Manchester vs Durham vs KCL for Physics

I'm an international student from Bangladesh who's applying to UK unis this year. My first 3 choices are Cambridge, Imperial, UCL.

Now, I can't decide which unis should I select as the other two.

The ones I'm considering are:

Manchester: Great reputation for Physics, great alumni, higher international reputation but seen as less prestigious in the UK.

Durham: Great reputation for Physics (in terms of teaching, not research), seen as more prestigious in the UK but low international rankings, no great physics alumni like Manchester

KCL: Physics department is not as famous as Manchester/Durham but seen as more prestigious? Is it better for employability and graduate prospects than the other two?

Please help me decide!

Reply 1

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by ifahad64

I'm an international student from Bangladesh who's applying to UK unis this year. My first 3 choices are Cambridge, Imperial, UCL.

Now, I can't decide which unis should I select as the other two.

The ones I'm considering are:

Manchester: Great reputation for Physics, great alumni, higher international reputation but seen as less prestigious in the UK.

Durham: Great reputation for Physics (in terms of teaching, not research), seen as more prestigious in the UK but low international rankings, no great physics alumni like Manchester

KCL: Physics department is not as famous as Manchester/Durham but seen as more prestigious? Is it better for employability and graduate prospects than the other two?

Please help me decide!

Do you want to live in a big city?

You don't have to pick all 5 choices right away. You can apply before the Cambridge deadline for your top 3 choices. You should know if you have offers from a couple of them by Christmas time and can then add your final 2 choices based on how that turns out.

Reply 2

ifahad64

OP

10

Well, I care more about academics than the city. I currently live in Dhaka, the second worst city in the world. If I can live here, I can live anywhere! I want to do further research and stay in academia after graduation. So which unis would be better?

Reply 3

richardsmith

15

I would say KCL, it is part of the Golden Triangle and has a stellar reputation abroad which may be good for you as you are an international student. Where I live it is regarded higher or on par than ICL,LSE or UCL. Second choice should be Durham; super prestigious in the Uk (seen as 3rd after Oxbridge) and internationally is not that bad (still in world top 70).
I’m not sure about Manchester, it seems like anybody can get in and I think that it is high in world rankings because it is a big university and produces a lot of research but I doubt that it is considered very prestigious domestically or abroad. Dont get me wrong, it still is one of the best. But KCL and Durham edge it

Reply 4

ifahad64

OP

10

Original post by richardsmith

I would say KCL, it is part of the Golden Triangle and has a stellar reputation abroad which may be good for you as you are an international student. Where I live it is regarded higher or on par than ICL,LSE or UCL. Second choice should be Durham; super prestigious in the Uk (seen as 3rd after Oxbridge) and internationally is not that bad (still in world top 70).
I’m not sure about Manchester, it seems like anybody can get in and I think that it is high in world rankings because it is a big university and produces a lot of research but I doubt that it is considered very prestigious domestically or abroad. Dont get me wrong, it still is one of the best. But KCL and Durham edge it

But Manchester has higher requirements than KCL! It's ranked #8 in CUG UK and #29 in QS ranking, which is much higher than KCL (#21 in CUG UK and between #100-150 in QS). These rankings are for Physics and Astronomy.

Reply 5

ifahad64

OP

10

The thing is, KCL is ranked way too low for Physics and Astronomy. This makes me doubt whether it would be good for Physics. Btw, is Durham better than KCL? I don't know how Durham is since I live outside the UK. But most of my seniors who are currently studying in the UK recommended Durham. That's the reason why I chose it.

Reply 6

richardsmith

15

Ok I was talking about general reputation so I am not sure now if my advice still applies. In that case Durham would be a better option perhaps? Still even though KCL may be ranked low for your particular subject, it still has a brand name attached

Reply 7

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by richardsmith

I would say KCL, it is part of the Golden Triangle and has a stellar reputation abroad which may be good for you as you are an international student. Where I live it is regarded higher or on par than ICL,LSE or UCL. Second choice should be Durham; super prestigious in the Uk (seen as 3rd after Oxbridge) and internationally is not that bad (still in world top 70).
I’m not sure about Manchester, it seems like anybody can get in and I think that it is high in world rankings because it is a big university and produces a lot of research but I doubt that it is considered very prestigious domestically or abroad. Dont get me wrong, it still is one of the best. But KCL and Durham edge it

Manchester trumps both Durham and KCL for Physics.

Original post by ifahad64

Well, I care more about academics than the city. I currently live in Dhaka, the second worst city in the world. If I can live here, I can live anywhere! I want to do further research and stay in academia after graduation. So which unis would be better?

Like I say - I recommend you apply to your top 3 for now and wait and see if you have any offers before deciding how to use your final 2 choices.

Do you have any particular interests within physics?

Reply 8

ifahad64

OP

10

Original post by PQ

Manchester trumps both Durham and KCL for Physics.

Like I say - I recommend you apply to your top 3 for now and wait and see if you have any offers before deciding how to use your final 2 choices.

Do you have any particular interests within physics?

Yeah, I'm interested in astrophysics and cosmology. But is Manchester seen as less prestigious by employers?

Reply 9

ifahad64

OP

10

Is Durham better than KCL for Physics?

Reply 10

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by ifahad64

Yeah, I'm interested in astrophysics and cosmology. But is Manchester seen as less prestigious by employers?

For physics - not at all (and even for other subjects Manchester has been in the top 5 for high fliers preferred universities research with graduate employers forever).

If you're interested in cosmology/astronomy then I would suggest you have a look at Edinburgh as well.

Reply 11

ifahad64

OP

10

Original post by PQ

For physics - not at all (and even for other subjects Manchester has been in the top 5 for high fliers preferred universities research with graduate employers forever).

If you're interested in cosmology/astronomy then I would suggest you have a look at Edinburgh as well.

Edinburgh has 5 years masters courses only. Funding is an issue, so I only want to do 4 years masters. Otherwise, I would've applied to Edinburgh instead of Durham. And, is Durham better than KCL for Physics?