One UCAS application with up to five choices gets you into undergraduate study at almost every UK university, including the 24 Russell Group members such as Oxford and Cambridge. Since Brexit, EU citizens count as international students unless they are Irish or have settled or pre-settled status, and a Student visa lets you work up to 20 hours a week in term time. See the deadlines, fees and visa funds you need.
How long: usually 3–4 years full-time. Universities award doctorates; many funded places are offered by doctoral training partnerships and centres. There are also professional doctorates.
Your status: you are a student. A UKRI studentship pays a tax-free stipend of at least £21,805 a year from 1 October 2026 (£23,805 in London) and fees at the home rate (£5,238 in 2026/27). International students can also be funded but may have to contribute to their fees.
How to get in: usually a good bachelor's or master's degree and a research proposal or an application for an advertised project.
Where to look: doctoral positions and calls are published on the websites of universities and their doctoral schools and on EURAXESS, and on UKRI – get a studentship. Programmes in United Kingdom in our database: United Kingdom – 2133 doctoral programmes (as of September 2026) »
Sources: UK Research and Innovation – Get a studentship to fund your doctorate. As of October 2026.
Sources: European Commission – Study in Europe (education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe), Eurostat, official national study and residence portals and authorities, Eurodesk, enic-naric.net, studentnews.eu. As of September 2026.
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