About Universities Abroad

In contrast to the United Kingdom many countries are very clear about what represents a particular type of higher education institution. As a result there are a number of categories of universities that it is worth bearing in mind. To make matters more complicated, different institutions in different countries may be known by the same name. For example, a University College in Denmark and a University College in the Netherlands are quite different institutions.

It is always worthwhile investigating your chosen university in more depth than is possible on this website but here are some guidelines that we hope you will find useful. In our database you will find the following types of institution:

Universities: We use the term university for any well-known, established institution with a track record in research as well as teaching. Unless otherwise specified, universities are public bodies providing teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

University of Applied Sciences: These institutions are more focussed on applied, or vocational education. The vast majority of students in most countries attend an institution of this type for their higher education. Education at universities of applied sciences tends to be more practical in nature and many degree programmes include compulsory work experience. University Colleges in Scandinavia also offer vocational degrees.

Liberal Arts Colleges: These offer the general education typical of an American Bachelors College. In the Netherlands such institutions are often referred to as University Colleges. Liberal Arts Colleges offer full bachelor degrees which are excellent preparation for postgraduate study.

Community Colleges: Common in the USA and Canada, such colleges offer students the chance to obtain Associate Degrees which are roughly equivalent to the first two years of a four-year Bachelor degree. They can be an extremely effective way of reducing the overall cost of an American higher education.

In our database we also distinguish between private and public institutions. We do not however specify between private for-profit and not-for-profit institutions. We also include a number of institutions that have no ready equivalent in the UK such as Grandes Ecoles in France or Academies of Professional Education in Denmark.