Karia Kiritbhai Study Abroad Course Expert
Study Abroad Course Expert
Birmingham City University is a modern public university located in Birmingham, England's West Midlands metropolitan area. About 24,000 students attend this mid-sized university, many of whom are from abroad. With an estimated 52% acceptance rate, admissions are somewhat competitive. Business, engineering, computer science, law, and the arts are among the most popular majors. 87% of graduates find work, and their average annual salary ranges from INR 19,73,000 to INR 39,47,000 (converted from £18,000 to £36,000 median earnings depending on field and experience).
The University of Birmingham is a prestigious public research university located in Birmingham, England's West Midlands metropolitan area. It is a large university with more than 38,000 students, including more than 8,700 international students from more than 150 countries. Admissions are very competitive, with an estimated 13% acceptance rate. Biology, medicine, engineering, social sciences, and law are among the most popular majors. The median salary for graduates is around INR 32,54,000 (converted from £30,000 median earnings ten years after graduation), and the employment rate for graduates is 86%.
| University of Birmingham | Birmingham City University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 6.1 Out of 10 | 4 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 28 The Guardian 2026 # 76 QS World University 2026 # 98 Times Higher Education 2026 | # 113 The Guardian 2026 # 801 Times Higher Education 2026 # 1001 QS World University 2026 |
| Subject Strength | # 96 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 67 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 41 for Law by The Guardian 2026 | # 601 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 109 for Law by The Guardian 2026 |
| Programs | UG Programs -52 PG Programs -145 Doctorate Programs -54 | UG Programs -139 PG Programs -74 Doctorate Programs -12 |
| Acceptance Rate | 13.8 % | 53.0 % |
| Exam Score | GMAT-500 GRE-292 IELTS-6 PTE-59 TOEFL-88 | GMAT-590 IELTS-6.5 PTE-50 TOEFL-88 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 27180 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 26640 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 21489 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 15318.9 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 15154.3 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 9306 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Graduate employability ranking #86; Annual average salary 57,100 USD; Top recruiters: IBM, Capgemini, Peter Brett Associates, WSP Global Inc., Barclays Bank, etc.; Highest paid degrees: Executive MBA (127,000 USD), MBA (104,000 USD), Bachelor (101,000 USD), LLM (85,000 USD), Masters in Finance (76,000 USD). | Some programs and the average salary are as follows:
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| application requirements | Academic transcripts; 2 reference letters; personal statement; essay; research proposal (for research programs); Proof of English language proficiency | Submit official transcripts of all previous education Submit English language proficiency test scores Submit personal statement Check program specific requirements |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 8.0/10 Read 27 reviews | 7.0/10 Read 7 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 40 for Business by The Guardian 2026 # 131 for Business by QS World University 2026 # 101 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 | # 112 for Business by The Guardian 2026 # 601 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 |
| application | - | - |
| exam scores | IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 67/90TOEFL - 88/120 | IELTS - 6/9PTE - 59/90TOEFL - 80/120 |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) - | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -19970 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Jul 3, 2026 (Application Deadline For September 2026 Intake) | Jul 18, 2025 (Application Deadline For September 2025 Intake) Dec 5, 2025 (Application Deadline For January 2026 Intake) Dec 20, 2025 (Fee Deposit Deadline for January 2026 Intake) Jan 4, 2026 (Last date for Pre-CAS Interview for January 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | University of Birmingham | Birmingham City University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1900 | 2013 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 5:1 | 19:1 |
| Male:Female | 44% Male, 56% Female | 38% Male, 62% Female |
| Location Facts | 2 campuses- Edgbaston and Selly Oak located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; centered around Chancellor’s Court and Old Joe. | The university has campuses spread across different locations: City centre campus, City South Campus in Edgbaston, Victoria street in Birmhimgam, Margaret street, Bournville, |
| Library | 7 libraries and resource center; 2.7 million books and scholarly periodicals, over 16,000 electronic resources; 1.8 million print; 500,000 online books; over 85,000 print & online journals. | The Learning Centre has a collection of more than 23,000 items containing relevant course books and materials. It has print subscriptions to more than 115 journal titles and electronic access to more than 1,000. It also holds DVDs, reference books, directories, encyclopaedias, tip sheets, advice relating to the final year project, 29 computers with internet access, and binding, printing and photocopying services. Students can access electronic books, full-text electronic journals, newspaper articles, full-text British and international standards, market research reports, legal and bibliographic databases. Most of these can be accessed from both within the building and externally. |
| Campus Life | 250 clubs & societies; Houses the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Shakespeare Institute, Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern manuscripts, Lapworth Museum of Geology, Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower; UoB Sport & Fitness club (consisting of 50m swimming pool, multi-sports arena, 6 glass-backed squash courts, 200-station gym, 10m climbing wall, Performance Centre, 5 activity studios, etc.); 9 Costas, 2 Starbucks; other university cafes; etc. | At Birmingham City University, the university does everything possible to make the students feel welcome and to make the most of their time at the university both academically and socially. The Students’ Union International Student Group runs social activities throughout the year to help students settle in and meet other students with similar interest. You’ll also have many opportunities to learn from Birmingham’s wider creative and business communities in a city which has the UK's largest concentration of businesses outside of London. |
