Is leicester a good uni?

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Reply 20

Picnicl

The University of Leicester is currently ranked 38th on The Complete University Guide. This doesn't give a full picture. For research quality, Leicester is ranked 27th. This is the place where DNA Fingerprinting was developed, where the National Space Centre was formulated, where Stirling and Gowan's architecturally famous Engineering Building is, and where researchers worked on successfully finding the remains of Richard III in a Leicester car park! Most universities would struggle to have even one such similar claim to fame. For academic services spend, the university is a very good 20th - the library is brilliant. As a fan of architecture, what most stands out to me is the striking campus, a beautiful juxtaposition of late Victorian, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s/90s architecture. As well as the beautiful Oadby Student Village with its converted old houses and 'proper' college-like halls of residences.

Arguably more important than research quality (because that's partly opinion and anywhere can get a few good researchers in and have no other researchers, improving their research quality score) is research intensity, the actual percentage of staff conducting high quality research. Leicester is ranked joint 37th, equal with Birmingham and Reading, and above Liverpool, Cardiff, Warwick, and Glasgow.

What probably pulls down Leicester (and Reading) in league tables are that some of their courses are easier to get on than even overall lower ranked universities. Leicester used to have its degrees awarded by the University of London yet some ex-polytechnics have students with higher average grades. Maybe I just don't know enough about the merits of some of those ex polytechnics these days but the University of Leicester is brilliant. It's like the best of three worlds -a campus university, a traditional/redbrick university and, in the halls of residences, a collegiate feel.