Nottingham or York, Psychology, Postgraduate

I am an international student starting an MSc this year and can't really decide... I've got offers from both. And also Manchester but since it's not as highly ranked in Psychology as the other two I am not taking it into account.
Could anyone advise me which one should I choose?

York is a bit higher according to the RAE as well as the Times and Guardian Psychology rankings but on the other hand York is in the third hundred(!) in the ARWU world ranking while Nottingham being in the world top 80.

However, the York's Psychology dep. is a 5* and Notts 5. Is it a really big difference since the rankings change over years?

What also matters to me is the fact that at Nottingham I would have guaranteed accommodation on campus. I don't really wish to share a bathroom with 8 complete strangers in private sector while studying at York (en suite is rather hard to get there).

Reply 1

Ebenia

Ensuite is NOT hard to get in York. Almost every accommodation has a large section of ensuites and actually I think that there are more ensuites than other accommodation in York. And as I have understood, every international student is quaranteed a place at the campus accommodation...if I am not wrong...?

York is great for psychology, but as a city is different from Nottingham. Nottingham is more like a city, while York has more like a town-like feeling to it. Nottingham is good for psychology too.

York is top 100 university in the world, so they don't really have a big difference in that sense. :smile:

Reply 2

pikpok

Thanks. Maybe I put it wrong since "international" in the UK is reserved for students outside the EU and I am an EU postgraduate student. York gives their guarantee only to the international international students.
Maybe you're right - I thought that if there are 40 000 people studying in York (both York and St Johns) - that is really much for such a small city or a town like you said. Whenever I tried to search the net for student accommodation in York - there appeared such options as 7-, 8-, 9-room houses with one or two bathrooms.
Can you tell me some more about the Psychology studies at York? What is the atmosphere like, are the tutors helpful?