Southampton has a strong higher education sector. Two local universities have a total of over 40 thousand students and one of them are ranked the top 100 universities of the world.

Applied physics is the study of physics specifically as it pertains to developing and growing a wide range of practical uses in society through research and technology. Students may focus on a specific industry that uses this science, including aerospace, satellites, mobile telecommunications, lasers, microchips, fiber optics, semiconductors and information technology.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom and Britain, is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. The two most famous (and oldest) universities are Oxford and Cambridge (often referred to as Oxbridge by many Britons). England also has several other world-class institutions, including several in London (notably Imperial College, the London School of Economics, University College London and King's College London, all are part of London University).

Achieving high scores on A-levels is important for UK students who wish to enter university. Institutions of higher learning use the results of these exams to decide if a student is prepared to study at their program.