There are two types of colleges in England that are not part of an institution of higher education:
- Sixth form colleges (SFC). They provide education at an advanced level for students aged 16-19 who are about to enter university or go on to the next level of vocational education. Courses include A-levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC), the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) and GCSE examinations.
- Further Education (FE) College. Offer programs of technical education and vocational training for students of all ages. Unlike Sixth Form, FE colleges offer a range of qualifications up to Masters level.
Apprenticeship programs – Apprenticeships – are also offered at the college level. This is vocational training with full-time employment and infrequent classroom training. The student-apprentice works and receives a salary under an employment contract. Foreign citizens, however, are rarely enrolled in such programs, as it causes additional difficulties in the form of obtaining a work visa.
In total there are 294 colleges in the country, in which more than 2 million people study. On average, each British college has 672 international students, of which A-Levels qualifications are the most popular.
