how old do you have to be to go to college in the uk
If you turn 16 during the school year (between 1 September and 1 July) you can leave school after 30 June.
You must then do one of the following until you’re 18:
There’s no age requirement for admission to Cambridge, although the vast majority of undergraduates are 18 years or older when they start their course. If you’ll be over 21 when you start your course you are classified as a mature student.
Applicants who’ll be under 18 on admission should seek advice from a College Admissions Tutor as early as possible to discuss their application. If they’re considering Medicine, they should also read the advice regarding age requirements for this course in the Medicine course entry.
Between 16 and 18 you will be able to choose from:
However, although you do not have to go to school, you will have to remain in education, employment or training until the age of 18.
The only things that Oxford students have in common are academic ability and intellectual curiosity. Our students come from all over the world and bring with them an amazing range of backgrounds and interests. This helps make our University one of the most exciting learning environments anywhere. Oxford is recognised as offering one of the best educations in the world and competition for places to study here at undergraduate level is intense. On average we receive over 20,000 applications for approximately 3,250 places each year.
- Choose a course and make sure that you have met or are on target to meet the admission requirements
- Explore our colleges and decide whether to express a college preference or make an open application on your UCAS form
- Look at our admissions timeline and note the deadlines
- Read our guide for applicants to learn about each stage of the admissions process.
References:
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements/age-requirement
http://lawstuff.org.uk/education/when-can-i-leave-school/
http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford
http://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/school-starting-age