RoaringMice pretty much has the best answer but I just want to add some more details. At Oxford and Cambridge overseas students have to pay the university fees and a college fee. These two are collegiate universities where the university has a federal structure and is composed of many semi-autonomous colleges (not in the same sense you would think of a college though). These fees vary slightly by college. At Oxford for example they are between £4700 to £5300 so that would be an additional £10000 ish on top of the university fees. The university fees vary by subject but expect to pay £10000 to £12000 ($20000-$24000).

The University of London colleges like the LSE and UCL are much larger than Oxbridge colleges and effectively function as different universities. They will only charge you a university fee, but it will still be at the hefty overseas rate. The cost of living in London is also higher so you would have to budget for that.

Also even though many course particularly in the arts and humanities are three years long there is an increasing trend for universities in the UK to make their science course four years long. For example at Oxford Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry and the related joint honours courses like Maths and Philosophy are four years long. In some case like maths and physics there is the option to take a three year course so you leave with an BA instead of an MMaths or MPhys if you only want to do the shorter degree or if your grades weren’t good enough.

Actually, I disagree with the other posters. If you know you won’t be getting US financial aid, and thus must pay the full tuition and fees for university, then it is cheaper to go to university in the UK than it is in the US, even with the higher international fees you’ll pay to a UK university, if you’re looking at comparable schools.

But again, that’s if you won’t be getting US financial aid. If you think you will get financial aid, it may be less expensive to go to school in the States.

Thing is, the UK and US educational systems are different enough that you can’t simply take your US highschool diploma and apply to Oxford. You need to do 3-4 AP exams, scoring a 3 or higher, or do a few SAT subject tests, scoring above a certain score, in order to be considered for admission. Go to their website – they explain exactly what you need.

In addition, the English university system is different from that of the US. You must pick a major when you apply, and it can be difficult or impossible to change that after you enter. Courses are taught differently as well, and the studying is done much more independantly. The uni system in Scotland is actually a lot closer to that of the US, so you may also want to consider St. Andrews and U of Edinburgh.

Many US students find it easier to study in Canada, rather than the UK, because our educational systems K-12, and our university systems, are somewhat similar. McGill is the best Canadian university, with U of Toronto following. Canadian schools are less expensive than comparable US schools, even paying international tuition. Again, only if you know you won’t get US financial aid.

In the UK, the strongest universities are Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, Imperial College London, and London School of Economics.

So, you’ll need to evaluate your financial situation to determine which country is actually cheaper to study in. Then think about which sort of university system will be a better fit. Then decide. And even in the end, apply to some US schools, and use the FAFSA to try to get aid, to see if you do get some.

Since college in the UK is generally shorter than college in the US, it may end up being cheaper, but there are overseas fees. Most bachelors programs are 3 years intead of 4, and Masters of Arts are 1 full year (no summer break) instead of 2. It depends on any scholarships as well. If you have really good grades look into the Marshall scholarship: http://www.marshallscholarship.org/

But then again, plane tickets, visa and passport application fees and all that really do add up. In my opinion, you should look at what programs are offered and what you want out of a school. Student Loans, and grants are good for filling in the gaps where you can’t afford all your education all at once.

Probably not cheaper – you pay different fees if you don’t come from the country the university is in. And bear in mind that, in the UK at least, you don’t get to show up and then pick what you want to study, you have to apply for a specific degree course.

Oxford? Yup, you’ll need to be pretty smart – are you looking at going to Harvard or Yale, or somewhere like that, if you stay in the US? That’s the level you’ll need to be. And you’ll need to get your application in in the next few weeks if you want to start October 2008.

It’s not necessarily cheaper to go to college in another country, but it can be if you get international scholarships. Scholarships are free sources of money that cover your college costs, and they don’t have to be paid back. You can read about them here:

http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/financial_aid/college_scholarship.aspx

Here are sites that offer study abroad scholarships:

http://www.studyabroad.com/forum/financial_aid.html

http://www.studyabroadfunding.org/

http://www.studyabroadlinks.com/search/Study_Abroad_Resources/Scholarships_and_Financial_Aid/

http://www.ciee.org/study/scholarships.aspx

http://www.academicstudies.com/?gclid=CL-W56Cbjo4CFSgRGgodW0ezEQ

http://www.gowithcea.com/

Here are sites that offer scholarships to all students:

FedMoney.org Home

http://www.freegovmoney.net/

http://www.grants.gov/

http://www.findtuition.com/scholarships/

http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp

http://www.educationplanner.com/education_planner/paying_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=Grants_and_Scholarships

http://www.studentawards.com/

http://www.college-scholarships.com/

And here’s a good site that gives you tons of information on places to visit and programs to apply to in Europe:

http://www.studyabroaddomain.com/study_abroad_europe.aspx

Good luck!

haha, no its not cheaper. You will be paying out of country student fees and tuition.