| Hostel | #Room and Board (including meals) - $10147 #Rooms - $8442 | #Rooms - $6706 |
| Famous Alumni | 11 Nobel laureates; Neville Chamberlain & Stanley Baldwin (Former British PM); Sir Edward Elgar (British composer); Baroness Amos (UN Under-Secretary-General); Lord Roll of Ipsden (Director of the Bank of England); Isaac Hempstead Wright (Actor); Rodolfo Neri Vela (Mexican scientist & astronaut); Tim Curry (Actor) | Television presenter Kirsten O'Brien, Sports TV presenter Mary Rhodes, Radio and TV presenters Fiona Phillips Investigative journalist Mark Williams-Thomas |
| City Life | A city in West Midlands, England; 2nd largest city in England; Economy dominated by the service sector; 2nd largest metropolitan economy in UK with a GDP of 121.1 billion USD; Top tourist attractions include Victoria Square, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Thinktank- Birmingham Science Museum, National SEA LIFE Centre, St. Philip's Cathedral, Cadbury World | Studying in Birmingham offers you the chance to live and work in the youngest major city in Europe with world-class restaurants, entertainment and shops. Birmingham is home to more than one million people from a range of different cultures and ethnic groups, 40 per cent of this population is 25 and younger. Birmingham Hippodrome, one of the most popular musical theatres in the UK, attracts over 500,000 visitors a year. The famous NEC holds over 500 events and exhibitions per year, including the international Crufts dog show. Birmingham has more than 500,000 works of art in one square mile. Did you know Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice, with 56 kilometres of waterways! The city is in England’s top three most visited places to shop, and is known as one of Europe’s best shopping experiences. |
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University of Birmingham vs Birmingham City University
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
The University of Birmingham is consistently ranked as superior to Birmingham City University in all international ranking systems. In QS World University Rankings 2026, Birmingham is ranked around 76th globally, while Birmingham City University lies in the 1001-1200 rank band globally. In Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025, Birmingham lies at 93rd globally, while Birmingham City University lies in the 801-1000 rank band globally. In U.S. News Best Global Universities, Birmingham lies at 94th, while Birmingham City University lies at 1291st. In subject rankings internationally, Birmingham scores extremely well, with rankings in the top 100 globally for such subjects as Arts & Humanities, Clinical & Health, Engineering, and Social Sciences. Birmingham City University, however, drops far behind in subject recognition globally, even though it has a reputation for focused strength in creative arts, design, and teacher training.
General Information
The University of Birmingham is a large, research-led institution established as a Russell Group university in 1900, with 32,000 students overall with a considerable number of international students. It is also a multi-faculty university covering all aspects of science, including the humanities and social sciences, engineering, law and medicine. In comparison, Birmingham City University gained university title in 1992. Birmingham City University has an enrolment total of 25,000, and represents a specific discipline, as well as vocational and creative education, from business, arts, design, computing, health and the performing arts.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
With respect to admissions and admissions practice, Birmingham University is selective with respect to entry requirements, and offers highly competitive spaces with respect to some of the popular professional programs, including medicine, law and business, as a Russell Group research university. Birmingham City University is more inclusive with respect to its admissions and generally draws upon a vocational model to widen access to higher education.
Research Impact & Facilities
The University of Birmingham has built an impressive reputation for research excellence and has generated world-leading contributions to medical, engineering and science knowledge, benefiting from outstanding laboratories, iconic libraries and approaches that draw on multidisciplinary research centres, while Birmingham City University's research profile is more modest, but it has successfully developed centres focused on excellence, with recognised outputs in art, design, teacher education and performance. In comparative terms, Birmingham's research output is much broader across all disciplinary contexts and reaches globally, while Birmingham City University's research operates much more within defined fields and operates in industry-audio stakeholder links.
Cost & Financial Aid
Both universities charge tuition fees consistent with those in UK higher education. The University of Birmingham charges fees associated with Russell Group institutions which, for international students, are typically higher than Birmingham City University will charge, while both universities offer a range of scholarship and need-based assistance. Birmingham City University charges less and provides bursary and funding support schemes that help encourage access, though it is lower in overall funding scale than Birmingham.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
The alumni of the University of Birmingham have a strong international profile. Graduates have leading positions in a number of fields including medicine, engineering, academia, politics, and business. An international profile for the University of Birmingham is a leverage when looking for employment, or collaborating internationally in research. Birmingham City University graduates are employable, often successfully in industries like creative industries, media, and arts, and disciplines like health and vocational studies, where university industry partners provide students with real-world experience, but their alumni and global brand can't match Birmingham.
