British Universities
Officially, all universities in the country are equal in status. But they differ greatly in reputation and public image. In general, the older the university is, the higher its status. So the most prestigious are the ancient ones – Oxford and Cambridge – followed by long-established ones such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Some of this is based on tradition and snobbery. In fact, each university has strengths and weaknesses, and sensible students make their choices according to their own particular needs and priorities.
Young gentleman from public schools can enter Oxbridge. This name denotes the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both founded in the medieval period (*Oxford in the 12th century, Cambridge in the 13th century (1209)).
They are federations of semi- independent colleges, each college having its own staff, own dining hall, library and chapel, and contain accommodations for at least half of their students.
The students are taught either one-to-one or in a very small group (known as “tutorials” in Oxford and “supervisions” in Cambridge). They work at university level, doing research work in physics, chemistry, mathematics, cybernetics, literature, modern and ancient languages, art and music, philosophy and psychology.
Both Oxford and Cambridge libraries are legally entitled to a free copy of every book published in Britain. Before 1871 all Oxbridge colleges were single-sex (for men mostly). Since the 1970s the majority of colleges admit both sexes.
There are 39 colleges in the University of Oxford and 31 independent colleges in the University of Cambridge.
The Open University is Britain’s largest university, with some 160,000 people currently registered on its various programmes of study. The OU is an international university, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in other European Union countries. Its courses are also offered through partnerships in Hong Kong and Singapore Universities.
