# How to compare UK universities before applying > Source: https://coursetojob.co.uk/guides/choosing-a-university/ — updated 2026-09-25. Published by CourseToJob (independent; not affiliated with UCAS, HESA or GOV.UK). **Quick answer:** Compare the exact courses you would study, not just university names. Check modules, teaching and assessment, entry requirements, accreditation, placements, total cost, support and graduate outcomes, reading each figure with its limits. Then confirm key details on the university’s website for your year of entry, and check its regulatory status and, if you need a visa, its student sponsor licence. ## How do I choose the right university for me? Choose the course first and the university second. Shortlist universities that offer the course you want, then compare them on content, entry requirements, cost, support, location and outcomes. - Confirm the subject and type of course you want - Find the universities offering it at entry requirements you can realistically meet - Compare modules, assessment and placements course by course - Work out the total cost, including accommodation in that city - Check support, facilities and the careers service - Visit, or talk to current students, before you decide - [Research UK universities](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/) - [Search programmes](https://coursetojob.co.uk/programmes/) - [Your saved shortlist](https://coursetojob.co.uk/shortlist/) ## What should I compare between university courses? Compare the details you will actually experience: modules, teaching and assessment, placements, accreditation and timetable. Two courses with the same title can be very different. | What to check | Questions to ask | |---|---| | Modules | Which are compulsory? Are optional modules guaranteed to run? | | Teaching | How is teaching delivered, and how big are typical classes? | | Assessment | What is the balance of exams, coursework and practical work? | | Placements | Is a placement or year in industry offered, guaranteed or competitive? | | Accreditation | Is the course accredited by the relevant professional body? | | Length and award | How long is the course, and what award will you get? | | Location and timetable | Which campus, and how many days a week on site? | _Course comparison checklist_ - [Compare programmes side by side](https://coursetojob.co.uk/programmes/compare/) - [Browse degree subjects](https://coursetojob.co.uk/courses/) - [Compare subjects](https://coursetojob.co.uk/compare/) ## Do university rankings matter? Rankings can be one signal, but they combine different measures using weights chosen by the publisher, and they do not tell you how well a particular course suits you. Look at the course-level evidence underneath instead. CourseToJob does not publish rankings. Its university pages show official LEO earnings by subject area, which are not adjusted for entry grades or region and are not a quality ranking. Discover Uni, the official site for searching and comparing UK undergraduate courses, is another place to check course-level information. - [Discover Uni: compare undergraduate courses](https://discoveruni.gov.uk/) - [How we present university data](https://coursetojob.co.uk/methodology/) - [Research UK universities](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/) ## How can I check graduate outcomes for a university? Use official data for the subject area you would study, not the university as a whole. CourseToJob’s university pages show LEO earnings by subject area where DfE publishes them. These figures describe UK-domiciled graduates from past years, measured in the 2023–24 tax year. Small groups are suppressed, and differences between universities can reflect entry grades, region and subject mix rather than teaching quality. Also ask the careers service what it offers for your subject, such as placements, employer events and help with applications. - [Graduate salaries by subject](https://coursetojob.co.uk/graduate-salaries/) - [How to read graduate salary data](https://coursetojob.co.uk/guides/understanding-graduate-salaries/) - [Explore careers](https://coursetojob.co.uk/careers/) ## How much does university cost in the UK? It depends on your fee status, the course and where you live. For students from England, GOV.UK lists a maximum Tuition Fee Loan of £9,790 for full-time study in the 2026 to 2027 academic year (checked 25 September 2026). These are maximums, so the Maintenance Loan you get may be lower. GOV.UK explains that you only start repaying after you leave your course and earn over a certain amount, that monthly repayments depend on what you earn rather than what you owe, and that interest is charged from the day you take out the loan. Students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own funding systems, and international students pay fees set by each university. Add rent for the full contract length, which varies by city. | Type of support | Up to | |---|---| | Tuition Fee Loan | £9,790 | | Maintenance Loan, living with parents | £9,118 | | Maintenance Loan, living away from home, outside London | £10,830 | | Maintenance Loan, living away from home, in London | £14,135 | _Maximum student finance for new full-time students from England, 2026 to 2027 (GOV.UK, checked 25 September 2026)_ - [GOV.UK: student finance amounts](https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/new-fulltime-students) - [GOV.UK: student finance](https://www.gov.uk/student-finance) - [International fees and funding](https://coursetojob.co.uk/international-students/fees-and-scholarships/) - [Search scholarships](https://coursetojob.co.uk/scholarships/) ## What should I ask at a university open day? Ask questions that are hard to answer from the website: how teaching really works, what support is available and what students on your course go on to do. - How many hours of teaching and independent study should I expect each week? - Who teaches first-year modules, and how big are the groups? - How is feedback given on assessed work, and how quickly? - What placement, internship or project opportunities are there, and how are they allocated? - What disability, wellbeing and study skills support is available? - Is first-year accommodation guaranteed, and how long are the contracts? - What does the careers service offer students on this course? - [Which official organisation to ask](https://coursetojob.co.uk/guides/uk-university-organisations/) - [Graduate jobs by subject](https://coursetojob.co.uk/graduate-jobs/) ## How do I check that a UK university is properly registered? For universities and colleges in England, check the Office for Students (OfS) Register. If you need a Student visa, also check that the university is on the Home Office register of licensed student sponsors. The OfS regulates higher education in England and publishes information for students about their rights and how to raise concerns. Universities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are overseen by different bodies, so use the official source for that nation. - [Office for Students: information for students](https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-students/) - [GOV.UK: register of licensed student sponsors](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-students) - [UK university organisations explained](https://coursetojob.co.uk/guides/uk-university-organisations/) ## What mistakes should I avoid when choosing a university? The main mistakes are choosing on name or ranking alone, not checking the specific course, and underestimating the total cost. - Relying on a league table position without reading the course - Assuming optional modules or placements are guaranteed - Ignoring accreditation for a professional career - Forgetting to budget for rent over the full contract - Not checking entry requirements for your exact qualifications - Choosing five courses that all have very high entry requirements - [How to choose a degree](https://coursetojob.co.uk/guides/choosing-a-degree/) - [International entry requirements](https://coursetojob.co.uk/international-students/entry-requirements/) - [Find your next step](https://coursetojob.co.uk/start/) ## Frequently asked questions ### How many universities can I apply to in the UK? Through UCAS, one £34.50 application fee covers up to five choices for 2027 entry, or up to six for conservatoires (UCAS, checked 25 September 2026). Your choices can be the same subject at different universities. ### Should I choose a university based on its ranking? Use rankings as one signal at most. They combine measures with weights chosen by the publisher and do not tell you whether a particular course suits you. Compare modules, teaching, entry requirements, cost, support and subject-level outcomes too. ### Does it matter which university I go to for graduate jobs? Official LEO data shows differences in earnings between universities in the same subject area, but the figures are not adjusted for entry grades or region, so they do not measure teaching quality. Your course, work experience and skills matter too. ### What is Discover Uni? Discover Uni is an official website for searching and comparing undergraduate courses in the UK. It is supported by the Office for Students and by the funding and regulatory bodies for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. ### Does CourseToJob rank universities? No. CourseToJob is independent and does not publish rankings. Its university pages show official LEO earnings by subject area with their limits explained, and link to each university’s own website for course details. ### How do I know if a university can sponsor my Student visa? Check the Home Office register of licensed student sponsors on GOV.UK, which lists institutions licensed to sponsor students and their sponsorship rating. Your university’s international office can explain its sponsorship process.