Nursing is a noble profession that takes immense determination and preparation. UK has always taken a keen interest in its healthcare system, and that is one of the reasons for the worldwide popularity of nursing courses UK. With more than 80 universities offering the nursing course, UK as a study destination sits quite popular among international students. Not only is nursing in UK famous for being highly valued globally, but it also helps international students get an excellent career in UK post-graduation. Before pursuing nursing in UK, international students are required to read an additional Overseas Nursing Program (ONP) as a part of the curriculum.
To know more about nursing courses UK, and details on the top colleges, fees, requirements, etc. to study nursing in UK for international students, keep reading!
Table of Contents: |
Why Study Nursing in UK?
Nursing courses UK prepares students to work under critical medical conditions under all spectrums of the healthcare system. A nursing university in UK is well established with the best facilities and top-notched professors who ensure your overall growth. Hence, by studying at the nursing colleges in UK for international students, you can be capable of running your personal clinic or working at a hospital, keeping the welfare of the organization, people, and community in your mind.
Let us now make you acclimatize with the reasons why nursing in UK for international students is so popular:
- Growth of nursing as a market: The nursing market is set to increase rapidly because of a high rise of the geriatric population, and so nursing in UK for international students has a lot of scope in the near future.
- World leader: UK is considered to be a world leader in the field of medical sciences. And therefore, nursing colleges in UK for international students attract students from over 150 countries every year.
- Career and Scope: International students after pursuing masters in nursing UK, can earn an average salary of 80,000 GBP to 100,000 GBP per annum, which is around 7,359,536 INR to 9,194,008 INR.
- Popular study destination: With more than 80 universities offering nursing courses, studying in UK has a lot to offer international students in terms of career, academics and infrastructure.
- Availability of scholarships: Nursing colleges in UK are also known for offering international students with scholarships in the range of 2,000 GBP to 30,000 GBP per annum, which is around 183,880 INR to 2,758,200 INR.
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An Overview of Nursing Program in UK
If you are willing to study nursing in UK, you should be well aware that most nursing colleges offer a BSc and an MSc degree in nursing. The BSc nursing in UK is a three year vocational course, whereas the MSc nursing in UK is a three year degree course. To complete both of these courses, an additional Overseas Nursing Program is required (ONP), which helps international students get registered with the Nursery and Midwifery Council (NMC) to get hold of future job prospects in UK. The ONP requires students to pursue a 400 hours supervised practice.
Let's highlight the major takeaways to study Nursing in UK:
Length of the program |
3-4 years |
Average tuition fee |
15,000 GBP to 30,000 GBP 1,379,100 INR to 2,758,200 INR |
Mode of study |
Full-time |
Specialisations offered (Masters) |
Mental Health, Clinical Nursing, Paediatrics, Palliative Care |
Popular courses |
Bachelor of Nursing BSc Nursing (Adult), BSc Nursing (Child), MSc Advanced Nursing |
Top universities |
University of Edinburgh King’s College London Cardiff University University of Glasgow |
Top Universities to Study Nursing in UK
Studying nursing in UK is quite popular among international students as the universities in UK provide excellent research work, outstanding infrastructure and academics. Both the BSc nursing colleges in UK along with the MSc nursing UK universities are internationally recognised. We have curated a list of the top nursing colleges in UK for you below:
- King’s College London
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Glasgow
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- University of Liverpool
Let us now discuss each of these nursing schools in UK for international students one by one:
1. King’s College London
Known for being one of the most innovative universities in UK, the King’s College London has received numerous accolades internationally in the field of health and medical sciences. The college has a very high research output and offers international students a lot of scholarship opportunities. All of the nursing in UK requirements at King’s College are very basic, and easily help international students to start their journey.
QS World University Rankings 2023 |
37 |
QS Subject Ranking in Nursing 2022 |
2 |
Popular courses offered |
BSc Nursing (Mental Health), BSc Nursing (Child), BSc Nursing (Adult) |
Average tuition fee for international students |
31,840 GBP per year 2,927,372 INR |
2. University of Edinburgh
Ranked 4th in the UK for research power, with the highest scores on the student’s learning experience, University of Edinburgh is one of the most famous universities offering masters in nursing UK. With several partnerships across the globe and, therefore, numerous career opportunities after pursuing a nursing degree in UK, University of Edinburgh is considered of the utmost importance in not only the UK but the world’s medical science environment.
