All universities below the top 40 should be shut

Just because somebody earns a degree from a less reputable institution it doesn't mean that what they've learnt is of no value, just that it's less impressive than that from a more reputable one. By closing all unis except the top 40 you'll be stranding everybody with less than roughly ABB at A-level with no option to gain any higher qualification than that, and no opportunity to do any specialised course. Plus, it'd be disastrous for the graduate jobs market, and massively increase unemployment. Yes, university costs a lot for the country to run but it's a lot cheaper than having a shortage of graduates and loads of extra unemployed/underemployed people sitting around.

Pretty sound argument, you'd be a real electorate pleaser if you ever get in to politics my friend

Going by the Guardian's league table this would result in closing down both universities in Northern Ireland, meaning those who don't want to/can't afford to travel across to England/Wales/Scotland cannot access higher education.

Where would Northern Ireland get Doctors, Nurses, Lawyers, Engineers, any graduates for that matter?

Just because somebody earns a degree from a less reputable institution it doesn't mean that what they've learnt is of no value, just that it's less impressive than that from a more reputable one. By closing all unis except the top 40 you'll be stranding everybody with less than roughly ABB at A-level with no option to gain any higher qualification than that, and no opportunity to do any specialised course. Plus, it'd be disastrous for the graduate jobs market, and massively increase unemployment. Yes, university costs a lot for the country to run but it's a lot cheaper than having a shortage of graduates and loads of extra unemployed/underemployed people sitting around.

League tables. They're usually very accurate and respected by top employers.

Whilst I don't entirely agree with the OP's proposal I would contend with your argument here on the grounds that the 'graduate jobs market' in the UK is currently pretty saturated and an overabundance of graduates is actually exacerbating unemployment as they are 'too highly qualified' in the eyes of many employers to take more menial jobs and generally outcompete school leavers for jobs which should not require university level education.

Furthermore the emphasis on receiving a university level education has exacerbated the bias in favour of the services vs industry in the UK which is certainly not helping our economy (look at Germany for a comparison).

Edit: I would also contest that higher education is a privilege, not a right and that your argument concerning stranding everyone that achieved 'less than ABB' is flawed. It is utterly unfeasible to assume that we can send everyone to university and constantly telling children that they 'need to go to university' creates stress and damages self esteem in individuals that are not suited to academia or the professions but may have talents which could be utilized elsewhere. ABB or certainly BBB is not an impossibly high bar to set for A level results and considering how much it costs the taxpayer (many of whom will not benefit themselves from the education which they are funding) to send someone to university I don't think it is unreasonable to suggest that you should have to prove that you have the ability to justify that investment.

You have things the wrong way round. The destruction of Britain's mixed economy in the 1980s, which should include heavy industry that employs lots of people not just specialist manufacturers, led to the imbalance in the service economy. The abundance of graduates is simply a symptom that has been a long time coming (i.e. increasing youth unemployment). It is not the problem itself.

Granted it is a symptom of an unbalanced economy but encouraging the trend only serves to exacerbate the problem. Promoting alternatives to university education/reducing the number of graduates competing for professional/academic careers is surely a prerequisite for any serious restructuring of the economy?

Edit: I never suggested that the increase in graduates resulted in the imbalance seen in our economy - my argument was that an excess of graduates seeking 'graduate-careers' is not helping us as a nation to rectify the problem.

The number of graduate careers is relative to the number of graduates. This is where grade inflation comes in. Proper graduate careers are largely unaffected, perhaps becoming even more competitive (e.g. engineering, law, medicine etc.). The remaining employers are simply adapting to the changing labour market, increasing demands exponentially out of sight of what the job actually requires (i.e. not a degree).

Of course promoting alternatives to university is the solution. But the Conservatives caused the problem in the first place so they are the least equipped of anyone to try and solve the mess. In fact, given their record of outsourcing government contracts to non-British companies, I honestly think they could not give a ****.

We definitely agree with one another. The point I am making is that the students themselves are not the problem; we should not be saying they cannot go to university, simply do not expect a graduate job at the end of it. (I cannot think of a better way to spend three years than studying a subject I love, for what it is worth!). Realistically if it is a choice between unemployment and university, and for many - especially based on their geographical location - it will be, then most will choose the latter, and I do not blame them.

Yet people do this, because they get A's and into "top" University's. I don't want to go to University for fun, I genuinely want to learn more, but because I'm not as intelligent as other people who want to have fun I would be prevented if something such as this went ahead.

Bottom line is: degrees from RG are better and degrees from ex-polys/non-top universities are worth less. If people stopped gaining degrees from non-top universities and kept degrees for the cream of the crop students they would be more valued? Less unemployment for graduates?

People should be allowed to chose how they spend their time and money so long as it causes no harm to anybody else.

If only the top 40 best universities remained open that means only the most academically able applicants would ever get a place and the cost to the tax payer would be far less to run the universities.

Also, with far less universities, the UK might be able to reinstate free tuition.

QUB is top 40 though? Right? I did my work experience there

Many people on this website need to wake the **** up. University rankings don't mean nearly as much as you think they do CAPICHE?

erm no...Since the vast majority of the population would go to a lower ranked university than the top 40, therefore he would anger the electorate because then most of them and their children wouldn't be able to go to university.

Also, the big flaw in the OP's argument is, what defines a Top 40 university? Or a Top 50,60, etc? It is pretty subjective.

Obviously Imperial is better than London Met, but once you get to differences of 5 in places being the difference being shutting a university and keeping it open, it is pretty arbitrary and subjective.

It would be better to shut down all these arts and humanities courses