Question:
Question about university rankings?
Kyle
2011-10-28 15:56:15 UTC
More and more pressure has been thrust upon me to complete my UCAS application form and I'm still clueless on what Uni I want to go to! In panic, I recently checked out the University ranking guide and thought to myself why are some Universities ranked so low when you will still be coming out with the same degree as you would if you went to the higher Uni's. I'm not talking about the powerhouse Uni's (Oxford, Cambridge etc)
Now more onto the situation I am in.. I currently live in Leicester and most likely will look to a local university. I study Law, Business & Economics at A level, and I'm currently predicted A,B,B. This means that I have two possible Universities; DMU & Leicester University. With these grades I have learned that Leicester Uni will be difficult for me to get into, DMU being a complete opposite. I'm looking to do a Law & Business degree at Uni.
Now back to the rankings situation.. DMU is ranked very low, whereas Leicester is ranked very high. So what's the difference when I'd be coming out with the same degree/qualifications? Could anyone also suggest any Uni's for me?
Thanx for any help!!
Three answers:
?
2011-10-28 16:04:02 UTC
To be honest I never pay much attention to rankings



I have a degree and where I did it many years ago has had no effect on my career



I have 3 young adult sons, who all studied locally,

they all have jobs to match their degrees

and ranking was never a concern to tham getting a relevant job



Nowadays I'd be more concerned about the job market

than I would be about a ranking of a University.
Joey100
2011-10-29 00:03:02 UTC
The titles of a degree may remain the same between Universities, but the degrees don't. Each University sets its own exams and makes its own courses.



University league tables/ranking tables rank Universities based on their entry requirements (How bright you have to be to get in), the standard of teaching, the difficulty of the course. It's basically a measure of how well you have to do to get into the University and get a degree.



Generally, the higher ranked a university (In the subject area), the brighter students will be, the harder the course will be, the harder the exams will be, and thus, it will be harder to do well, and a degree will be more valuable. E.G. Oxford and Cambridge only accept students who get the maximum grades (A*AA at Cambridge e.g), have exemplary teaching, and set extremely tough exams. Thus, you know someone who gets a 1st from Oxford or Cambridge has done exceedingly well.



A 3rd class Degree from a University ranked 3rd will be FAR better than a 1st Class degree from a University ranked....say 97th.



Employers DO look at which University you went to, and value it much more than the class of your degree (as I''ve just said). A person with a 2:1 from a Uni ranked 35th is not better than a person with a 1st from a Uni ranked 36th, but if it were 10th and 40th, they would be.



You have very good predicted Grades. You probably want to be aiming for a Uni close to the top of the league tables. Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham (to give some examples) give offers around ABB, and they are in the top 20. That is probably bout where you want to be aiming.



As a good guideline, you should be aiming for a Uni with similar entry requirements to what you are predicted. Have a look at the typical offers for your subject. If their typical offer is significantly higher than your grades, you don't have much chance of getting in. If their typical offer is significantly lower than your grades, you can probably do better than that University.



However, keep in mind, you also want to go to a University that you WANT to attend. You have to enjoy your time there, partially because it is 3 years of your life, and secondly because if you're not enjoying it you won't do well. Simple as that. In your case, you probably want to be going for top 20/30 Universities (or around 30 e.g. Liverpool, which is 32nd but highly respected, and part of the Russell Group, a group of elite Universities), which you would actually like to attend.



Hope this helps and good luck with your application! :)
misanthropicfury
2011-10-29 02:11:41 UTC
Don't pay any attention to rankings. They have no bearing on where you'll be happy, or the quality of your education.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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