<p>Which is cheaper and faster to get a degree?</p>
<p>For most degrees, the UK takes 3 years, not 4. The exceptions are almost all language courses, science and engineering courses that lead to an MSc / MEng and a few courses with placement years. </p>
<p>As for which is cheaper, there are too many variables to answer - if you will be eligible for US financial aid, if you are a UK student eligible for student finance and what subject you want to do (clinical and science courses are usually more expensive than essay-based subjects) being three examples. </p>
<p>Essentially though, you should budget about £8000 per year for living expenses in the UK (which will allow you to live on a budget, but at a standard on a par with that of your peers). Then you need to add in the course fees (£9k if you’re British / EU, more if you’re international). Then account for the loans, grants and bursaries you will get if you’re from the UK, the tuition fees loan if you’re from the EU, and no financial support if you’re from outside the EU.</p>
<p>Don’t forget the other European countries; UK isn’t the only European country to offer Bachelor’s and/or Master’s Programs in English. </p>
<p>Check out programs in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany. Often enough, programs in the listed countries are cheaper (or even free of tuition).</p>
<p>But as Boomting said, it all depends for the reasons he listed. Easily enough, it’s cheapest where tuition doesn’t exist or the university is willing to pay you to learn.</p>
<p>Probably out to add that US degrees tend to be more broad, with it being fairly easy to change your major. UK degrees (well, English & Welsh - Scottish ones are a bit different and more similar to the US system) go into more depth, but you have to know what subject you want to do when you apply, and your three / four years of work will be entirely, or almost entirely, that subject. </p>
<p>This means that the UK is better if you’re certain about the subject you want to do, whereas the US is better if you don’t want to specialise yet, or you aren’t sure about the area you want to specialise in.</p>