Top 5 Universities in the UK in 2025

Discover excellence in education with our guide to the Top 5 Universities in the UK in 2025. Uncover academic brilliance and unparalleled opportunities.

Choosing the right university for higher education can be a tough decision. There are many factors to consider, including tuition fees, rankings, quality of teaching, location, employability, resources, and more.

In this article, we will highlight some of the universities that are not only highly ranked but also offer affordability to international students.

List of top 5 Universities to Study in the UK in 2025

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1. Oxford Brookes University

Located in Oxford, this university is one of the fastest-growing in the UK and is ranked among the top 50 universities under 50 years old. It excels in teaching and is recognized worldwide for its strengths in 13 subject areas, including Accounting and Finance, Computer Science, Economics, Hospitality, Law, and International Relations.
Oxford Brookes University also offers career services like integrated career guidance and scholarships for deserving students. Its tuition fees are relatively lower compared to the quality of education provided.

2. Coventry University

Coventry University, a Gold-rated university by the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), is highly ranked across various subjects. According to the Guardian University Guide (2020), Coventry is ranked 3rd for Hospitality, Event Management, and Tourism, 3rd for Mechanical Engineering, 4th for Nursing and Midwifery, and 5th for Architecture.
The university is also ranked among the top 50 UK universities. Tuition fees are affordable, and Nepalese students can benefit from location-based and sports scholarships.

3. Loughborough University

Loughborough University is recognized as the top university in the Midlands, having been awarded “University of the Year” by WhatUni in 2018. It ranks 7th in the UK (Guardian University Guide, 2021) and 231st in the world (QS World Ranking, 2021).
Loughborough provides excellent placement opportunities and foundation courses for students who don’t meet direct entry criteria. While slightly more expensive, the university boasts high employability, with graduates earning an average of £29,000 per year (Graduate Outcome Survey, 2018). Scholarships of up to 25% of tuition fees are available for students with exceptional grades.

4. De Montfort University

Based in Leicester, De Montfort University is ranked among the world’s top 150 young universities (Times Higher Education, 2020). It excels in graduate employability and teaching excellence, ranking number 1 for graduate employability and number 3 for teaching excellence in the UK.
In addition to affordable tuition fees, the university offers scholarships for high achievers. Students with 75% or above can receive £5,000 scholarships, and those with 80% or above can claim full fee waivers.

5. Hertfordshire University

The University of Hertfordshire is renowned for its programs in computer science and has received multiple awards for its visual effects, game design, and animation programs.
In the Rookie Awards of 2019, Hertfordshire ranked 2nd in the world for ‘Top Visual Effects School’ and 3rd in ‘Immersive Media – Game Design for Production Excellence’. The university is also recognized as the best in the UK for animation and game design.

Cost of Studying in UK for International Students

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, each offering different cities with varying tuition fees and living costs. Studying in the UK can be expensive, but with the right planning, students can save money.

Also read; Why Study Master Degree in UK?

Elements of cost of studying in UK

There are various factors that contribute to the total cost of studying in the UK from Nepal – the major cost for a student is the tuition fee followed by cost of accommodation, transportation, utility bills, educational materials, food and entertainment expenses. Since UK is a student friendly nation, if planned properly, students can save considerable amount of money.

1. Tuition fees: Tuition fees vary by program and university. Generally, courses in humanities, arts, and education are cheaper compared to engineering, medicine, business, and computing. MBA programs tend to be the most expensive.
   The average tuition fees are as follows:
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S.N	Study program	Average Fees/year	Lowest fees/year
1	Foundation/Pathway	£8,000-£10,000	£8,000
2	Undergraduate	£12,000	£10,500
3	Pre-Master’s	£9,000-£12,000	£7,000
4	Postgraduate	£15,097	£11,500

The fees for pathway and pre-master’s courses in the table above are for 1 year. There are other pathway programs with length of course less than 6 months which specially focuses only on development of English language (Pre-sessional English courses). The tuition fees for some courses are more expensive depending upon the University and the course selected (Engineering and computing pathways are more expensive).

Other Expenses:

Accommodation	£ 300-500 per month
Food	£ 100-150 per month
Utilities Bills	£50-75 per month
Mobile Phone Bills	£15-30 per month
Travel	£30-50 per month
Health Surcharge	£400 and above (depends on course length)
Other miscellaneous expenses	£40-50 per months

With proper planning, international students can manage their living costs and focus on their studies while exploring the diverse opportunities the UK offers.

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