Which university is considered more prestigious?

Shenin...

UCL or Durham? Nationally and internationally.

ucl

UCL

Original post by Shenin...

UCL or Durham? Nationally and internationally.

Definitely UCL internationally, it came 4th in QS World University rankings after all. However, Durham is also extremely prestigious however so the difference between the two is negligible. If this is to do with choosing a University then I wouldn't factor in prestige, as both are right at the top. Find out which university has the better course and the best course for you.

Reply 4

Basiji

UCL internationally, nationally I'd say they're pretty much the same.

Reply 5

Lumos

Ucl, internationally. Everyone has heard of London, and not everyone has heard of Durham, after all. However there are certain subject areas (e.g history) for which Durham is more reputable.

again UCL

I think UCL is the more prestigious, although Durham is very good too!

Reply 8

Jon of the North

You couldn't fit a cigarette paper between their supposed prestigiousness, and it doesn't matter anyway.

It boils down to which is better for your subject. What do the respective course outlines look like? Would you rather live in a global city (London) or a comparatively sleepy student town (Durham)?

Once you eventually graduate from either, their 'prestige' will matter not one iota. Trust me.

Reply 9

cambio wechsel

Original post by Jon of the North

You couldn't fit a cigarette paper between their supposed prestigiousness, and it doesn't matter anyway...

Once you eventually graduate from either, their 'prestige' will matter not one iota. Trust me.

I think this would be true if the OP were a British student intending a career in the UK. But that is not the case.

For her purposes, it's UCL.

Reply 10

Shenin...

Original post by cambio wechsel

I think this would be true if the OP were a British student intending a career in the UK. But that is not the case.

For her purposes, it's UCL.

I am a British student :tongue:

I've got an offer from Durham and that's where I really want to go, but I was just generally curious about UCL's reputation against Durham's :smile:

Reply 11

River85

Original post by cambio wechsel

I think this would be true if the OP were a British student intending a career in the UK. But that is not the case.

For her purposes, it's UCL.

Though UCL, being a larger university and located in a capital city, has a more recognisable brand name worldwide, I'm not sure if this translates into substantially better employment prospects worldwide. Durham may rank 70 - 100 in world rankings (or lower, in some) but can still rank in the top 20/25 in employer reviews. In this 2011 French review Durham is ranked equal to the entire University of London in terms of the number of current CEOs of major companies that they've produced. Conversely there are other rankings, such as the one published by the New York Times, which show more of a difference (over 100 places, I believe). Ultimately this all serves to demonstrate how useful league tables can be.

However, all the people I know from Durham, who wanted to move abroad (or back to their home country) for employment never struggled. Though it has helped that these have usually been upper middle class with sufficient connections.

Even in this hard economic climate it is ultimately the person that gets the job.

The biggest difference is in the surrounding environment (beautiful, though sometimes claustrophobic, small city or stimulating, though perhaps overpowering, global city) and any course differences.