There is a wide choice of educational institutions in Britain, often offering very similar courses. There are over 600 different colleges in the UK, each with its own specialist areas. Make sure you choose the right one for your needs. Before deciding to which institutions you wish to apply, you must decide which type of college will suit you best. This will partly depend on the level of qualification you hope to gain.
Post-school education in the UK is generally divided into 'further 'and 'higher 'education. Higher education (HE) includes advanced courses of a standard equal to or higher than an undergraduate degree or HNDs.
Further education (FE) describes other courses from basic numeracy and literacy up to degree level. In practice, there is some overlap with HE institutions offering sub-degree courses, and some FE institutions offering degrees accredited by HE institutions.
Colleges of Further Education (FE)
FE colleges offer a broad range of courses including GCSE, AS and A levels, access courses, BTEC, GNVQs and other vocational courses, professional and English language qualifications. Colleges offering FE-level courses include sixth-form colleges, technical colleges, colleges of arts and technology, city colleges of technology, colleges of education in Scotland and accredited independent further education institutions.
Tertiary College
An all-in-one college for the whole 16+ student population combining sixth-form courses and further education in one community.
College of Technology
A further education college specialising in business studies, science and technology.
College of Art
A further education college specialising in training for a wide range of graphic and design skills
College of Agriculture
A specialist college for those going to work on the land - farming, horticulture, poultry-keeping and forestry
Sixth-form College
These colleges have expanded the range of academic and vocational courses they offer. Most courses are aimed at students who have completed GSCEs (although they do offer GCSEs as well) but who want to continue studying outside school.
Colleges of Higher Education (HE)
Colleges of HE include colleges of education, institutes of higher education, institutions of technology, institutes and colleges of art and design, schools and academies of music and drama. They may offer courses leading to degrees, postgraduate qualifications, professional and vocational qualifications and higher education diplomas.
Universities
Universities offer higher education qualifications, including undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and professional qualifications. Many also offer access courses, BTEC HNDs and, in Scotland, SCOTVEC.
Private colleges
There are many private or 'independent 'colleges whose courses are independent of government funding. They offer various courses to prepare students for professional, technical or vocational exams, as well as GCSEs, A levels, English language exams and, in some cases, degree courses.
The quality and efficiency of private colleges are not officially monitored, but there are a few organisations which accredit colleges whose standards have been inspected and approved. Accreditation is carried out by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), which provides a list of accredited colleges.
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