Most overrated and underrated universities in Britain?

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I think a lot of the red brick/city universities (Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, Glasgow etc.) are underrated by the public in general who tend to just put Universities into three categories: Top, Ex-poly and everything else. Although that's probably fair enough really I dislike the fact a lot of people won't realise those city unis pretty much require AAB/AAA!

However University in general is massively overrated. Okay so if you go to Oxbridge you have worked a lot harder than me (I only have to a 1,200 word essay every two weeks!) but beyond that pretty much all students are on a similar level but these stupid ranking tables distort everything horribly. When I was applying it was like OH NO I can't apply there it's 2 places lower! But ultimately I would be getting the same information and doing a similar level of work. It's far more about the student, it's just a shame reputation is more important than that.

Reply 181

agolati

Overrated:
UCL
Warwick
DEFINITELY these two, it almost makes me puke.

Underrated:
Liverpool
Surrey
UEA
Manchester

Reply 182

Miss_Scarlett

Call me biased, but I genuinely think Leicester is underrated....

Reply 183

Gwalchgwyn

Underrated- Glamorgan

LOL jk its crap here.

Overrated: Warwick

Over- Exeter, under- Edinburgh

Reply 186

lightningfist

Can anyone tell me why everyone is commenting that Warwick is overrated?

I have unconditional offers from LSE, Warwick, and UCL, and I'm trying to pick between LSE and Warwick.

Comments will be much appreciated, thanks.

Reply 187

BigV

Original post by Lilyful

It's not actually in Cov, it's in the rural bit between Cov and Leam, although it is nearer to Cov therefore people tend to assume it is...when it's really not.

I live in Coventry and I know exactly where Warwick Uni is thanks.

It is far closer to Coventry than anywhere else and many of the students choose to live in the Earlsdon or Canley areas of Coventry rather than go the extra distance to Leamington. The University address is listed as University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK on its own website.... Coventry postcode too! It is a 15 to 20 min cycle into the city vs a 25 to 30min bus to Leam.

For an undergrad with no car it is kind of in the middle of nowhere and there isn't a whole lot going on.

I'm not knocking Warwick as an educational institution - I just think as a whole it is a bit over rated. Many other universities provide just as good an education but don't get any of the hype Warwick receives.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 188

lamiaelayouby

how about lancaster.- particularlly the management school.. is it over-or under-rated?

Reply 189

Joinedup

Original post by lightningfist

Perhaps there's a feeling that it gets bigged up a little too frequently on TSR.

IMO There's a reasonable chance that your job application will be dealt with by someone who was making their own uni-choices back when Warwick was widely considered just another 1960's eyesore so it's apparent stellar prestige level might not convert as well into the job market on the whole as a redbrick.

I wouldn't worry about it too much though.

Reply 190

Pharm Boy

Original post by INeedToLoseWeight

Up here in Scotland, I would say Robert Gordon's in Aberdeen is very over rated. For some reason, people seem to think it is a brilliant university, because there is a private school of the same name.

Glasgow is under rated IMO. Many people think "Glasgow" and think tinky, poor, etc...

People in Scotland are quite narrow minded...

That's utter tripe. The fact that RGU's so close to a highschool would put a lot of people off. And the fact if you say to someone 'I go to Robert Gordon' they may mistaken you as a highschool student.
RGU ^is underrated if anything. You felt the need to specify where it ^is.... Need I say more?

And only snobby people look at Glasgow as tinky..

I guess you're one of those narrow-minded scots? :wink:

Reply 191

emiliee21

Original post by aziz

Warwick IS in warwickshire. Coventry is a ****hole, but you can go to leamington instead, it's nice enough. The SU is pretty good, some of the nights are a bit iffy but with some luck you can have a good night :smile:

. And NOTHING beats seeing the bad-ass ducks strolling around the piazza. The uni is a bit far from towns, but it's a great location, dead nice.

I'm genuinely intrigued about why so many students are bashing warwick. Not going to lie, I'm a first year undergrad there, and I love it. Sure, we're probably not as intense as oxbridge, but still fairly rigorous academically. Most departments have good reputations ( apart from History of Art which does seem to be a piss-take).

Mind you, no point in dissing because you're jealous that it's got a better ranking than the uni you're going to. I'm just sayin'.

Its not in Warwickshire, its close but not actually in it. Its in an area of Coventry called Canley. And Coventry is part of the West Midlands.
Also Leam isn't all that nice when you get out of the centre, it gets very very rough. I have relatives who live in those areas and I feel alot safer walking round Cov than there.

Im not bashing Warwick, I've been there many times to use their Library and had guest speakers come to my school to talk and from what I can gather it has a very good standard of teaching and the facilities are great. I wouldn't say it was overrated at all.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 192

emiliee21

Original post by Lilyful

It's not actually in Cov, it's in the rural bit between Cov and Leam, although it is nearer to Cov therefore people tend to assume it is...when it's really not.

Its not really a rural area, its surrounded by housing all part of the Coventry city district of Canley, yes it is in the suburbs but it is still part of Coventry. People who go there are usually too ashamed to admit its in Cov so they all say its just outside of it/ in Warwickshire, but if you drive around the area (or in my case live there) your'll see it is very clearly part of the city.

Reply 193

nulli tertius

Original post by emiliee21

I think you will find that many people ignore the local government reforms of the 1960s and 70s.

Uxbridge is in Middlesex, Huntingdon is in Huntingdonshire, Manchester is in Lancashire and Coventry is in Warwickshire.

Reply 194

emiliee21

By the way I'm really confused as to why people think what a univeristy looks like affects if it is overrated or underrated
I didn't know appearance affect facilities, teaching standards etc...

Reply 195

nulli tertius

Original post by emiliee21

By the way I'm really confused as to why people think what a univeristy looks like affects if it is overrated or underrated
I didn't know appearance affect facilities, teaching standards etc...

That is why they are called Ivy League, redbrick and plate glass!

Reply 196

emiliee21

Original post by thisismycatch22

well, i was rejected from oxford, and warwick gave me an offer low enough for me to put it as insurance and reject it myself in favour of another uni that was better, so you tell me which was more selective for my subject. (hint if you have trouble: not warwick). let me guess; you are going to/have done maths or economics? not every subject is as well regarded there.

who am i? why does it matter? i have as much right to express an opinion as the people saying warwick's amazing and better than anywhere else. unless they are some kind of eternal student with degrees from all those places, they're basing their opinion on exactly the same things i am. i'm not saying it's bad, it's clearly very good. but it's not head and shoulders over the others i mentioned, like some people claim, hence it's overrated. deal with it

and as i and others have said, coventry's a ****ing awful place to spend the best years of your life

Coventry isn't that bad, you've just got to know where to go and where to avoid, like every city. Unfortunately getting to Warwick you usually have to drive through the bad areas which doesnt paint a great image of the city.