College or university?

You don’t have to study a degree or higher education course at a university. In fact, more than 240 colleges across the UK offer a range of higher education qualifications.

College-based courses cover all subject areas and a wide range of qualifications – from Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) and Higher National Certificates (HNCs) to foundation degrees and full honours degrees, as well as a range of part-time professional certificates and diplomas.

Offering a more diverse range of courses, colleges tend to include less traditionally ‘academic’, subjects. You can study anything from basic skills, vocational subjects, and apprenticeships to A levels, BTECs, Access to HE programmes, and more.

Some of the benefits of studying your higher education course in a college setting can include:

• lower tuition fees
• smaller class sizes
• location – if you want to stay close to home, you can
• flexible study options, including part-time study
• more classroom hours and individual study support

Use our search tool to find college-based degree level courses.