The Royal Family has made sure that standards for higher education in the UK are kept high, in part to continue the impressive academic history of the country. Once you earn a degree abroad in the UK, you can be sure that your level of education and critical thinking will not be lacking, and that the rest of the world will recognize and respect your degree.

Some of the most notable universities in the UK include: the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London, King’s College London, and the University of Edinburgh (most of them part of the prestigious network of schools called the Russell Group).

All classes are taught in English, making the UK a convenient option for securing a degree abroad in English. However, don’t assume that earning a degree in the UK is consequently going to be easy. Using more classical teaching methods, most of university level classes in the UK rely more upon a single final to test your knowledge, instead of monthly tests and multiple-choice questions. Although, the academic year in the UK is pretty standard (September to December and January to May semesters), so it will be easy to move between one country and another without the hassle of overlapping school schedules.

Quality degrees can be found in the United Kingdom in almost any subject, but the UK has a particularly strong reputation for the following subjects: English, history, theatre, business, and biological sciences. Mathematics and science are especially popular undergraduate degree programs in the UK, especially for students that wish to complete a medical degree back home.

Both undergraduate and graduate degrees can be completed in the UK in a shorter than average length of time (bachelors in three years and masters in one year), thus reducing the costs of tuition and making the degrees in the UK even more attractive. Some schools even offer master’s programs as part of undergraduate programs for a total of four years of study, which will cost the costs of earning a degree in the UK even further.

In addition, certain universities in the UK offer vocational degrees known as “foundation degrees,” which take two years to complete and offer more flexibility with scheduling classes (good option if there is a full-time job in the picture).