Year 11 wondering about sixth form? Year 12 planning university visits? School leaver considering a degree apprenticeship? FindOpenDays is built for you — no endless scrolling, no decoding rankings, just a clean search that shows what you need to know.
Choosing sixth form or college.
The move from Year 11 to sixth form is bigger than it looks. You’re choosing your subjects for the next two years, potentially your university pathway, and the environment where you’ll sit your most important exams. We help you compare every sixth form college, FE college, and school sixth form in the UK.
Find the right college for you
Don’t just focus on results.
A college with 40% A*-A is impressive, but what matters is how well it helps students like you progress. Look for value-added scores, pastoral care, and whether current students seem happy. Open days are your chance to meet those students directly.
UCAS lets you apply to five universities. Open days are how you work out which five.
Types of university open days
Usually June, July, September. Whole-campus tours, taster lectures in multiple subjects, Q&A with current students.
Spend a day deep in your chosen subject. See labs, meet tutors, try sample lectures and real coursework.
Great for universities you can’t easily travel to. Most include live Q&A sessions and on-demand recordings.
Once you’ve applied. Some universities send personalised invitations to strong applicants.
After you get your offer. Often the most useful visit of all — because you’re making a real decision.
Late August events for students finding a place through Clearing. Quick turnaround, real places available.
Questions to ask at a university open day
What’s a typical week like on this course? How many hours of lectures vs independent study?
What’s the contact time with tutors and how is feedback given?
Are there placement years or study-abroad options?
What’s the accommodation like and how much does it cost?
What support is available — academic, financial, wellbeing?
What do graduates actually do? Not just employment rate, the real jobs.
Can I talk to current students without staff around? The most honest answers come from them.
The earn-while-you-learn route.
You work full-time for an employer, study part-time at a partner university, and come out with a degree and real experience — with no tuition fee debt. It’s the fastest-growing alternative to traditional university study
What we help you find
Tools to make open days easier.
Save institutions and get reminders before open days so you don’t miss a booking window.
Place up to three universities or colleges alongside each other on the metrics you care about.
Can’t travel? We’ll show you every virtual open day and recorded tour available.
Many universities and colleges offer £30–£60 to cover your travel to their open day.
Create a free account, tell us what stage you’re at, and we’ll show you the open days that matter for your next decision. Takes 30 seconds.
Personalised open day alerts, key deadline reminders, and free resources for your stage of education — straight to your inbox.
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