For prospective graduate students, comparing master’s degree programs in the United States versus the United Kingdom requires thoughtful consideration of factors such as time, cost, and effort.
Regardless of which side of the Atlantic you are on, whether you should go to grad school after college depends on your goals. For many, an advanced degree leads to better career opportunities or a necessary step toward obtaining a Ph.D.
Here we compare master’s degrees in the U.S. and the U.K., highlighting the key differences that could affect your decision.
Key Takeaways
- There are three types of master’s degrees in the U.K.: taught master’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas, and research-based master’s degrees.
- A British master’s degree can take as little as nine to 12 months to finish, compared with two years in the U.S.
- Universities in the U.S. and U.K. consistently rank among the top ten in the world.
Master’s Degrees in the U.K.
Attending one of the most prestigious universities is important to some people. The U.K. is home to renowned institutions such as the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
Times Higher Education ranks these two schools, along with Imperial College London among the top ten out of nearly 1,400 universities across 92 countries it surveyed. The rankings consider the school’s teaching environment, resources devoted to research, and the international outlook of its staff and students.
The 3 Types of UK Master’s Degrees
One reason Americans choose to study in the U.K. is that the time to finish a degree is significantly shorter (and therefore less expensive) than at American universities.
In the U.K., there are three types of master’s degrees: taught master’s degrees (one year), postgraduate diplomas (two semesters, no thesis), and research-based master’s degrees (12-24 months).
Research-based master’s degrees are the usual entry to Ph.D. programs.
Master’s programs in the U.K. tend to require a great deal of independent study and research. They are not classroom-based and assignments and tests are rare. The student regularly meets with an academic advisor in order to discuss progress.
If your goal for obtaining a master’s degree is professional advancement, quicker might be better. In the UK, you can earn one in nine to 12 months. That two to three semesters. U.S. master’s degrees are usually one-year or two-year programs.
UK Master’s Program Costs
Costs vary considerably based on program type. The average cost of tuition for a non-British or EU passport holder working toward a British master’s degree is about £15,000 per year, or $18,500 USD. A business degree is more than £20,000 per year, or $24,700 USD.
However, these amounts do not factor in living costs. Visa requirements mandate that students have access to £1,265 (about $1,555 USD) per month if they plan to study in London, or £11,385 (about $14,900 USD) over a period of nine months. If they will live outside of London, they must have at least £1,015 per month ($1,320 USD), or £9,135 over nine months ($12,000 USD).
Master’s Degrees in the U.S.
In that same Times Higher Education survey, the remaining seven universities in the top 10 were in the U.S. They were not just the East Coast Ivy League schools you might expect. The California Institute of Technology and Stanford University placed higher in the rankings than Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Princeton University.
In short, there are great schools on both sides of the Atlantic. Universities in the U.S. and U.K. account for 85 of the top 200 schools in the world.
US Master’s Program Costs
For the 2021-2022 academic year, annual costs for undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board at U.S. colleges and universities were estimated at $14,700 at public institutions, $28,400 at private nonprofit institutions, and $24,600 at private for-profit institutions.
The cost to attend Harvard Business School is significantly higher: expect to pay more than $115,000 per year for combined tuition and living expenses.
Though tuition in the U.S. can be lower if attending a public school, and the cost of living lower if living in a small town, the time to finish a graduate degree is potentially longer. This means the overall cost of an American master’s program is equal to or slightly more expensive than in the U.K.
Following a four-year degree, American master’s degree programs typically require two years of study and thesis work. Some degrees can be completed in one year, depending on the course load and the subject.
American master’s degrees can be professional or research-based. Research degrees are usually the starting point for those seeking Ph.D. degrees.
Special Considerations
International attendance to graduate programs in both countries has been greatly reduced due to world events. In the United Kingdom, the residency barriers and increased tuition as a result of Brexit caused the number of students from the EU to drop by two-thirds.
Universities in both the U.K. and the U.S. were also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, enrollment of new graduate students fell by 39% in the fall of 2020, according to surveys of higher education institutions.
They may never get back to their pre-pandemic enrollment numbers. Increasingly, young Americans are thinking hard about whether a college degree is worth the increasing cost, especially when it usually means long years ahead spent paying down their college loan debts.
How Are Master’s Students Graded in the UK vs. the US?
In the U.S., most master’s students are graded in the A through F system which is familiar to all from first grade on. As for undergraduates, the letters are translated into an overall grade point average of 4.0 to 0.
In the U.K., master’s students are graded on a scale: distinction, merit, pass, or fail. Assignments are typically graded on a scale of 1 through 23.
In both countries, individual universities may have their own grading quirks.
What Are the Main Benefits of Going Abroad for a Master’s Degree Program?
Would you like to “internationalize” your resume? One way to show potential employers that you’re mobile and global is to have a master’s degree from the U.S. (if you’re British) or from the U.K. (if you’re American).
Aside from the purely practical, studying abroad exposes you to a different culture and new horizons. Yes, we’re cousins, but Americans and British people are not identical.
What Are the 10 Best Universities in the World as of 2023?
There are a number of surveys out there with slightly different results, but one respected source is the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. For 2023, its top 10 best universities are as follows: the University of Oxford, Harvard University, the University of Cambridge and Stanford University (in a tie for third place), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Princeton University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Yale University.
The Bottom Line
A master’s degree from a foreign university can interationalize your resume, and that’s no small thing in these days of globalization.
Studying for a master’s abroad may also add greatly to your enjoyment of the experience.
Depending on your area of academic interest, it could be worth comparing your options for master’s programs in the U.K. and the U.S.