We live in a digital age and digital gadgets play an integral part in just about every aspect of our day-to-day life. Computers have transformed society and computer scientists and information technologists are at the center of that change. Students who are willing to study computer science and IT courses in the UK will get an opportunity to learn from the best of the faculties along with the opportunity to work with industrial mentors who emphasize project work.

Every year around 80K students enrol for the computing and IT courses in the UK universities, out of which 13.8% are international students. 76% of the students go directly into employment soon after finishing their studies.

Why study computing and IT courses in the UK?

3 UK universities are ranked amongst the top 10 popular universities of the world offering computer science programs, according to THE in 2020.

Average pay in the IT sector of the UK increased by 2.7% in 2019, as per the report published by CV-Library.

There has been a 7% increase in the average salary of computer science graduates in the UK in 2019.

5% of the total jobs advertised in the UK in 2020 were for computer science and IT graduates.

A career in the computing and IT sector

As an IT graduate, there is a wide range of career opportunities and a high earnings potential. In-depth knowledge of computing systems, IT and programming, design, problem solving and communication are highly valued skills by UK employers in the computing industry and beyond. Students are majorly employed in the IT sector after completion of a masters in computer science degree. Average annual salary will depend upon the university and the type of course. However, a student can expect to earn an average annual salary of £42,000 after finishing masters in computer science from the UK universities. Below are a few career routes students can choose if they wish to study computer science and IT courses in the UK:

• IT
• Wholesale and retail trade
• Manufacturing
• Professional, scientific, and technical
• Education

What are the courses available in IT and Computing?

The UK universities and colleges offer courses in the following subject areas;

• Computer science
• Information systems
• Software engineering
• Artificial intelligence
• Health informatics

Students must pay careful consideration to the course modules prior to any course, as course titles may not accurately reflect the content. Computing and IT are continuously evolving and developing.

Available course and subject combinations for computing and IT in the UK universities;

Single, joint, and multiple subject combinations are available in various universities.

Full-time, part-time, and flexible study options, as well as courses with a placement (sandwich courses)

UG qualifications ranging from BA, BSc, BEng (Hons), and post-graduate qualification include MAs and MSc in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computing and IT, Engineering and Informatics, and Computational Life Science.

A number of UK universities offer four-year undergraduate or integrated master's degrees (MSc) in computer science. Most of them also offer an opportunity to work in the industry for a year or study abroad (student exchange program) as part of the degree.

Entry requirements to study computer science and IT courses in the UK

International Baccalaureate requirements: 34 points some good universities have higher entry requirements. 

A-levels requirements: ABB, with good grades in math and computing.

Typical IELTS requirements: 6.5 overall, with no lower than 6.0 in any one component.

Entry requirements can significantly vary depending on the focus of the course e.g. A theory-driven course may require mathematics in your 10+2 or A levels but for business, IT courses students do not need mathematics beyond 10th grade or GCSE.

Cost of studying computer science and IT courses in the UK

The average tuition fee for undergraduate programs in computer science and IT courses ranges between £18,000 - £25000/year. The annual tuition fee for a master's in computer science in the UK is approximately between £24,600 to £42,500. The University of Cambridge has the highest annual tuition fee of £42,184.

Universities offering Computer Science and IT courses in the UK;

Here are the top ten ranking Computer Science and Information Systems universities published in the Guardian University Guide 2021

University of St Andrews

University of Cambridge

University of Oxford

Imperial College London

University of Manchester

Lancaster University

University of Bath

University of Bristol

University of Aberdeen

Loughborough University

Scholarships available for studying computing and IT courses in the UK

The UK universities offer a number of scholarships to ease off the financial burden from the students willing to study computing and IT courses in the UK