Aston University

Overview for international students

Aston University sits on a single campus in the centre of Birmingham, ten minutes from the city’s main shopping and entertainment area and about half an hour from Birmingham International Airport. It began in 1895 as a technical school and became a university in 1966, and that industrial origin still shapes how it teaches: courses are built with employers, and a placement year or live industry project runs through much of the undergraduate portfolio.

It is best known for graduate employment. Aston has been a leading university for graduate employment success for over 25 years, and its business school holds triple accreditation from AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS - held by fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide.

The student body is large and international, drawing from more than 120 countries, which makes it a straightforward place to arrive as a Bangladeshi student rather than an unusual one.

Why choose Aston University

• A placement year or live industry project runs through much of the undergraduate portfolio
• A leading university for graduate employment success for over 25 years
• Aston Business School holds triple accreditation - AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS - held by fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide
• One campus in the centre of Birmingham: teaching, accommodation, union and sport on one site
• Under two hours from London by train, 30 minutes from Birmingham International Airport

Aston University programmes

2 programmes in our directory. Use the course search for the full list with filters.

Entry requirements

Undergraduate entry usually asks for HSC or A-Levels with good grades, or a recognised foundation year for students coming straight from the Bangladeshi system. Postgraduate entry usually asks for a Bachelor's degree with a 2:2 or 2:1 equivalent, which for most Bangladeshi universities means roughly a 2.8–3.0 CGPA.

English is normally evidenced with IELTS around 6.0–6.5 overall for undergraduate study and 6.5 for most Master's courses, with a minimum in each band. PTE Academic and TOEFL are widely accepted, and some courses accept a Medium of Instruction letter.

These are the usual ranges, not the rule for your course. Requirements differ by programme and change each cycle - your counsellor will check the exact figure for the course you want before you apply.

Fees and scholarships

Tuition for international students is typically in the range of $13,000 – $17,000 per year, depending on the course.

Aston invests over £5 million a year in scholarships, awarded on academic, professional and personal achievement. Awards are usually applied as a reduction in tuition rather than paid as cash.

International students are also eligible for UK government-funded routes such as Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships, which are applied for separately and have their own deadlines - usually much earlier than university deadlines.

University rankings

QS World University Rankings: 423

Aston has been placed in the top 5% of universities in the QS World University Rankings, and holds a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. Check the university’s own rankings page for the current year’s positions.

Campus and facilities

The academic campus holds accommodation, the Students' Union, library, study spaces, cafés and a sports centre on one site, so daily life does not require crossing the city. It is one of the greener UK campuses, laid out as a single block rather than scattered buildings.

Services for international students

An International Orientation Programme runs at the start of each academic year, and student volunteers meet new arrivals at Birmingham Airport at set times during the arrival period.

International Student Advisers who specialise in visas and immigration are available year round. Every student is allocated a personal tutor for academic questions, and the award-winning Careers and Placements team supports students from application through to graduate recruitment.

A Postgraduate Guaranteed Internship Scheme means full-time taught Master's students graduate with industry experience as well as a degree. It is open to international students with no registration fee.

International student life

Birmingham has one of the youngest populations in Europe and is a genuine second city rather than a university town - leisure, shopping, sport and a large Bangladeshi and South Asian community are all present.

The campus sits a ten-minute walk from the main shopping and entertainment area, so students are in the city without commuting into it. Aston has been recognised as one of the friendliest universities in the UK, and has the second largest proportion of Black and Minority Ethnic students of any UK university.

Accommodation

Accommodation is on the academic campus itself rather than spread across the city, which keeps costs and travel time down and makes the first weeks easier.

Rooms are allocated in order of application, so applying early matters more than it appears to. Confirm the current year's options, prices and deadlines on Aston's accommodation pages.