De Montfort University

Leicester

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Does Leicester uni have a better reputation than...

uni's like Sheffield/Nottingham/Birmingham or even Manchester/Liverpool?

I mean this generally and more specifically for english and history.

I ask because according to many of this years tables (which I know can't be trusted but give a general guideline) Leicester is ranked higher than all of these universities whilst offers lower :confused:

And I have the opportunity to change from Leicester to another Uni but I'm not sure if its worth it. I have an offer from Exeter, which I would choose above Leicester because it has a better reputation so don't see the point in wasting a choice by keeping Leicester...

Reply 1

superkn

Leicester is a decent university, let's be fair and you won't waste a choice. Of course if you have higher grades to target at more reputable universities, go ahead. For the universities you quote, they , imo, enjoy slightly higher prestige than Leicester but I won't choose Liverpool and Birgmingham over Leicester. That is general impression only and you need to compare courses offered as well. Good luck!

De Montfort University

Leicester

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Reply 2

achard

sh@d0w

Not necessarily. I think they're about the same, while Sheffield Notts and Brum are marginally above them.

They're all good universities and in the end it matters very little which one you choose to go to reputation-wise, so it has to come down to which university/place you would rather spend time in.

Reply 3

Joluk

Similar reputation to Birmingham/Liverpool/Sheffield, Manchester and Nottingham are perhaps slightly more prestigious but if you ask that question in 5 years time you'll probably get a different answer.

Reply 4

fionaflowers

league tables aren't everything, you'll be spending 3/4 years of your life there, which is a long time.
Most important thing is if you like the place and know you will be happy there

Reply 5

inksplodge

For English in particular I don't think league tables are worth bothering with - you should pick based on the course you prefer.

Reply 6

superkn

fionaflowers

league tables aren't everything, you'll be spending 3/4 years of your life there, which is a long time.
Most important thing is if you like the place and know you will be happy there

That's true but league table can be a useful reference when making decision. Focus on the present since position can vary a great deal in a few years' time with the exception of the top 5 to 6 uni that haven't changed much for the past several years. It is difficult to know if you will be happy studying in a uni unless you have been there, go through the experience yourself. I am genuinely happy in Essex but some students there think otherwise. It is not a uni with high reputation and I won't recommend it to those "A" students seeking for top tier schools like the OP. Reputation does matter to the majority.

Reply 7

jpatel10

sh@d0w

Leicester is a brilliant university, and i myself have applied there. But what you have to remember is that the other 5 unis you asked about are all part of the Russell Group. And whilst that may not mean that they take up the top spots in the subject rankings, they receive the most funding for resarch and development programmes. The other point that has to be made is that employers will definately recognise the "red-brick" unis as being better whilst employing.

All-in-all leicester is great for studying and has a great social atmosphere but i would have to say that you would be much better off at the other 5 you mentionned in terms of graduate employment opportunities.

Reply 8

.ACS.

Ignore league tables. They're pointless. Visit each university, have a feel for the campus, what's available to you as a student (the facilities), think about the atmosphere, what the other students are like, and also look into the actual course content, and decide based on that, and that alone.

The only good aspect about league tables is the entry standards column because it tells you generally how studious students were at A-Level (and the trend usually continues while at university).

Reply 9

BeanzMeanzHeinzWard

I wouldn't choose Liverpool, Manchester, or B'Ham for history over Leicester. Sheffield and Nottingham I would put on a par with Leicester. I have no idea why anyone would say Manchester was more prestigious than Leicester overall.

Sheff and Notts you can argue that they are, but that's mostly based on the past not the present.

But, I'd suggest you visit every single one of your choices and make your decision after that. You'll probably have a look at a Uni and think 'No, I dont care what the reputation is I don't like it here - i'm not coming' - and somewhere else that you were less interested in going to really gives you a good feel. It's a huge mistake just to fall in love with league tables and then just rock up somewhere in September and find you hate it.

I took the 3rd 'most prestigious' offer based on percieved wisdom, and have never looked back, when the reality that you're ging to be somewhere for three years hits you, and you like somewhere you visitedand hated some ther Uni, the league tables simply don't matter anymore.

Reply 10

Picnic1

As you will see from my previous posts I acknowledge that with some of the 'general public', some the older redbricks may be regarded as slightly more well known than Leicester as a university name but, apart from the respective age of the universities, maybe that's partly because they've more frequently visited, say, Manchester, or heard about things over the years there such as the music scene, than they have Leicester. Leicester is younger than most redbricks and more like a campus university in some ways, but in the middle of a city conurbation rather than on its outskirts, and in which the accommodation is elsewhere.

Personally, I never considered any of those universities you mentioned apart from Leicester. As an architecture fan, I think that it is partly the mix of a very traditional feel (e.g. the older buildings and the halls) and the modern architecture (60s onwards) at the Leicester campus that appealed to me. It seemed to suggest a thinking out of the box approach at Leicester - traditional but also modern and never twee. I liked the compact campus and the halls of residence equally well.

Reply 11

Syzygy7

You definitely want the place you feel you are most comfortable with. If you come out of Leicester with a 1st class degree that will look a lot better than a 2:1 from a slightly "better" Uni.

Reply 12

Picnic1

None of those universities are ranked as better than Leicester overall as a university (using the Guardian and Times guides).

The Times ranks Leicester above them all for English.

On The Guardian for English and for History it's a different story.

Reply 13

.ACS.

Picnic1

Ignore newspaper league tables. They're meaningless.

Reply 14

Natasharox

League tables aren't important - just look at my sig! Anyway, I absolutely LOVE Leicester Uni, and I say that with some level of comparison. I know this sounds really cliched, but it has a community type feel, and there's always ways for students to get involved. It doesn't just rest on its reputation - it's constantly trying to improve itself.

Reply 15

Stressworthy

They're all pretty similar really - at least, there's not enough in it to pick one over the other based on reputation alone. I'd say all the unis you've listed along with Leicester are the universities that are known for having a good reputation and being good academically, but also great in terms of student life and extra activities such as societies etc. as well :smile:

Reply 16

Theo Townsend

Ignore league tables.

If you're worried about prestige then look up The Russel Group and The 1994 Group; Leicester is in the latter and all you need to know apart from that is it's chartered so a good uni.

Apart from that, massive rates of student satisfaction. For English? Just check out the course, it varies so much from place to place...Manchester, for example, if you go by league tables, is 45th but wants AAA.

Reply 17

Barton1

Why pick a uni based on reputation, wouldnt it make more sense to pick a uni on what you like most about it.

Reply 18

carolinedudman

Leicester was awarded with the Times Higher Education Intitute of the year, plus it's like 12th in the country. The Students Union has also been ranked best s.u in the country more than once and they are spending so much money on it that it will be amazing next year.

I am in my 3rd year here and think its a great uni. There is far more going on than my friends unis (Birmingham, Durham, Kings etc.) Other things to think about are: it is a cheap place to live and go out in, the library has had a brand new redevelopment and is amazing, there are so many good associations and societies, the careers service is well above any other.

I really think that Leicester is on the up and its already 12th!