The Top 10 UK Universities

Nottingham averages 440 points over 24,000 students, the majority of them getting jobs 6 months in. That is more impressive. Get me wrong or not, St Andrews will never be a top 10 unless it offers more subjects and boosts it's research power for RG membership.

Edinburgh boasts an even larger undergrad student body (~300 more) yet has a higher average number of points so that isn't an excuse.

Even if St Andrews wasn't considered to be within the top 10 - Nottingham certainly wouldn't replace it. Considering that St Andrews offers 960 courses compared to Nottingham's 360, I would disagree with that point. Being part of the RG isn't the be all, end all as I have said before. In the recent REF 2014 (research assessment of universities) - St Andrews had a higher percentage of research ranked 4*/3* than Nottingham (82.2% compared to 80.2%).

Nottingham makes a good case to be a top 10 due to the large graduate employer targeting on campus, plus the popularity the university has with the best private schools. For overall reputation it is still a notch below Bristol and Warwick, but many students still choose it for the graduate prospects and stunning campus.

Nottingham is able to attract graduate employers because of it's large student body. It's all down to economies of scale and its location.

If you're going to use the argument that attracting a large number of private school kids makes your university good (which I disagree with), I can again counter your argument. St Andrews has the 5th highest intake of private school pupils in the country, Nottingham doesn't even make the top 10.

I would not bracket Nottingham with Bristol and Warwick. Maybe in the past, but certainly not now. IMO it's in the same bracket as Newcastle and Leeds.

I think that it's better to go to a lower ranked University, as you will be able to cope with the work load better and have a better social life. The experience is just as important as the degree in itself. So, if you go to University, come out with a First, and have learnt nothing in terms of social skills, life skills, etc. then it's just a wasted experience.

University rankings don't mean anything anyways. I'm at a top 10 college, but hoping to work as a Software Developer, which doesn't require any degree whatsoever. Also, my current degree is completely unrelated to my current (future) career profession.

I think you have been tricked by the UK newspaper rankings. The only official rankings are done by QS, and Nottingham is at 77th in the World and 14th in the UK. Visit the University and you will never place it in the lowly company of Leeds and Newcastle again. Sevenoaks is one of the top 10 private schools in the UK, and received the best results last year for IB/A level grades. They have Nottingham down as a top 10 most applied to. St Andrews was not on the list.

I have been looking up data to back up my points, however you have not. St Andrews outperforms Nottingham in terms of the academic ability of its students, graduate prospects and prestige. Maybe if Nottingham were more selective with their student intake then it would be considered a Top 10.

I like how you deem the only league table which ranks Nottingham to be higher (by 11 places) than St Andrews to be relevant. Are you going to ignore the Times Higher Education Ranking which ranks St Andrews 60 places above Nottingham? Or the Guardian, Sunday Times and CUG which all rank it 19 places above Nottingham?

I think your point about Sevenoaks, even if they have the best results for IB/A Level, is completely irrelevant considering that Nottingham has an average of 82 UCAS points less than St Andrews.

As I said, the UK newspaper rankings are UNOFFICIAL. That means they get ignored by the UK government and top UK universities at the business end of their performance assessments and standings. You might like them, but you know what, you don't mean a thing compared to the circles that do matter when it comes to rankings.

If Sevenoaks likes Nottingham, that shows the reputation Nottingham has with a prestigious private school.

You are kidding yourself if you think that universities don't care about rankings. They realise that potential students look them up and are always keen to boast how well they have done on their prospectuses/online press releases.

And somehow you think your opinion is superior to mine?

I have never even heard of Sevenoaks until now, talk to me when you have data from Eton or Harrow. North of the border, Nottingham does not command any admiration.

Nottingham was number 1 for being most targeted by the top 100 graduate employers 2013/14. And Sevenoaks got the best results for IB/A levels last year (at a cost of 30k a year fees).

The only real academic powerhouse from Scotland is Edinburgh, followed by Glasgow. St Andrews is like a large exclusive private school that is famous for attracting rich kids from privileged backgrounds and little else. Superficial prestige created by Royalty.

As I said, I believe that it can be attributed to its large student body. Economies of Scales in action.

I would agree with you except for the fact that it has the 6th highest average UCAS points of all UK universities so for you to say it has "little else" makes no sense. I like how you're attempting to put down St Andrews for its ability to attract wealthy private school students yet you brag about the tuition fee cost at Sevenoaks.

St Andrews is the oldest university of the 4 Scottish Ancients, that fact alone contributes to its prestige. The attendance of royalty has only added to that prestige. Edinburgh University is above St Andrews in my ranking if that pleases you in any way. It's a shame that you feel the need to belittle St Andrews in order to raise Nottingham's profile.

Nottingham is a good university (as I have said before) but it does not belong within the Top 10. It belongs in the 15-20 bracket of UK universities along with Newcastle, Leeds, Aberdeen and Birmingham.

Only your little bracket chooses to ignore the fact that Nottingham is on the list of premier universities which Oxford regards as good enough to allow entry into their postgraduate programmes. Another young whipper-snapper who downloads newspaper rankings and forms unfounded opinions in his/her head.

I don't know what your obsession is with trying to get me to admit that Nottingham is in the Top 10.

I haven't "chosen" to ignore anything as you never presented me with this information before. Are you saying Oxford would not admit a graduate from Newcastle, Leeds, Aberdeen or Birmingham into their postgrad programme because of where they graduated from?

Do you understand the definition of unfounded? My opinions are based on data I have seen, some of which are found newspaper rankings along with opinions of sixth form advisors, HR depts. from my work experience and peers.

You placed Nottingham in the same bracket as Aberdeen. On what authority? Even the most biased of student knows that Nottingham carries more weight than the others you stated. Birmingham is doing better in QS rankings currently, but with employers Notts is far more reputable still.

Aberdeen has an even higher number of UCAS points than Nottingham.

However, after I reconsidered other factors - I realised I should have put Glasgow instead of Aberdeen. My apologies if that offends you.
I would actually say that Birmingham (and Glasgow) is more prestigious than Nottingham but each to our own.

And I bet you never visited either? Birmingham lags way behind Nottingham for facilities and quality of buildings on campus. Nottingham is a rich university, partly due to the size, and partly due to increased industrial funding. The recent fire crippled the Glaxosmithkline funded new Chemistry building, only for another to be built in it's place.

I bet the Aberdeen students are all Scots keen to avoid tuition fees south of the border. A small university.

Glasgow is comparable to Nottingham, but Notts is viewed as better by employers and academia still.

I have actually visited Birmingham and liked the US vibes I got off the campus. I have not visited Nottingham and admittedly have no idea about the recent facilities.

So what? That doesnt take anything away from it being a university with a higher number of UCAS points than Nottingham.

Why do you think Notts is viewed more positively than Glasgow by academics? According to you, QS is the only official league table - so Glasgow is better.

QS and REF currently. But employer targeting league tables count also as unis set targets for how many top employers parade themselves on site. Currently Nottingham, Manchester and Warwick have the upper hand with top employers.

I doubt very much the american students will be too impressed by the crappy Selly Oak high street next door to Birmingham uni.

Well St Andrews has more of their research rated as 4*/3* than Nottingham (2% more). Why don't you acknowledge that point?
"unis set targets for how many top employers parade themselves on site" - do you have a source for this?

Wow, you're actually incredibly rude.