Oxford Brookes vs. Anglia Ruskin Uni
What are the main differences between Oxford and Cambridge? I'm an international student starting this fall, and I've basically already decided going to Oxford Brookes.
But I would still be interested in why one of the universities is better than the other one. ARU is way further down on the Times League table than OB, that's what made my final decision. I've been to Cambridge, and it's such a lovely city, but I guess Oxford does compare.
Still, I've considered ARU for such a long time so I would definitely be interested in some opinions
But I would still be interested in why one of the universities is better than the other one. ARU is way further down on the Times League table than OB, that's what made my final decision. I've been to Cambridge, and it's such a lovely city, but I guess Oxford does compare.
Still, I've considered ARU for such a long time so I would definitely be interested in some opinions
You're right, there is a huge difference between these two uni's on the league tables. I haven't been to either of these uni's so unfortunatly I can't give specific advice except that the main reasons Oxford Brooks performs so well, which is because of its high entry requirements (average of 314 points in contrast to ARU's 254) their higher graduate employment rate (OB = 62%, ARU = 55%) and their low staff to student ratio. OB also have a better RAE (Research quality) score and overall higher student satisfaction.
There are more students from ARU than Brookes on TSR.
If you go back 30 years or more lots of upper and upper middle class girls used to do secretarial courses in Oxford. Although some did the same in Cambridge, Cambridge is a smaller town and was then less accessible to London. These were girls who would have a job until they married but who would never have a career and who would primarily be supported by mother and father until they married.
When secretarial courses went out of fashion in favour of degrees in the 1980s, this social set (including young men who were not academically strong enough to get into Oxford University but wanted to hang around their independent school chums and girls) started going to Oxford Polytechnic. Oxford Polytechnic was by far the most socially exclusive polytechnic. As it was fashionable, the grades required for entry were higher than for most Polys, which in turn made academic standards higher.
Cambridge didn't have a polytechnic until 1991; it had a College of Arts and Technology which was one step lower than a Polytechnic. It never attracted an elite social set. It simply provided vocational courses for locals. Indeed from 1989 it merged with a similar institution in the Chelmsford and was renamed Anglia Higher Education College.
In 1992 OxPoly became Oxford Brookes University and Anglia HE College became Anglia Polytechnic University and later Anglia Ruskin University.
Brookes had a head-start on ARU because it had the earlier and better Polyechnic. ARU has never quite made up the ground. Oxford is more of a city than Cambridge. There is little in Cambridge outside Cambridge University. ARU is still split between Cambridge, Chelmsford and now Peterborough. ARU has more vocational courses whilst Brookes has more general arts degrees, which is a legacy from OxPoly's popular courses in the 1980s. Brookes inherited a better campus than ARU. Although the elevated social class of Brookes students is far less noticeable than 20 years ago, it is still there to a slight extent. Brookes has 75% of students from state schools; ARU has 98%.
Generally speaking whilst Oxford and Cambridge are comparable universities, Brookes and ARU are not. For a degree in an arts subject, Brookes is significantly ahead of ARU. Having said that, both have subjects they specialise in, which either the other doesn't do or isn't known for.
If you go back 30 years or more lots of upper and upper middle class girls used to do secretarial courses in Oxford. Although some did the same in Cambridge, Cambridge is a smaller town and was then less accessible to London. These were girls who would have a job until they married but who would never have a career and who would primarily be supported by mother and father until they married.
When secretarial courses went out of fashion in favour of degrees in the 1980s, this social set (including young men who were not academically strong enough to get into Oxford University but wanted to hang around their independent school chums and girls) started going to Oxford Polytechnic. Oxford Polytechnic was by far the most socially exclusive polytechnic. As it was fashionable, the grades required for entry were higher than for most Polys, which in turn made academic standards higher.
Cambridge didn't have a polytechnic until 1991; it had a College of Arts and Technology which was one step lower than a Polytechnic. It never attracted an elite social set. It simply provided vocational courses for locals. Indeed from 1989 it merged with a similar institution in the Chelmsford and was renamed Anglia Higher Education College.
In 1992 OxPoly became Oxford Brookes University and Anglia HE College became Anglia Polytechnic University and later Anglia Ruskin University.
Brookes had a head-start on ARU because it had the earlier and better Polyechnic. ARU has never quite made up the ground. Oxford is more of a city than Cambridge. There is little in Cambridge outside Cambridge University. ARU is still split between Cambridge, Chelmsford and now Peterborough. ARU has more vocational courses whilst Brookes has more general arts degrees, which is a legacy from OxPoly's popular courses in the 1980s. Brookes inherited a better campus than ARU. Although the elevated social class of Brookes students is far less noticeable than 20 years ago, it is still there to a slight extent. Brookes has 75% of students from state schools; ARU has 98%.
Generally speaking whilst Oxford and Cambridge are comparable universities, Brookes and ARU are not. For a degree in an arts subject, Brookes is significantly ahead of ARU. Having said that, both have subjects they specialise in, which either the other doesn't do or isn't known for.
Original post by matsL
What are the main differences between Oxford and Cambridge? I'm an international student starting this fall, and I've basically already decided going to Oxford Brookes.
But I would still be interested in why one of the universities is better than the other one. ARU is way further down on the Times League table than OB, that's what made my final decision. I've been to Cambridge, and it's such a lovely city, but I guess Oxford does compare.
Still, I've considered ARU for such a long time so I would definitely be interested in some opinions
But I would still be interested in why one of the universities is better than the other one. ARU is way further down on the Times League table than OB, that's what made my final decision. I've been to Cambridge, and it's such a lovely city, but I guess Oxford does compare.
Still, I've considered ARU for such a long time so I would definitely be interested in some opinions
Original post by matsL
What are the main differences between Oxford and Cambridge? I'm an international student starting this fall, and I've basically already decided going to Oxford Brookes.
But I would still be interested in why one of the universities is better than the other one. ARU is way further down on the Times League table than OB, that's what made my final decision. I've been to Cambridge, and it's such a lovely city, but I guess Oxford does compare.
Still, I've considered ARU for such a long time so I would definitely be interested in some opinions
But I would still be interested in why one of the universities is better than the other one. ARU is way further down on the Times League table than OB, that's what made my final decision. I've been to Cambridge, and it's such a lovely city, but I guess Oxford does compare.
Still, I've considered ARU for such a long time so I would definitely be interested in some opinions
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/world-university-rankings-2024-methodology
Interestingly from an undergrad perspective this is a very poor way of judging a university. For example, there is a large weighting on Teacher reputation which is a completely different measure compared to Teacher effectiveness which surely would make more sense?
Similarly, there is a big weighting towards research and research based income which has little or no impact on under grad teaching and newer universities like the two you have mentioned will be well down the list because they focus more on teaching rather than research.
The biggest omission from these rankings which is actually the most important of all is employability which ironically for Oxford and Cambridge isn't as high as you might imagine but is sadly omitted from these rankings.
I would say that as an undergrad, looking at these rankings is a very poor way to choose a university.
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