Hardest and easiest universities to get into in the UK

I'm a high school rising junior studying in the U.S., but I'm considering studying in the UK for college. Which universities over there are the hardest and easiest to get accepted into?

In the UK, the difficulty of entry can depend quite a bit on the specific course (what they call our majors) you're applying to, but I'll give a general overview.

For the toughest universities to get into, you should consider the "Russell Group" universities, similar to what we'd refer to as the Ivy League in the U.S., but with more institutions. They're a group of 24 research-intensive universities that are among the oldest and most prestigious in the UK.

The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, often referred to as "Oxbridge", are traditionally seen as the most competitive, similar to Harvard, Yale or Princeton in the US. Their acceptance rates float around 15-20%, although they can be even lower for competitive programs like Medicine or Law. Other highly selective universities in the Russell Group include Imperial College London, the London School of Economics, and the University of Edinburgh.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are a number of universities and colleges which typically have higher acceptance rates and lower entry requirements. Institutions such as the University of Bedfordshire, and London Metropolitan University, have acceptance rates well above 70%. However, again, requirements can vary by course.

Remember, getting into a university isn't just about how competitive it is. You also want to think about the course you're interested in, the location, cost, the size of the school, and if the culture is a good fit for you. A higher acceptance rate certainly doesn't mean a lesser education--it's all about finding the right fit for you.