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what is the top 5 unis for physics?!

idk which to apply for, i dont really trust the rankings on the web because they all have different opinions, so can anyone tell me which are the best, and what undergraduates actually have said about them? thank you! :biggrin:

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Reply 1

username668916

These sort of threads alllways cause massive debates so I'll try and keep it objective.

As a general guide, most people put oxford, cambridge and Imperial in as the top 3. Other common "top 5" consist of Durham, Manchester, UCL and a few more.

I go Durham and love it. I've had varying opinions about others- the main "horror" stories being from cambridge and Imperial really, but with some people loving them.

Original post by swagadon

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Reply 2

FaraDai

Original post by bistonut

I've had varying opinions about others- the main "horror" stories being from cambridge and Imperial really,

What kind of horror stories if I may ask?

Reply 3

miser

I've heard good things about Nottingham for physics.

Reply 4

turboweevil

Original post by bistonut

As a general guide, most people put oxford, cambridge and Imperial in as the top 3. Other common "top 5" consist of Durham, Manchester, UCL and a few more.

I go Durham and love it. I've had varying opinions about others- the main "horror" stories being from cambridge and Imperial really, but with some people loving them.

This may be true as a guide for the university in general but if you look at the league tables for physics specifically only 3 of the 6 you've mentioned are in the top 10.

Lancaster, Birmingham and Liverpool all have abnormally good physics departments for the calibre of university. I have friends who went to UCL and Imperial for physics and now that we're in our second year the other two are starting to wish they'd have come here instead despite the grandur of the other insitutions :tongue:

I've heard good things about Nottingham for physics.

Also Nottingham, forgot that one.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

swagadon

Original post by turboweevil

Also Nottingham, forgot that one.

what uni did you go to?

Reply 6

.raiden.

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?s=Physics%20%26%20Astronomy

This might give you an idea of the top unis for physics

Reply 7

swagadon

Original post by raiden95

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?s=Physics%20%26%20Astronomy

This might give you an idea of the top unis for physics

yeah ive had a look at that, but i dont really trust those because every different site has different rankings

Reply 8

.raiden.

Original post by swagadon

yeah ive had a look at that, but i dont really trust those because every different site has different rankings

http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/
Have you tried this?

Reply 9

Venomilys

Imp, cam, ox. Outside of that it's subjective.

Id guess durham, lancaster, notts, warwick etc are all good ones.

Reply 10

LutherVan

I would go, based on reputation: Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial.

To make it 5, I might choose Manchester and Warwick.

Reply 11

tory88

Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial are definitely there, but it's a greyer area after that. For astrophysics, Durham is great but it's mathematics department isn't that good (so theoretical can suffer) but I'd probably put them up there. UCL don't do it for me, I don't particularly feel their course is far reaching enough to put them in the top 5. I'd like to place Warwick in there as that's where I study, and I can't come up with a better course aside from the four I've mentioned. But that;s far from a certain opinion.

Reply 12

Star-girl

Original post by Galileo Galilei

1st LSE, UCL and Nottingham are good and employers look at the degree classification i.e a 2.1 from Oxford and 1st from UCL are similar!

For Physics? I think not. :erm:

Spoiler

Reply 13

dbkey

[INDENT]Funny how Oxbridge springs to mind whenever there are such questions.

Cambridge does not do Physics, Oxford does not do Economics, neither do Mech Eng, Chem Eng, etc. [/INDENT]

Reply 14

dbkey

Original post by swagadon

yeah ive had a look at that, but i dont really trust those because every different site has different rankings

Original post by raiden95

http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/
Have you tried this?

You definately should NOT trust anything with .gov!

Reply 15

.raiden.

Original post by dbkey

[INDENT]Funny how Oxbridge springs to mind whenever there are such questions.

Cambridge does not do Physics, Oxford does not do Economics, neither do Mech Eng, Chem Eng, etc. [/INDENT]

http://www.ceb.cam.ac.uk/index.php

http://www.economics.ox.ac.uk/

Are you lost?

Reply 16

shannahb

Original post by dbkey

You definately should NOT trust anything with .gov!

actually, I quite like unistats.direct.gov.uk they give you student feedback and other useful info! although i do agree, most sites that rank universities are ridiculously subjective with the obvious top 2 unis for everything being Oxbridge.

Reply 17

username457532

I may sound biased as I study there but Sussex is amazing for physics and I don't know anyone who wishes they were anywhere else...

Reply 18

enragedbiscuit

Manchester, Birmingham, Lancaster, Nottingham as well as the London ones - UCL, Imperial and maybe KCL are usually seen as very good departments.

Of course Oxbridge/Durham are always worth a look.

I'm going to Warwick for Physics and their department is awesome :biggrin:

I visited York and they have a very nice physics department too :smile:

Reply 19

username457532

Original post by enragedbiscuit

I visited York and they have a very nice physics department too :smile:

I wasn't impressed with York. My interview was all: 'what's your name?' 'what A Levels are you doing?' 'which of our physics degrees have you applied for?' YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT INFORMATION YOU COCK...