll then have access to the National Health Service, or NHS, which gives everyone in the UK free coverage.
Yes, everyone includes students from abroad! Though you may have low fees for certain prescriptions and medical services, all in all, health care access is a lot more affordable in the UK than in the US.
11. Theater, nightlife, culture, arts
History and art enthusiasts will feel right at home when studying abroad in England.
From the early days of Shakespeare to the early days of punk, England has a cultural note for everyone. Check out festivals and galleries, read literature where it was written, enjoy live music, and national museums, from the British Museum to Tate Modern, are free to walk into, every day. You’ll have so many ways to explore your interests from a new perspective in England.
12. Plus nature and history aplenty
Someone’s probably already told you that you should study abroad in England if you’re into getting up close and personal with your historical sites. You have Stonehenge, you have the Tower of London, you have Hadrian’s Wall…and that barely scratches the surface.
England is also the place to go if you’re looking for some breathtaking nature. Cliffs, coasts, and caves let you get your adventure on when you’re not busy hitting the books.
13. Student status unlocks the country
England’s student ecosystem is enormous, and it pays: a 16–25 Railcard cuts a third off train fares, student nights are a fixture in every university city, and museums, cinemas, and restaurants price with student IDs in mind. Few countries make a student card work this hard.
14. You can choose an ideal location
Whether you want to study in London or elsewhere around the country, you’ll have options!
There’s no one quintessential study abroad experience in England. Whether you channel your inner Londoner, settle into a storied university town like York or Brighton, or go full countryside, England is compact enough that no choice locks you out of the others. You’ll have your pick of places to make it happen.
Get matched with 5 study abroad programs in England—it’s free!
3 study abroad programs in England to get you started
Now that tallying the reasons to study abroad in England has you ready to book your plane ticket, these programs are your next step to getting there:
1. CIEE Open Campus Block in London, England
- Why? Flexibility is the draw: CIEE’s Open Campus format lets you build your London stay from six-week blocks (one, two, or all three), mixing subject areas as you go, with the British Museum, Theatreland, and Buckingham Palace in walking distance. Published fees run $7,450 for a single block to $22,350 for a full three-block semester, and it’s rated 4.41 across 41 GoAbroad reviews.
- Where? London
2. Future-Focused Study Abroad: IFSA in England
- Why? You’ll have your choice of legendary destinations when you study abroad through IFSA. IFSA offers programs in England for a range of GPAs, in a range of places, for a range of budgets, during a range of semesters—and so many options make finding the ideal fit easier than ever.
- Where? Brighton, Cambridge, Canterbury, Leeds, London, Oxford, York
3. USAC ENGLAND: Reading - Undergraduate Courses
- Why? With courses available in a huge assortment of subjects, including hard-to-find STEM classes, USAC's partnership with the University of Reading makes studying abroad in England accessible. Learn at one of the top universities in the country with a tradition of welcoming international students while you immerse yourself in life in a historic town.
- Where? Reading
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Farryl Last
GoAbroad Contributor
Farryl Last is a poet and international educator from New York. She studied abroad in Paris and Berlin, taught English in Mantova, and worked as a study abroad advisor at CUNY Hunter College. Her poems appear in publications such as Cream City Review and SAND Journal. Her last name really is Last.
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