Participating Universities

The University of Birmingham is a beautiful redbrick university, with a leafy green campus, located in the city of Birmingham, just over 150km north of London.

Established in 1900, Birmingham has been challenging and developing great minds for more than a century. Characterised by a tradition of innovation, research at the University has broken new ground, pushed forward the boundaries of knowledge and made an impact on people’s lives. A founding member of the Russell Group and Universitas 21, the University of Birmingham is a prestigious, world leading educational institution, which provides an exceptionally high level of teaching.

Birmingham is renowned for producing highly employable and successful graduates. In 2020-21, they are ranked first by High Fliers Research, as the most targeted UK university for the country’s top employers looking for graduate recruits (The Graduate Market in 2021), demonstrating their commitment to you and your future. The University has also invested £5m in its graduate careers services and successful alumni are offered mentoring and bursaries to support work experience and internships in the UK and overseas.

The University of Bristol has an international reputation for high-quality education and research. It combines academic excellence with an independent, forward-thinking spirit. 

Founded in 1876, Bristol is one of the 24 members of the research-intensive Russell Group. It is one of the original ‘red brick’ universities, which were founded in the major industrial cities of England. 

The University is in the UK top ten and 62nd in the world (QS World University Rankings 2022). For graduate employability, it ranks joint seventh in the UK (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). 

Learn more about the University of Bristol by completing their enquiry form, where you can sign up for updates and download the international student guide.

Cardiff University is recognised in independent government assessments as one of Britain's leading teaching and research universities. The University combines impressive modern facilities and an exciting approach to teaching with its proud history of recent achievements, and nearly 30,000 students, including nearly 10,000 international students, are currently enrolled at the Welsh institution.

Cardiff University's expertise in research and research-led teaching involves social sciences, engineering, technology and a wide range of business professions. The University is currently ranked 5th in the UK for its quality of research, while the QS World Rankings place it in the top 160. The School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies has been described as the ‘Oxbridge of Journalism.’

95% of Cardiff University graduates enter employment or further study after graduating, while 78% obtain graduate level employment. Cardiff University is also a member of the prestigious Russell Group, one of 24 elite research universities in the UK.

Durham University is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded in 1837. As a collegiate university its main functions are divided between the academic departments of the University and its 17 colleges. In general, the departments perform research and provide teaching to students, while the colleges are responsible for their domestic arrangements and welfare.

The University is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of British research universities and is amongst the top 100 universities in the world, currently ranked 82nd in the QS World Rankings 2022. Durham has also been awarded the Teaching Excellence Framework Gold Status for its excellence in delivering consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for students.

Durham have 25 academic departments, of which 19 rank in the top 100. The University offer more than 200 undergraduate programs and 190 postgraduate programs under 4 faculties – Arts & Humanities; Business; Social Sciences and Engineering & Science.

The University of Nottingham is a research-focused campus university which has been described as “the nearest thing Britain has to a truly global university” by the Times, with campuses in Malaysia and China as well as the UK. It is the fifth largest university in the UK and a member of the Russell Group, Universitas 21, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the European University Association.

The University of Nottingham is regarded as one of the best universities in the world and regularly features in the UK’s top 30 Higher Education institutions. The Teaching Excellence Framework ranked Nottingham Gold, while the QS World Rankings by Subject revealed Nottingham subjects Pharmacy & Pharmacology (eighth in the world, fourth in the UK), Nursing (27th in the world, fifth in the UK), Veterinary Science (36th in the world, seventh in the UK), Education (43rd in the world, eighth in the UK) and English Language & Literature (48th in the world, 16th in the UK) also performing well.

Whether you're pursuing a vocational route, looking for a degree course with a difference or you’re a foreign student keen to improve your English language skills, Pearson can help.

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Queen Mary, University of London is the third largest college of the University of London, with the main based in the east of the city. It is a member of the Russell Group of research universities and has roots dating back to 1785. Queen Mary has a strong international reputation, with almost 25% of its 16,000 students coming from over 150 countries.

Queen Mary has the world’s largest academic health science centre, and is well known for medical teaching and research at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry. The Medical School at Queen Mary includes special departments in cardiology, infectious diseases, surgery and dentistry. The School of Dentistry recently moved into brand new state-of-the-art facilities.

The University of Sheffield is a world famous institution located in the north of England, one of the original 'red brick' universities and a member of the elite Russell Group. Ranked in the world's top 100 universities by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Sheffield was founded by the merger of three colleges in 1905 and currently has 28,000 students enrolled from over 120 countries. Sheffield students voted the University number one for student experience in a Times survey.

The University of Sheffield boasts five Nobel Prize winners in its departments, as well as six Queen’s Anniversary Prizes. It is currently the lead institution for systems engineering, smart materials and stem cell technology in a network of research universities around the world and several firms, such as Boeing, Rolls-Royce and The Wellcome Trust, are big investors because of its engineering strength, providing strong links with industry in many courses and departments.

The University of Southampton is situated in the city of Southampton, on the south coast of England. It is a founding member of the Russell Group and Worldwide Universities Network, and currently has around 25,000 students enrolled from more than 140 different countries.

Southampton recently launched a new EU scholarship which consists of £5,000 reduction in fees for students residing in the EU and starting a programme in September 2021, as well as Merit Scholarships for international undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The University is known for being research-intensive and has the only Engineering faculty in the UK to receive the highest rating (5*) across all disciplines in the latest Research Excellence Framework. Southampton is cited as the UK’s leading university for Engineering.

If you are in the UK, join Southampton at their next Open Day on Saturday 9th October. If you are overseas, don’t worry, you can join the Online Subject Talks taking place from Monday 27th September to Friday 1st October.

University College London is the oldest and largest college of the University of London, and known as ‘London’s Global University’. It is currently ranked 8th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2022) and is the top rated university in the UK for research strength (Research Excellence Framework). The University was founded in 1826 and there are over 40,000 students currently enrolled at the institution, 53% of whom are international.

UCL is a member of the elite Russell Group of UK universities, and is also part of the League of European Research Universities, a consortium of European research universities that seeks to influence policy in Europe and to develop best practice through mutual exchange of experience. Staff and alumni at UCL have won a total of 30 Nobel prizes, and 840 professors and 7,000 academic staff are dedicated to research and teaching across 11 faculties. UCL students benefit from close associations with several major teaching hospitals, such as the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, the Royal Free Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital.

The University of York is a leading UK university, creating independent critical thinkers through a culture of academic excellence and ground breaking research. As a member of the prestigious Russell Group, York is committed to research-led teaching, providing a supportive and inclusive learning experience for our students.

All accommodation is on or near campus and you’ll become a member of one of York's ten colleges once enrolled. All colleges encourage inclusivity and a valuable sense of community, through a wealth of social activities and a supportive system available to each and every student. A wide variety of clubs and societies on campus, as well as our college system, make it very easy for new students to integrate and feel at home throughout their studies.

York is a flourishing city, being voted the ‘best place to live in the UK’ (The Sunday Times 2018). With a wide array of shops, museums, festivals, sporting and cultural activities, restaurants and cafes it’s big enough to feel lively, but small enough to be friendly.