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The bumper thread of University League Tables discussion - includes an info post

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Well I wouldn't say it's prestigious in the public view, it's a uni which keeps itself under the radar but consistently has performed well for decades now in tables (international and domestic), it's part of the RG which is a very highly respected group (maybe too highly) and as said some of it's departments are of a very high international standard. I think I read ~52% of people there get (or over) AAB at A-Level, even though it has a massive nursing school too.

I may be biased going there, but those are the true academic reasons I chose it. Plus it's a nice student city with (imo) something for everyone.

Thank you for your help. Because of its membership in the Russell Group does that make Southampton more favourable to employers?

Reply 2101

nulli tertius

Original post by Lewis :D

Thank you for your help. Because of its membership in the Russell Group does that make Southampton more favourable to employers?

Not in the case of employers in the specialist fields of its degrees. They will know its strengths. Perhaps more so with those who otherwise would not be aware of it. Southampton has, by far, the lowest profile of any of the Russell Group.

Reply 2102

fnm

Original post by nulli tertius

What do you mean by lower profile?
Liverpool, Cardiff, Queens, Newcastle, Leeds have never performed as well as Soton generally in tables, in and in recent times Soton has performed above B'ham, KCL, Manchester, Notts and Sheffield.

Reply 2103

nulli tertius

Original post by fnm

What do you mean by lower profile?

What I mean is, grab a reasonably educated person and ask them to name the Russell Group and whatever prompting and hints you give, I would lay a pound to a penny that Southampton would be number 22.

Reply 2104

Quady

Original post by nulli tertius

What I mean is, grab a reasonably educated person and ask them to name the Russell Group and whatever prompting and hints you give, I would lay a pound to a penny that Southampton would be number 22.

You think more lay people know Queens?

Also be surprised if Sheffield, Liverpool, KCL and Southampton has any actual variation.

Reply 2105

nulli tertius

Original post by Quady

You think more lay people know Queens?

This is entirely subjective but I think people looking for another one would get to Queen's first.

Also be surprised if Sheffield, Liverpool, KCL and Southampton has any actual variation.

People know the redbricks and the two founding colleges of London.

Personally I would say that the four least known pre-1992 universities are Southampton, Reading, Swansea and Stirling

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2106

Crawfords

Would you say that Newcastle is a respected Uni?

Reply 2107

fnm

Original post by nulli tertius

What I mean is, grab a reasonably educated person and ask them to name the Russell Group and whatever prompting and hints you give, I would lay a pound to a penny that Southampton would be number 22.

Lol, really? Why would you think that? I know several reasonably educated people who didn't go to uni who didn't even know what LSE/UCL/KCL even meant when I asked them.

Oh and there's only 20 members :wink:

Reply 2108

nulli tertius

Original post by fnm

Sorry about the number. I did that from memory.

I am not sure that KCL has been in widespread use that long. Traditionally it would be called "King's"

Why do I think it? It is no more than an impression.

Unless the people you know who do not what LSE means, do know about the University of Southampton (and people who live in Eastleigh or who know people who attend Southampton really don't count), then it isn't much of a contribution to the debate. The people I means are people who do know that there is a Russell Group and know a fair few of its members. Which of the members are they least likely to remember?

The problem with offering any opinion, is that it is a bit like offering an opinion (any opinion-quality of loos, size of its car park) on a football club. The club's fan take the position that they must back "their" club come what may.

Reply 2109

River85

Original post by nulli tertius

Yet interestingly I have never seen it mentioned as one of the "weakest"

I do agree with you to some extent. If doing a public survey ("name the Russell Group universities") I would think that, after the London three, people will then name large former industrial cities in which the north will dominate (Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool). Southampton gets ignore. All tucked away down there.

I don't understand the people who claim that university x, y or z is the "weakest" in the Russell Group and Southampton gets completely ignored even though it has a lower public profile and smaller research income than the universities usually named as weakest.

Original post by fnm

Perhaps but not significantly so. Besides, how many members of the public (including those who are university educated) are aware of university league tables and the positions of universities year-on-year? Not many. They are more likely to recognise universities featuring heavily in the news and media and, in this respect, Southampton is below most, if not all, of those five[I(whether that's due to pop culture, research income and breakthroughts including Nobel Prizes) and in my experience (the only question mark is over Queen's Belfast).

