Studying at the postgraduate level and expanding your specialist knowledge in a particular subject will lead to better work opportunities, higher salaries, and overall career success. Obtaining a master’s degree in the UK offers you all these and much more, irrespective of the subject you select. We highlight the top five reasons why a master’s degree from a UK university will benefit you both in the short-term and the future.
Top ranking universities
Universities in the UK are well-known worldwide for the quality of the education provided. They consistently feature in university rankings such as QS World University Rankings 2023, where four out of the top 10 universities in the world are in the UK. Universities must follow strict standards set by the government. Qualifications are regulated by the Office of Qualification and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and recognised by institutions and employers globally.
Traditional lectures combined with cutting-edge teaching methods and leading research methods make UK universities leaders in postgraduate education. The Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) found that out of 157 UK universities, 41 per cent of the research work submitted was found to be ‘world-leading’ and 43 per cent to be ‘internationally excellent.’
The key findings were:
- Overall quality was 41 per cent world-leading (4*) and 43 per cent internationally excellent (3*) across all submitted research activity.
- More than 80 per cent of research judged as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) in each UK nation and English region.
- At least 15 per cent of research was considered world-leading (4*) in three-quarters of the UK’s universities.
When choosing to study for a master’s degree in the UK, you can be confident that you’ll receive a quality education.
Wide range of master’s degrees to choose from
The number of master’s degrees offered in the UK is too many to list. We will focus on the subjects which lead to in-demand skills and jobs in the future. The world employment market needs professionals in these fields:
- Data science
- Business and Finance
- Health & Medicine
- Marketing
- Engineering – from Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Engineering to civil and mechanical engineering)
- Other STEM areas – (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
UK universities have a wide range of master’s degrees in these fields and related subjects - our site search tool can help you to get an idea of the offerings.
How to fund your studies in the UK
There are several scholarships in the UK aimed at international students wishing to do a master’s degree. You can find more detailed information about these top UK scholarships. Here’s a quick list for your information:
- British Chevening Scholarship
- Funding organisations such as UKRI and GREAT Scholarships
- The Generation Google Scholarship (EMEA) is open to women in computer science.
- Some universities have postgraduate scholarship offerings. It is always best to search on the university’s website for scholarships open to international students. Liverpool John Moores University, for example, have a range of funding options available at the master's level. The University of York offers scholarships for a master’s degree in Law (LLM) and an MA in Applied Human Rights. This is open to students from Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, and more.
If you can't find any scholarship information on the university website or course programme page, contact the university to ask if they have any scholarships available for international students on the course, you’re interested in. It can never hurt to ask. There are a range of very unexpected scholarships available out there.
Tuition fees and the cost of living may be high in the UK, but scholarships help to with these costs, enabling international students to access excellent master’s degree programmes at top-ranking universities.
What are the graduate career opportunities?
As well as guaranteed quality education, you can be confident of good career prospects once you graduate. The latest UK government statistics available at the time of writing show that the employment rate in the UK for those holding postgraduate degrees was 88.2 per cent; the average salary was GBP 42,000.
To help select a future employer, it is a good idea to look at rankings for the best employers in the UK. Great Place to Work UK lists the top companies to work for by size: small, medium, large, and global organisations.
The table below gives a general idea of base salaries on offer in the UK:
Profession |
Base salary per year |
Senior Data Analyst |
GBP 65,000 |
Senior AI Engineer |
GBP 71,000 |
Senior Marketing Manager |
GBP 67,700 |
Specialist Doctor |
GBP 80,600 |
Senior Marketing Manager |
GBP 67,700 |
*correct at time of writing
Employment with a postgraduate degree will come with other benefits included in the overall package on offer. In addition to the base salary, you could be offered:
- Flexible working
- Hybrid working
- Signing bonus
- Relocation costs
- Childcare benefits
- Travel benefits
- Parental leave
- Medical and dental insurance
It is worth noting that like salaries, the above benefits can be negotiated once you have been offered a position.
Further useful reading
Useful resources to help you discover everything you need to know about master’s degrees in the UK:
- How to qualify for a master’s degree
- What is a pre-master’s course?
- MA vs MSC: What is the best choice?