[USA vs. UK] How to Choose an International Graduate School? Understanding Program Length, Tuition Fees, and Application Process

Application season for overseas graduate programs has begun, with British and American graduate programs remaining the most popular choices for Taiwanese students.

Both countries possess world-class universities, comprehensive academic resources, and international employment opportunities, but in:

The length of study, application requirements, tuition fees, and living expenses can vary greatly.

I. Differences in the length of study

	[🇺🇸] American Research Institute	[🇬🇧] UK Institute
Length of study	Mainly 1.5–2 years	1 year
Teaching mode	Discussion and practice oriented	Lecture + Thesis-oriented
Application period	Apply one year in advance	Apply one year in advance

II. Differences in Application Thresholds

	[🇺🇸] American Research Institute	[🇬🇧] UK Institute
Testing requirements	English proficiency test scores (TOEFL, IELTS) Academic test scores (GRE, GMAT)	English proficiency test scores (IELTS, TOEFL) (Can be added later)
Features	More emphasis is placed on the overall background	Emphasis on academic performance
Recommendation letter	2–3 letters	1–2 letters
GRE/GMAT	Most departments require	Most departments do not require

III. Application Timeline

[🇬🇧] UK Application Period: Applications open annually in September. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis until all slots are filled. 👉 Applying earlier gives you a greater advantage.

[🇺🇸] US application timeline: Mostly "round-robin review"

• Early Deadline: November–December

• Regular Deadline: January–February

• Results will be announced in March or April.

👉 International students are generally advised to apply in the first two rounds.

IV. Tuition and Living Expenses

	Cost of Studying in the United States	Cost of Studying in the UK (🇬🇧)
Tuition Fees (per year)	$28,000-$55,000 (Approximately 900,000 to 1,700,000)	£20,000~£32,000 (Approximately NT$800,000 to NT$1,300,000)
Living expenses (per year)	Major cities: Starting from approximately NT$800,000 to NT$1,050,000 Other regions: Starting from approximately NT$550,000 to NT$650,000	London: Starting from approximately NT$650,000 Outside of London: Starting from approximately NT$500,000
Tuition + Living Expenses (per year)	Large cities: Approximately 1.7 million to 2.75 million per year Other regions: Approximately 1.45 million to 2.35 million per year	London: Approximately NT$1.45 million to NT$1.95 million per year Outside London: Approximately 1.3 million to 1.8 million per year

V. Direct Application vs. Master's Preparatory Courses

If your grades do not meet the threshold, you may consider a Pre-Master's preparatory course.

[🇬🇧] United Kingdom

	Direct application	Pre-master's courses
Academic performance	80-85% of national universities	Starting from 60%
IELTS scores	6.5~7.0	Starting from 5.5

[🇺🇸] United States

	Direct application	Pre-master's courses
Academic performance	GPA 3.0 and above	GPA 2.5 and above
English Proficiency Test	TOEFL 80+ / IELTS 6.5	TOEFL 65 / IELTS 5.5
Standardized Tests	GMAT/GRE	N/A