The United Kingdom is home to some of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Its reputation as an intellectual powerhouse has attracted a staggering 680,000 international students. That means 1 in every 100 people living in the UK today is an international student!
But don’t be fooled – not all UK universities are created equal. The UK has many high quality universities with rich histories of educational excellence, but the growing demand for UK degrees has encouraged some universities to prioritise quantity over quality. They take on as many students as possible to maximise their profits while allowing the standard of education to deteriorate.
But never fear! This guide is here to help. Read on for all the information you need to make a wise choice.
Priorities in choosing a university
There are 3 main priorities you need to consider when choosing a university, in order of importance:
- Reputation
- Excellence in your subject
- Location
Reputation
Is the university globally recognised as excellent? Is it highly selective? Are its graduates sought after by employers? Does it do lots of important research?
Your university’s reputation should be your number 1 priority. A more prestigious university will give you access to tutors and lecturers with a higher level of expertise. Your peers will be of a higher academic standard. You will be pushed harder to realise your potential. You’ll have better networking opportunities, and recruiters will be more likely to seek you out for job openings. When you finish your degree, a highly recognised university makes for a much more attractive CV (resume).
Excellence in your subject
Different universities have different strengths and weaknesses. While the very top universitites are good at everything, you may end up choosing between universities that have a similar general reputation. It’s worth looking into which ones are better for the specific degree you’re applying for.
Location
While less important for your education and career prospects, the location of a university is still worth considering. After all, you’re going to spend years living there. Try to choose a location that suits your personal preference. Somewhere with good transport links to London will be convenient when you interview for summer internships or graduate roles. Proximity to an airport is also worth considering if you’ll be returning home often.
The 4 tiers of UK university
I have grouped the UK’s universities into 4 main categories:
- Oxbridge
- Russell Group
- Strong non-Russell Group universities
- Everything else
Oxbridge
‘Oxbridge’ is a colloquial term for the UK’s top 2 universities: Oxford and Cambridge. These need no introduction. They are world famous for their extremely high standards and exceptional quality of both teaching and research.
The admissions process is not for the faint of heart, but if you succeed you’ll be rewarded with a rich culture of history and tradition. Many of the fellow students you meet will go on the become leaders it their fields. Employers will be scrambling to compete for you. Stick it out to the end and your degree will be recognised the world over as a badge of guaranteed excellence.
If you’re offered a place at Oxford or Cambridge, you need consider no others.
Russell Group
This is a group of the UK’s highest quality research universities. Roughly from best to worst:
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- Imperial College London
- London School of Economics and Political Science
- University College London
- University of Edinburgh
- King’s College London
- University of Manchester
- University of Warwick
- University of Bristol
- University of Glasgow
- Durham University
- University of Birmingham
- University of Southampton
- University of Sheffield
- University of Leeds
- University of Nottingham
- University of York
- University of Exeter
- University of Liverpool
- Newcastle University
- Queen’s University Belfast
- Cardiff University
Any of these would be a great choice, and many of them are significantly easier to get into than Oxbridge. It’s worth recognising that Imperial College London (ICL) and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) stand out as significantly more pretigious than those lower on the list.
Strong non-Russell Group universities
There are 12 non-Russell Group universities that are as good as, or even better than, some lower-ranked Russell Group universities in terms of academic reputation, research strength, student satisfaction, and employability in certain fields:
- University of St Andrews (Regularly ranks above many Russell Group universities, even Oxbridge in some UK league tables)
- University of Bath (High graduate employability, strong engineering and management reputation)
- Loughborough University (Top for sports science, engineering, and design, often outranks lower-tier Russell Group universities)
- Lancaster University (Consistently ranked in the UK top 15-20, strong business and physics departments)
- University of East Anglia (UEA) (Well-regarded for creative writing, environmental sciences, and medicine)
- University of Surrey (High graduate employment rates, strong for engineering, business, and hospitality)
- University of Strathclyde (Great for engineering, business, and law, strong industry links)
- Heriot-Watt University (Recognized for STEM subjects, actuarial science, and business)
- Royal Holloway, University of London (Respected for humanities, social sciences, and performing arts, part of the University of London)
- Aston University (High employability, strong in business, pharmacy, and engineering)
- University of Leicester (Strong in space sciences, medicine, and physics, sometimes outperforms lower Russell Group universities)
- City, University of London (Excellent for law, business, and journalism, with strong links to London’s finance sector)
In general, you should prefer a Russell Group university for the recognition. However, if you are struggling to meet their admissions standards, try looking into some of the above that do well in your field.
Everything else
The UK is a long way to go for a sub-par education. Studying abroad is often an expensive undertaking, and I urge you to try your best to get into one of the universities listed here.
If you’re unable to meet the admissions standards of any of the universities listed here, there are plenty of universities in other countries that may be less competitive and still offer an excellent standard of education. Take a look at some of our other articles to learn more.
Comparing universities for your subject
Torn between several universities? Comparing their performance for the specific degree you’re aiming for is a must. The Uni Guide has a useful tool for this very purpose. There are lots of metrics you can compare, but the best ones to focus on are graduate employment and average salary. This is a great proxy for how valuable employers see the degree as.
English language proficiency
To get accepted into an English-speaking university and thrive there, you’ll need a strong grasp of the English language. Squeno is the best way to quickly improve your understanding of English. We’re not designed to learn language through study. Squeno recognises this and instead helps you absorb languages naturally through immersion. There are daily free stories, curated videos and you can even browse any website in AI-simplified English at your level.