UCAS: Researching Higher
Education options

With over 160 universities to choose from in the UK, and over 35,000 courses and study options on offer, you can make your Higher Education experience unique to you. The wide range of choice means you have the chance to tailor your learning in line with your own aspirations and career goals.

Here’s how to get your higher education research started:

• Step 1: Know the deadlines

  There are a lot of deadlines to consider when applying to universities, so it is important that you have these marked in your calendar, to ensure you do not miss any opportunities. You can find out more about the UCAS 2026 dates and deadlines here.

• Step 2: Find your passion

  Finding the right degree starts with you. Forget what other people think. Learn what matters to you. Start by finding your passion and seeing if higher educations is the right path for you.

  Finding your passion isn’t overly complicated process. Here’s the UCAS guide to Finding your passion.

  If you know what you’re passionate about, think about what you can do to achieve your goal.

• Step 3: Find your subject

  It’s important you choose a subject you enjoy and will help you reach your goals. Here are some you can do to help you choose the right subject for you:

  Look at the UCAS subject guides

  Take a look at the UCAS subject guides to get an idea of the types of subjects you could study, and the industries graduates go on to work in.

  Use the UCAS Search tool

  Use the UCAS search tool to find and shortlist undergraduate courses at universities, colleges, and conservatoires (collectively referred to as course providers). Each search result lists a summary of the course, how and when to apply, fees and finances associated with the course, and information on the entry requirements the course provider is looking for.

  Look at university, college or conservatoire websites

  Take a look at university, college, or conservatoire websites for in-depth details about their facilities and courses, and explore the campus with their virtual tours.

  Explore job sites and graduate career options

  Explore different job sites and graduate career options to look for ideas on what you’d like to do once you've finished your studies. Think about your career goals and the qualifications required as part of a person specification.

  Look at entry requirements

  When researching universities, it is a good idea to be realistic about your predicted grades and the entry requirements the course requires.

• Step 4: Compare course content

  Once you’ve decided on the type of course you would like to study, here are some things to consider when comparing different courses.

  1. Look at the modules covered in each course and identify which ones are most interesting, or relevant to your career aspiration.
  2. How many lectures are there, and how much group work will be done in seminars?
  3. What does the assessment at the end of each module look like? Exams, coursework, presentations, or a combination of all three?
  4. Who are the tutors, and are they experts in areas you want to learn about?
  5. When choosing a course, remember that not all courses with the same name are identical in content.

   

• Step 5: Compare course providers and locations

  Once you have shortlisted the different universities and colleges offering the course you are interested, in there are a number of things to consider when comparing each one:

  1. What subject areas do they specialise in?
  2. Can you study part of your course abroad, or get help with work placements?
  3. Discover what studying at a UK college is like, and how it differs to studying at university.
  4. Do they have sports facilities or societies that you would want to join?
  5. How near to home are they?
  6. Is it in a city centre, or the countryside?
  7. What accommodation is available for students?

• Step 6: Compare campus culture and student life

  Depending on your course, you could be spending 3 or more years at university, so it is important to consider student life when making your decision. The best way to find out about the campus culture and student life is to visit their social media channels, to find out what life is like at university. Some university websites also allow you to reach out to current students or alumni, this is a great way to find out from the students themselves what the university has to offer.

• Step 7: Look at the costings and financial support

  The financial aspect of going to university, is an important thing to consider when doing your research. We have a range of information on the financial support available, click here to find out more.

• Step 8: Check out what other people think

  Take the time to check what other people thought by visiting the following:

  1. Check out the league tables. You can find them at the Complete University Guides, The Times, THE, QS and The Guardian. Here’s the UCAS guide on how to use league tables.
  2. Get a student viewpoint at Discover Uni – perfect for subject and course provider reviews.
  3. Read uni and college reviews from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.
  4. Look at the Office for Student’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) ratings on course detail pages in our search tool. The ratings are based on the quality of teaching, learning, experience, and graduate outcomes at different universities and colleges.
  5. Speak to current undergraduate students on Unibuddy.

• Step 9: Attend Open Days

  There’s no better way of researching a university, than to book onto an Open Day and go and see for yourself. It is the best way to get a real taste of university life. You can explore the local area, check out the facilities on campus and speak to current staff and students to get all of your questions answered.

  Use the UCAS open days search tool to find out when the university you are interested in is holding its next open day.

  Watch our Top Tips to attending University Open Days video to find out how to make the most of your visit.