The United Kingdom has a 99 percent literacy rate, which is not surprising for a developed country. This can be credited to the universal public education policy which was instituted in 1870 for the primary level and in 1900 for the secondary level. The four constituents – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales – have separate educational systems but education is mandatory from ages five to 16 in all four constituents. In England however, there are plans to make it 5-18. About 20 percent of British students pursue post-secondary education.

Primary and secondary state schools in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland follow the National Curriculum introduced by the British government in the Education Reform Act 1988. Under this act, state schools are required to teach a Basic Curriculum which consists of physical education, citizenship, and religious education along with the National Curriculum which is made up of core and foundation subjects.

The National Curriculum has five key stages. Key stage 1 is for students aged five to seven, key stage 2 is for seven to 11-year-olds, key stage 3 is for ages 11 to 14, key stage 4 is for 14 to 16, and an unofficial key stage 5 is for ages 16-18. English, Mathematics, and Science are the core subjects of the Curriculum while the foundation subjects are design and technology, information and communication technology (ICT), history, geography, modern foreign languages (MFL), music, art and design. These subjects are taught in all the key stages. In Wales, students are required to study Welsh as well. State schools in Scotland are not covered by the National Curriculum but they still have to adhere to the national guidelines.

Students who have completed up to Key Stage 4 of the National Curriculum may then pursue Further Education in FE colleges which are similar to community colleges in the United States. Those who want to attend a university must complete the Advanced Level in three to four subjects. A-levels are usually taken during the unofficial fifth key stage of the National Curriculum or at a separate FE college.

University students usually study for three years to earn either an ordinary degree or an honors degree. There are also sandwich courses which extend one's study for another year. These courses also allow students to work for a short time before completing their degrees.

The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are the two oldest and most famous universities in the United Kingdom and in the world as well. These two institutions have produced a lot of world renowned scientists, politicians, writers, world leaders, and other notable personalities in different fields.