Young people get higher education at the universities. Not everybody can afford it because it is not free. There are about 50 universities and 350 colleges and institutes of higher education in Great Britain. The oldest and the most famous are Oxford and Cambridge Universities which were founded in the 12th and 13th centuries.

They consist of a number of colleges In Ox ford, for example, there are 24 colleges for men, 5 for momen and another 5 which have both men and women members. There are more than 30 colleges in Cambridge. Students spend the major part of their university life doing research.

The Tutorial system is one of the ways in which Oxford and Cambridge differ from all other English universities. Every student has a tutor who plans his work. Each week students come to see him and he discusses with them the work they have done. After three years of study a university graduate will leave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine, etc. After post-graduate courses (two more years) they get the Master's Degree and then a Doctor's Degree. At present students may receive a grant from their local authority, which covers the cost of the course and some living expenses. Most students live away from home, in flats or halls of residence. For a break of discipline a student can be fined a sum of money, for a serious offence he may be expelled. The universities have over a hundred societies and clubs, enough for every interest one could imagine. Sport is a part of students' life at Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge). The most popular sport is rowing. Many great men studied at Oxbridge: Cromwell, Newton, etc.