QS World University Rankings 2023 |
15 |
QS Subject Ranking in Nursing 2022 |
25 |
Popular courses offered |
PhD Nursing Studies, MSc Advanced Nursing, BSc Nursing |
Average tuition fee for international students |
25,300 per year 2,326,084 INR |
3. University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool has received innumerable accolades for its groundbreaking performance in the field of medical sciences and nursing. The university provides international students with one of the best MSc nursing in UK. University of Liverpool is also known for having around 1,500 students on board pursuing medical sciences alone and has also been ranked 9th in the top 10 best universities in the UK for medicine.
QS World University Rankings 2023 |
190 |
QS Subject Ranking in Nursing 2022 |
50 |
Popular courses offered |
MSc Nursing, MSc Mental Health Nursing, BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy |
Average tuition fee for international students |
23,200 per year 2,133,009 INR |
4. University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow has a research output that is considered to be very high and is also known for its research practices around the globe. The university is also known to have a placement structure that assures students with a cumulative employability rate and postgraduate study rate of 100%. Also, 90% of students at University of Glasgow pursuing MSc Nursing in UK have been satisfied with their course offerings, as per the university data.
QS World University Rankings 2023 |
81 |
QS Subject Ranking in Nursing 2022 |
50 |
Popular courses offered |
BN Nursing, MSc Advanced Nursing Science, PhD Nursing and Health Sciences |
Average tuition fee for international students |
23,950 GBP per year 2,201,964 INR |
5. Manchester Metropolitan University
Famous for offering international students with numerous scholarships, the Manchester Metropolitan University is home to around 30,000 students. The university is extremely popular for its research in the medical and health sciences. The department of nursing at Manchester Metropolitan University offers both international and domestic students specialists in the domain, helping students get all the right tools for a successful career in the field of nursing in UK.
QS World University Rankings 2023 |
801-1000 |
QS Subject Ranking in Nursing 2022 |
N/A |
Popular courses offered |
BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing, BSc (Hons) Nursing, MSc Mental Health Nursing |
Average tuition fee for international students |
16,000 GBP per year 1,471,041 INR |
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Other than these, there are other top universities offering nursing courses UK. Let us have a look at them below:
University Name |
QS Subject Ranking in Nursing 2022 |
Average Annual Fees |
51-100 |
BSc in Nursing: 9,250 GBP (875,269 INR) |
|
101-150 |
BSc in Nursing: 24,000 GBP (2,206,561 INR) MSc in Nursing: 24,000 GBP (2,206,561 INR) |
|
N/A |
BSc in Nursing: 18,050 GBP (1,659,518 INR) MSc in Nursing: 16,950 GBP (1,558,384 INR) |
|
N/A |
MSc in Nursing: 24,200 GBP (2,224,949 INR) |
|
N/A |
BSc in Nursing: 16,900 GBP (1,553,787 INR) MSc in Nursing: 16,500 GBP (1,517,011 INR) |
Eligibility and Admission Requirements to Study Nursing in UK
The nursing in UK requirements for the top nursing colleges are quite similar and basic. Most of the universities in UK require registration with the Nursery and Midwifery Council (NMC), so as to get international students the desired placements in the field of nursing. Let us check out the general Nursing in UK requirements :
- Academic transcripts along with bachelors/masters degree
- English proficiency test scores
- Additional requirements like interview
Let us now talk about the Nursing requirements in UK briefly:
1. Academic Transcripts along with Bachelors/Masters Degree
The most basic requirement to apply for a Nursing degree in UK is to have academic transcripts for every level of study. For indian students, most universities ask for a minimum percentage of 70%-80% in high school.
2. English Proficiency Test Scores
Another nursing requirements UK for international students is to have an English proficiency proof in terms of IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or other tests. The minimum IELTS requirement for Nursing in UK for Indian students is a score of 7.0 or above.
