Four generations of education in context

You are probably already aware that the higher education system of the UK and Northern Ireland has a world class reputation but did you know that there are over 160 academic institutions to choose from? To understand the differences between the UK universities it may be helpful to place them into four generations;

• Traditional ancient universities such as Oxford, Cambridge attract talented students from all over the world and gaining a place can be very competitive.
• Red Brick or Civic universities such as such as Manchester, Liverpool, London, Birmingham, Sheffield are located in cities and were built in the Victorian era.
• Campus or ‘plate glass’ universities built in the 1960s offer a range of interdisciplinary degrees specifically catered for the workplace. These include Sussex, York, East Anglia, Kent, Essex, Lancaster and Warwick.
• The final generation of universities known as the ’new universities' were granted university charter from 1992 onwards. A number have risen in the Higher Education League Tables and can offer an excellent alternative to the more traditional choices for international students.