Founded in 1973 as Britain's first independent university, Buckingham does things its own way. Most bachelor's degrees last two years, taught over eight terms with a short summer break, and many courses start in January as well as September. The campus runs along the River Great Ouse in a small market town. Law, business and the medical school are its best-known departments.
Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Official website: buckingham.ac.uk
Independent (private) university
1973, Royal Charter 1983
Most bachelor's degrees in two years
£17,000 – £26,000
International students, per year, excluding medicine
£11,000 – £14,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on buckingham.ac.uk before you apply.
LLB Law
Bachelors DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Jan, Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
BSc Business Management
Bachelors DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Jan, Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 80
BSc Computing
Bachelors DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Jan, Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 80
MBA
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Jan, Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
Two-year honours degrees, studied over eight terms.
A medical school and a long-established law school.
Small tutorial groups in a quiet market town.
Two-year degrees mean graduates reach the job market a year earlier.
Law graduates go on to professional legal training in the UK and overseas.
The Graduate route lets eligible graduates stay and work in the UK after their degree.
Undergrad
Most courses
Postgrad
Selected courses
Undergrad
Most courses
Postgrad
Most courses
The campus spreads along both banks of the Great Ouse, a few minutes' walk from the market square. Halls, the library and teaching buildings are close together.
Buckingham is small and quiet, with no railway station of its own. Milton Keynes is about half an hour by bus for fast trains to London, and Oxford is under an hour by road.
CAS from University of Buckingham
Proof of funds for fees and living costs
English test at B2 level or above
TB test certificate, if required
Immigration Health Surcharge payment
Valid passport with blank pages
Buckingham recruits for both January and September and accepts applications year-round until courses fill. Apply at least three months before your start date to leave time for the CAS and visa.
Most undergraduate courses start in January or September. Some postgraduate courses have other start dates, so check each course page.
A UK Student visa, sponsored by University of Buckingham. Once you hold a CAS, apply online, show funds held for 28 days, and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. Most decisions come back within three weeks from outside the UK.
Law, business management, computing and the MBA are popular with international students; medicine has its own selection process. Undergraduate entry is based on school grades equivalent to A levels, usually with IELTS 6.0 to 6.5.
Buckingham has scholarships and bursaries for international students, including awards for strong grades. The two-year degree also cuts total tuition and living costs compared with a three-year course.
