[RJ93]

So I've pretty much narrowed my choice down to these two. On here I've heard Warwick referred to as one of the 'big 5' for economics and its always near the top of league tables, so in terms of job opporunities Warwick seems to be a better choice. But is there really much of a difference between the two? I don't want the difference to be exaggerated in my head just because of this 'big 5' label!

I'm leaning towards Nottingham at the moment because of the course flexibility, social life and study abroad opportunities (although if I could be guaranteed one of the placements to California from Warwick I would firm that right now!), but I like Warwick as well and I don't want to make a mistake in terms of forgoing future opportunities, because I don't know what I want to do with an economics degree yet.

So any insight on the difference in career prospects between Warwick and Nottingham would be much appreciated!

[Tateco]

Warwick is slightly better but not much, and it really won't make that much difference in the long run, unless you are set on IB then the advantage from Warwick might be worth it. But if you prefer Nottingham for all other aspects then I wouldn't choose Warwick over it, but it's all down to personal preference at the end of the day.

[Nightufury]

Both are good universities but Warwick is better. more people know about warwick then Nottingham. especially those outside of the uk.

[Classical Liberal]

It is definitely worth going to Warwick as it is a weird university that you might love or really hate. This is because it is just a campus out in the middle of nowhere. The closest place is Coventry.

[Mr. Roxas]

In the banking and finance world, there is a whole difference between Warwick and Notts. Outside of that, it's a little less.

[RJ93]

What if I was to pursue a masters in economics from one of the very top institutions (i.e. Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, Warwick) after doing a BSc at Nottingham? Would this boost career prospects and make up for the potential loss of opportunities in choosing Nottingham over Warwick as an undergraduate?

[Mr. Roxas]

(Original post by RJ93)
What if I was to pursue a masters in economics from one of the very top institutions (i.e. Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, Warwick) after doing a BSc at Nottingham? Would this boost career prospects and make up for the potential loss of opportunities in choosing Nottingham over Warwick as an undergraduate?

The super elite 5 unis for economics accept candidates from all well-recognized universities provided they have sterling academic marks. So, coming out of Notts wouldn't really make a difference unless your grades aren't that good. The thing though is that, the undergrads of the elite 5 (for econ) go directly to work at the top bulge bracket firms. Because for many of these people, employment is accessible and opportunities are there. These are access and opportunities that are almost (but not entirely) exclusive for them, so many of them seek grad education after several years of working, and many of them end up doing it at the top 30 or so business schools in the world.

[FDR]

(Original post by RJ93)
So I've pretty much narrowed my choice down to these two. On here I've heard Warwick referred to as one of the 'big 5' for economics and its always near the top of league tables, so in terms of job opporunities Warwick seems to be a better choice. But is there really much of a difference between the two? I don't want the difference to be exaggerated in my head just because of this 'big 5' label!

I'm leaning towards Nottingham at the moment because of the course flexibility, social life and study abroad opportunities (although if I could be guaranteed one of the placements to California from Warwick I would firm that right now!), but I like Warwick as well and I don't want to make a mistake in terms of forgoing future opportunities, because I don't know what I want to do with an economics degree yet.

So any insight on the difference in career prospects between Warwick and Nottingham would be much appreciated!

There is a slight difference between Warwick and Nottingham, with Warwick having an advantage in terms of better teaching (Warwick give out a lot more firsts than Notts) and a marginally higher employment rate (2% higher) but the difference isn't huge at all - not as huge as some would like you to think. Graduates from both have exactly the same median starting salary (£27k), a significant proportion of graduates find jobs in positions described as "Business and finance associate professionals" (which tend to be well paid), with 36% of Warwick grads finding jobs described as such, and 28% from Notts. Large firms hold events at both universities providing a lot of opportunities.

Warwick is that bit better, there is no denying it, however the difference between Warwick and any other top 10 University for career prospects (e.g Bath, Bristol, Durham...) isn't huge, and provided you get good grades, isn't hugely significant - it'll be down to you as an individual rather than your degree.

[lucas13]

warwick but notts is still pretty good

[Frenchous]

(Original post by FDR)
There is a slight difference between Warwick and Nottingham, with Warwick having an advantage in terms of better teaching (Warwick give out a lot more firsts than Notts) and a marginally higher employment rate (2% higher) but the difference isn't huge at all - not as huge as some would like you to think. Graduates from both have exactly the same median starting salary (£27k), a significant proportion of graduates find jobs in positions described as "Business and finance associate professionals" (which tend to be well paid), with 36% of Warwick grads finding jobs described as such, and 28% from Notts. Large firms hold events at both universities providing a lot of opportunities.

Warwick is that bit better, there is no denying it, however the difference between Warwick and any other top 10 University for career prospects (e.g Bath, Bristol, Durham...) isn't huge, and provided you get good grades, isn't hugely significant - it'll be down to you as an individual rather than your degree.

If anything it's the opposite. It means they are more lenient on grades.

Regarding the debate, Warwick is more respected for economics and in general.

[FDR]

(Original post by Frenchous)
If anything it's the opposite. It means they are more lenient on grades.

Regarding the debate, Warwick is more respected for economics and in general.

I don't think it does - whilst University exams aren't the same as A level or GCSE where they are all the same, they are still moderated by external bodies to ensure that a university isn't just giving everyone firsts so as to move up in the league tables. Obviously it will be easier to get a first at a former polytechnic than at a top Russell group university, but I don't think there is any difference in course difficulty between Notts and Warwick.

Warwick is a better University, I'm not going to even attempt to dispute that, but I think its also fair to say that the difference isn't as huge as some would make out, especially when it comes to employment. Both have the same median salary, and despite Warwick being labelled a "target" university, Nottingham is still visited by a lot of the same employers as Warwick is. My advice for the OP is that, all things being equal, pick Warwick. But if you prefer Nottingham for personal reasons, then pick Nottingham.

[RJ93]

Ok thanks guys, some interesting stuff here. I've done lots more research but it's still so difficult. If it makes any difference, I don't want to go into IB. I would consider some sort of consultancy role I think, or maybe something related to development. Should this impact my decision?

[RJ93]

A development: I've decided that if I look at it at purely undergrad perspective, I'd choose Warwick. BUT I do think an MSc is something I might do, and if I was to this I might prefer to do ths BSc at Notts, because if I went to Warwick and did study abroad and a masters, then that's 5 years of debt, and I might feel obliged to choose one or the other. So, for employability:
BSc economics with study abroad @Warwick or,
BSc economics at nottingham + MSc from one of the big 5

[bonana567]

Went to Warwick Open Day last week and they mentioned consultancy as one of the main careers that graduates choose to pursue

[Amyk94]

(Original post by RJ93)
A development: I've decided that if I look at it at purely undergrad perspective, I'd choose Warwick. BUT I do think an MSc is something I might do, and if I was to this I might prefer to do ths BSc at Notts, because if I went to Warwick and did study abroad and a masters, then that's 5 years of debt, and I might feel obliged to choose one or the other. So, for employability:
BSc economics with study abroad @Warwick or,
BSc economics at nottingham + MSc from one of the big 5

I was in the same situation a few weeks ago :P just out of interest which one did you end up choosing?

[RJ93]

(Original post by Amyk94)
I was in the same situation a few weeks ago :P just out of interest which one did you end up choosing?

I chose Warwick in the end, really could've gone to either I think and it got to the point that it didn't seem to matter! Definitely the hardest and most stressful decision of my life. Yourself?