A5.3 Categories of UK Universities¶
What are the categories of UK universities? How many universities are there in the UK?
Universities in the UK are independent, self-governing institutions. They do not belong to any government department nor are they controlled by any department. They can recruit students and hire staff independently (of course, within legal and regulatory compliance, such as limits on the proportion of international students, maximum tuition fees, etc.). This is because establishing a recognised university in the UK requires meeting several conditions: firstly, it must obtain a Royal Charter; secondly, it must have a Papal Bull or an Act of Parliament, and it must also be registered with the Privy Council. The UK government stipulates that only universities meeting these criteria are qualified to award recognised degrees.
Furthermore, the systems vary across different regions of the UK. According to the latest information from the Chinese Ministry of Education's Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) website dated July 9, 2019: Due to historical and traditional reasons, there are significant differences in undergraduate education across various parts of the UK. For example, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, after completing general secondary education, students undergo 2 years of A-Level study and examinations before entering undergraduate studies. The undergraduate system lasts 3 years and leads to a bachelor's degree. In Scotland, after completing general secondary education, students study for 1 year to obtain Scottish Highers before entering undergraduate studies. The undergraduate system there lasts 4 years and leads to a bachelor's degree. Master's degrees in the UK typically take 1 year, and doctoral degrees take 3 years.
As of 219, there are over 150 institutions in the UK authorised to award various types of degrees. This means there are over 150 UK universities whose diplomas are recognised in China, allowing for academic qualification authentication upon returning to China. This authentication can now be done online, which is very convenient and cheaper than before, although only an electronic version of the authentication certificate is provided, no paper version.
Ten-Litre Cat reminds you that only UK universities listed on the CSCSE website are recognised by China and eligible for domestic academic qualification authentication. This list does not include qualifications obtained from a UK university while studying in a third country. A 'third-country qualification' refers to the scenario where a Chinese national studies at a university in, for example, New Zealand, but ultimately receives a degree from a UK or Australian university. In such cases, some institutions' qualifications are beginning to be recognised, but most are still not accepted and cannot be authenticated. The specific list of recognised third-country qualifications should also be checked on the CSCSE website.
Of course, if you are not particularly concerned about whether the diploma is recognised in China, that is also fine. What are the impacts of not having your qualification authenticated? Firstly, you cannot take civil service or public institution exams, etc. Secondly, you cannot register for many professional qualification exams because your officially recognised educational level within China remains the highest level you completed domestically. For instance, if you last studied in China and completed high school, your recognised educational level in China would still be high school.
The image below is a screenshot of the list of UK universities recognised by China. For the specific list, refer to the officially recognised UK university list on the Chinese government website:
https://yxcx.cscse.edu.cn/rzyxmd2
The G5 Super Elite Universities
The G5 group, also referred to as the G5 super elite, comprises the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. These five universities are the most prestigious in the UK, a status unaffected by rankings, and are also known as the "Golden Brick" universities. They represent the highest level of research capability, quality of faculty and students, and economic strength in Britain.
Red Brick Universities
The UK's Red Brick Universities are: the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester, the University of Sheffield, the University of Leeds, the University of Bristol, and the University of Liverpool. These institutions were established between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are named after six major industrial cities in England, and were granted royal charters. Consequently, Red Brick Universities traditionally have a strong focus on science and engineering, possessing robust engineering backgrounds that laid a crucial foundation for Britain's industrialisation. They are all prominent members of the Russell Group, a leading UK university alliance.
The British Ivy League: The Russell Group
The Russell Group, founded in 1994, consists of 24 of the UK's leading world-class research-intensive universities. It is a prestigious alliance of higher education institutions that has produced more Nobel Prize laureates than any other university consortium in the world.
At its inception in 1994, the Group comprised 17 universities:
University of Birmingham
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
The University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
Imperial College London
The University of Leeds
University of Liverpool
The London School of Economics and Political Science
The University of Manchester
Newcastle University
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
The University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University College London
The University of Warwick
The subsequent seven universities that joined are:
1998: Cardiff University, King's College London
2006: Queen's University Belfast
2012: Durham University, The University of Exeter, Queen Mary University of London, University of York
A Specific Introduction to the University of London
The University of London, located in the UK capital, is a federal university comprising over a dozen member institutions and research bodies, also described as a 'public federal university'. Its structure consists of:
5 Comprehensive Research-Intensive Universities: University College London (UCL), King's College London, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Holloway, University of London, and City, University of London.
3 Arts and Social Sciences Colleges: The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Birkbeck, University of London, and SOAS University of London.
2 Business Schools: London Business School.
4 Medical Schools: The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Veterinary College, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and St George's, University of London.
4 Arts Colleges: Goldsmiths, University of London, The Royal Academy of Music, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and The Courtauld Institute of Art.