3. Additional Requirements
Additional requirements such as an interview are required by some universities for students applying to Bachelor of Nursing in UK, and MSc Nursing in UK. The interview is essential as nursing is quite significant for a field in any nation, students are interviewed for background, history, criminal checks, and other related things.
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Now that we know the nursing requirements UK, let us look at the application process for nursing universities in UK for international students:
Application Process to Study Nursing in UK
The admission process for Nursing in UK is quite simple to pursue, the process can not be considered tedious, provided you have all the required documents, and follow the steps given below:
- Choose your discipline and a university to start your nursing program in UK.
- Submit the application form along with the nursing course fees in UK for international students.
- Submit all the required documents and requirements asked by the particular university.
- You may also be asked for an interview process.
- Apply for a scholarship or financial aid, if available at the university.
- Wait for the admission decision.
After the application process, now let gather insights on the cost of studying nursing in UK for international students:
Cost of Studying Nursing in UK
The Nursing cost in UK differs for international students and domestic or EU students. The cost somewhere stands at 6,000 GBP to 10,000 GBP (551,640 INR to 919,400 INR) per year, for domestic students. The nursing fees for international students in UK, on the other hand, lies in the range of 15,000 GBP to 30,000 GBP (1,379,100 INR to 2,758,202 INR) per annum, wherein the MSc Nursing fees in UK ranges from 20,000 GBP to 35,000 GBP (1,838,800 INR to 3,217,900 INR) per year. The BSc Nursing in UK for international students fees is approximately 15,000 GBP to 25,000 GBP (1,379,100 INR to 2,298,502 INR) per year.
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Scholarships to Study Nursing in UK for International Students
Majority of the Nursing universities in UK provide international students with various scholarships. We have curated a list of some scholarships available to nursing students in UK below:
Scholarship |
Eligibility |
Amount |
Ann Hart Buchanan Student Scholarship |
Students pursuing bachelors or masters in nursing |
1/3rd Course fees + 600 GBP (55,164 INR) |
Undergraduate Excellence Scholarship through University of Glasgow |
Undergraduate student at University of Glasgow |
7,000 GBP (643,580 INR) tuition fee discount per year |
Perseverance trust scholarship through KIng’s College London |
For students enrolled in an undergraduate nursing program |
7,500 GBP (689,550 INR) |
King’s International Scholarship |
International students at King’s College London |
25,000 GBP (229,850 INR) |
Chevening Scholarship through University of Liverpool |
International masters students in UK Merit based |
University tuition fee + accommodation + travel costs |
Job Prospects After Studying Nursing in UK
After an experience of 2-4 years, nurses in UK can earn more than 30% of what the world has to offer. There are several options after pursuing a bachelors or masters degree in nursing at UK. The average salary post BSc Nursing in the top nursing universities in UK is observed to be around 25,000 GBP (229,850 INR). We have listed some career options for you in the field of nursing post-graduation:
- Higher education in various specialisations like mental health, paediatrics, clinical nursing
- Commercial or business research
- Get placed in health institutions/ hospitals/ clinical organisations
- Become an educator in the field of nursing and health sciences
For a better understanding of how careers post Nursing in UK look like, we have tabulated the salaries for various Nursing job profiles below:
Job profile |
Salary |
Trainee Nurse |
23,000 GBP -33,000 GBP (2,114,621 INR - 3,034,022 INR) |
Registered Nurse |
25,619 GBP (2,355,412 INR) |
Children Nurse |
24,214 GBP - 34,000 GBP (2,226,237 INR - 3,125,962 INR) |
Nurse Educator |
108,000 GBP (9,929,528 INR) |
Care giver |
81,300 GBP (7,474,728 INR) |
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With an average salary of 24,000 GBP to 40,000 GBP (2,206,561 INR - 3,677,603 INR) there’s no doubt the UK is considered one of the top most destinations for Nursing. Not only the higher rate of returns, international students also get hold of nursing scholarships in UK quite easily. Not to forget the immense opportunities UK as a study destination offers in terms of medical sciences, health sciences and related research fields. For more guidance and assistance, do get in touch with our counselors at Yocket.