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British academic standards are admired worldwide, with Bachelor's degrees and higher education diplomas recognised as being among the best. 

The enormous choice of subjects, institutions and study methods grows every year. Students progress from degrees and diplomas into different professions, management, industry or further study. 

Bachelor's degrees
A first degree, leading to a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc) or equivalent, is gained after three or more years studying at university or a similar institution. 

Degrees usually begin at the age of 17 or 18 after a student has finished school. Many mature students also study first degrees in the UK. Some colleges offer two-year degrees, where students study longer and take shorter vacations. 

While most first degrees take three years, some courses require longer study. Four-year 'sandwich' courses include a year (usually the third year) on a work placement. Language degrees other than English last four years, with the third year taken in the country where the language is spoken. Some programmes, such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and architecture, last up to seven years. 

Single and joint honours
Subjects leading to qualification for professions such as medicine are usually taught as 'single honours', where one subject is studied. Most degree subjects are studied like this, but many can be combined in 'joint honours' degrees, such as economics and business studies. Some institutions allow unrelated combinations, such as French with mathematics.

There are also modular degrees. Students take credits in discrete courses, called modules, lasting a year or less. Points are received for passing each module. By accumulating a set number of points, they attain an honours or pass degree, depending on the number of modules studied, with more points needed for an honours degree. 

Students might study related subjects and graduate with single or joint honours, or study a diverse mixture and graduate with a 'combined honours' in three or more subjects. 

Degree classification
When students graduate, the degrees awarded are classified, reflecting the individual's academic attainments:

• First-class honours (often called a 'first', awarded when a student obtains an overall mark of over 70%)
• Second-class honours, Upper Division (written 2 i or 2:1, pronounced 'two one')
• Second-class honours, Lower Division (written 2 ii or 2:2, pronounced 'two two')
• Third-class honours
• Pass or ordinary degree
  

To progress to further studies such as a Master's, a first- or second-class Bachelor's degree is usually required. 

Diploma in Higher Education
They're studied at the academic level of first degrees, but take two years full time. These diplomas are available in a restricted range of subjects, often professional, to enable students in progressing to their chosen careers, such as accountancy. At some institutions, students progress to a full degree.

University Foundation Degree
Some universities offer two-year foundation degrees with the same entry requirements as Bachelor's degrees. These are work-based qualifications that are designed to provide the higher level of skills that employers need. They're equal to the first two years of a three-year course.

This qualification sits at a slightly lower level than a Bachelor's degree (though N/SVQ level 4). It's possible to complete a Bachelor's degree after a further one or two years' study. 

There are hundreds of foundation degrees now available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, that cover many different occupational and subject areas.