International and American Schools in Britain, U.K.

This is the online directory with the main international and American schools in the United Kingdom of Great Britain that offer an international curriculum. The programmes vary from the International Baccalaureate (I.B.) programme, which includes PYP, MYP and Diploma to the British GCSE and GCE examination systems.

British universities accept the International Baccalaureate Diploma as satisfying the general matriculation requirements for entry to all first degree courses and higher education institutions. However, the universities being autonomous, the standards required (i.e. combination of IB subjects, points secured in total and in individual subjects) are a matter for each individual university to decide. Requirements will vary considerably depending on university and department or faculty.

All applications to British Higher Education institutions are handled centrally by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), from whom application forms and the Directory may be obtained. Applicants apply to UCAS between 1 September and 15 December of the year prior to entry, and may select up to six choices of institution/course. For 2000 entry and after, applicants will be restricted a maximum of four choices of courses leading to a professional qualification in medicine and the closing date is 15 October.

Applications to Art and Design courses are made through two different pathways of equal status:

(a) Route A (simultaneous route) - applications to be made between 1 September and 15 December.

(b) Route B (sequential route) - applications to be made between 1 January and 24 March.

Institutions make their decisions independently of each other and relay them to applicants via UCAS. If the IB Diploma has not yet been achieved, the offers will normally be conditional on specified IB grades being obtained.

The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge have a closing date of 15 October. Applications are made both through UCAS and the universities; the application form is available from the Colleges Admissions Office in Oxford or from individual colleges in the case of Cambridge.