This doesn't mean that Southampton is weaker or "less respected" than those five as I don't believe it is weaker or stronger.

Original post by Crawfords

Would you say that Newcastle is a respected Uni?

Short answer, yes.

Reply 2110

Quady

Original post by nulli tertius

Traditionally it would be called "King's"

That'd be 'King's College' imho

Reply 2111

Quady

Original post by nulli tertius

This is entirely subjective but I think people looking for another one would get to Queen's first.

People know the redbricks and the two founding colleges of London.

Personally I would say that the four least known pre-1992 universities are Southampton, Reading, Swansea and Stirling

Meh, just don't think many people know unis off the mainland.

Sussex, Hull and Aberystwyth are more forgettable than Reading/Swansea but meh.

Reply 2112

nulli tertius

Original post by Quady

Sussex, Hull and Aberystwyth are more forgettable than Reading/Swansea but meh.

Sussex was the trendy lefty university in the 1970s. There is a joke to that effect in Yes Minister.

As well as the Blackadder joke, Hull was famous for its grumpy librarian Philip Larkin.

Aber attracted enormous publicity when Prince Charles was a student there.

Reply 2113

Hackett

Durham or Manchester?

Reply 2114

LutherVan

Original post by River85

I do agree with you to some extent. If doing a public survey ("name the Russell Group universities") I would think that, after the London three,

I think you would be surprised the average Joe knows KCL more than Imperial or UCL.

The name is more catchy. Only LSE would be more recognisable because of its prestigious history.

Reply 2115

Slumpy

Original post by LutherVan

I think you would be surprised the average Joe knows KCL more than Imperial or UCL.

The name is more catchy. Only LSE would be more recognisable because of its prestigious history.

I don't think I'd really heard of KCL until I went to uni, and only really knew of IC, and basically also knew of UCL and LSE when I was applying to uni. In fairness, I live in Scotland, but I think this may be closer to what people know.

Reply 2116

kka25

Original post by LutherVan

I think you would be surprised the average Joe knows KCL more than Imperial or UCL.

The name is more catchy. Only LSE would be more recognisable because of its prestigious history.

Because lots of Bakeries have 'King's' as their name. :smile:

E.g. King's Bakery.

So the public might think that the bakery belongs the King's College. lol.

Reply 2117

LutherVan

Original post by kka25

Because lots of Bakeries have 'King's' as their name. :smile:

E.g. King's Bakery.

So the public might think that the bakery belongs the King's College. lol.

Reply 2118

darkbluens

Can you please post the list for MSc Computer Science and MSc Finance (pre-experience)?

I have looked to the previous pages, but I need not just top 10, more like top 50 or so :smile:

If you have this kind of list, I will appreciate :smile:

Thanks in advance

Reply 2119

River85

Original post by LutherVan

I think you would be surprised the average Joe knows KCL more than Imperial or UCL.

The name is more catchy. Only LSE would be more recognisable because of its prestigious history.

Not especially. I find that LSE isn't particularly well known in many regions of the country, which is why they pimp their name whenever an academic is being interviewed on the TV (with huge LSE branded boards).

I meant London four anyway. Still think of LSE as being in the 1994 Group :p:

(not really).

Original post by darkbluens

Can you please post the list for MSc Computer Science and MSc Finance (pre-experience)?

I have looked to the previous pages, but I need not just top 10, more like top 50 or so :smile:

If you have this kind of list, I will appreciate :smile:

Thanks in advance

Well, there are a number of different league tables and they can vary quite significantly from one to the next. So you won't find a definitive top 10.

Also, there aren't really league tables for postgraduate programmes, if these are postgrad programmes you're referring to. They are called "subject tables" so, in name, aren't specific to undergrad or postgrad. However the criteria are geared toward undergraduate study to a large extent.

Sunday Times and Times are subscription only but you should be able to find the Guardian and Independent (Complete) through Googling Guardian Good University Gudie and Complete University Guide. But I must stress that they are of limited use, particularly if you are applying for postgrad programmes.