Universities in the United Kingdom

Universities in the United Kingdom have generally been instituted by Royal Charter, Papal Bull, Act of Parliament or an instrument of government under the Education Reform Act 1988; in any case, generally with the approval of the Privy Council, only such recognized bodies can award degrees of any kind. Undergraduate applications to almost all UK universities are managed by UCAS - the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.
Most UK universities fall into one of six categories:

Ancient universities - the seven universities founded before 1800;
London, Durham and its former constituent college at Newcastle, and the colleges of the former University of Wales (at Lampeter, Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff) - chartered in the 19th century;
Red Brick universities - large civic universities chartered at the beginning of the 20th century before World War II;
Plate Glass universities - universities chartered after 1966
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