Edwise International vs SI-UK
An independent, side-by-side look at two of the education consultancies students most often weigh against each other — how they are funded, where they place students, and who each one really suits.
Edwise is a broad, India-focused generalist covering 16 countries; SI-UK is a UK-only specialist. If the UK is your firm choice, SI-UK’s depth on UCAS and UK visas is hard to match. If you want to keep options open across destinations, a generalist like Edwise fits better — a UK-only agent has no reason to compare the UK against Canada or Australia for you.
| Edwise International | SI-UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Mumbai, India | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1991 | 2006 |
| Ownership | Privately held | Privately held |
| Fee to students | Free counselling — paid by universities | Free UK application service — paid by universities |
| Destination focus | UK, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Ireland, Europe, UAE (16 countries) | United Kingdom only |
| Best for | Indian students who want a long-established, India-focused agent with an unusually wide spread of destinations | Students whose only target is the UK and who want UK-specialist depth |
Branch counts, ratings and review numbers are read live on each brand's hub page. Company-published figures are attributed as claims, not verified facts.
Edwise International
Edwise International is one of India’s longest-established overseas education consultancies, founded in Mumbai in 1991. It is India-focused, with the majority of its branches in Maharashtra and other Indian cities, and it places students across a wider spread of destinations than most — including continental Europe and the UAE, not just the big five English-speaking countries.
Edwise states its counselling service is free to students, funded by commission from the universities it represents. Ask which of the 950+ institutions it says it represents are relevant to your course, and whether any recommended university pays a higher commission than the alternatives.
- Operating since 1991 — one of the longest track records of any Indian study-abroad consultancy.
- The company states it represents 950+ universities across 16 countries, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Ireland, France, Germany, UAE, Switzerland and Malaysia.
- Head office in Marine Lines, Mumbai, with branches across Mumbai and other Indian cities.
- Coverage is strongest for Indian students; less relevant if you are applying from elsewhere.
- Partner and university counts are the company’s own published figures.
SI-UK
SI-UK is a specialist UK university recruitment agency, founded in Tokyo in 2006 and now headquartered in London. Unlike the large generalist agents, SI-UK does one thing: placing international students into UK universities. If the UK is your only target, that focus is the argument for using them; if you are weighing the UK against Australia or Canada, a UK-only agent has no reason to talk you out of the UK.
SI-UK’s standard UK application service is free to students and funded by commission from partner UK universities. It also sells paid add-on services in some markets — premium consultations, personal statement editing, Oxbridge preparation. Confirm before you start which parts are free and which are chargeable, and get the fee in writing.
- UK-only specialist — deep on UCAS, UK visa requirements and UK university admissions, and not useful if you want to compare destinations.
- The company states it operates around 80 offices across 40 countries — SI-UK’s own figure.
- A UK-focused agent earns nothing if you choose Canada. That is not dishonesty, but it is a structural bias — get a second opinion if you are still choosing between countries.
- Paid add-on services exist alongside the free service. Ask for the price list up front.