Esher Sixth Form College and Godalming College are two of the most popular sixth-form colleges in Surrey. Both specialise in education for students aged 16–19 and offer A-levels and vocational courses. They are similar in many ways but differ slightly in size, atmosphere, results and location.

Official college websites
https://www.esher.ac.uk/
https://www.godalming.ac.uk/

Admissions and entry

Both colleges admit students after GCSEs and usually require a set number of GCSE passes, often including strong grades in the subjects students wish to study at A-level.

Esher Sixth Form College is located in Thames Ditton near Esher and Kingston. It attracts students from a wide area including Elmbridge, Kingston and parts of south-west London.

Godalming College is located in the town of Godalming near Guildford and draws students mainly from south and west Surrey as well as parts of Hampshire.

Both colleges are non-selective sixth-form colleges, but strong GCSE grades are expected for most A-level courses.

Academic results

Both colleges achieve strong A-level outcomes compared with national averages.

At Esher Sixth Form College, recent results show an overall pass rate of about 98.5%, with around 60% of grades at A–B* and roughly 32.5% at A–A*. (Esher Sixth Form College)

Godalming College also performs strongly, with many students achieving high grades and making above-average progress compared with their GCSE results. (godalming.ac.uk)

Government performance data shows both colleges achieving above-average progress scores, meaning students tend to do better than expected based on their GCSE results. (Compare School Performance)

School environment

The atmosphere of the two colleges can feel slightly different.

Esher Sixth Form College has a reputation for a busy and energetic environment with a large student body. The college focuses strongly on A-level study and preparing students for university.

Godalming College is often described as having a slightly calmer and more campus-style environment. It emphasises independence and personal development alongside academic study.

Facilities and courses

Both colleges offer a wide range of A-level subjects including sciences, humanities, languages and creative subjects.

Esher Sixth Form College provides A-levels and BTEC courses and has modern teaching facilities, laboratories and performing arts spaces. The college has also received an Outstanding rating from Ofsted in recent inspections. (Ofsted Reports)

Godalming College offers a similarly broad curriculum including A-levels, BTECs and GCSE resits, with facilities for sciences, arts and sports.

Both colleges encourage students to take part in enrichment activities such as clubs, sports teams and volunteering.

Size and student numbers

The colleges differ slightly in size.

Esher Sixth Form College has around 2,000 students and is one of the larger sixth-form colleges in the region.

Godalming College is slightly smaller but still large, with around 1,800 students.

Both colleges therefore feel more like small universities compared with school sixth forms.

Location

Location is often an important factor when choosing between the two.

Esher Sixth Form College is located in Thames Ditton near Kingston and is easily accessible from places such as Esher, Walton, Molesey and Kingston.

Godalming College is located near Guildford in a quieter market town setting.

Students often choose based on travel distance and transport links.

Overall

Esher Sixth Form College and Godalming College are both highly regarded sixth-form colleges with strong academic results and good university destinations.

Esher Sixth Form College may appeal to students looking for a large, lively college environment with a strong academic focus.

Godalming College may appeal to students who prefer a slightly smaller campus atmosphere and a quieter location.

For many students in Surrey, the decision between the two colleges often comes down to location, travel time and personal preference rather than major differences in academic quality.

If you want, I can also write a much sharper comparison (like a league-table style breakdown of 10 differences) — which works very well for blog posts or school comparison websites.