museum studies MA question

I'm an American interested in an MA in museum studies. It's obviously a pretty niche degree, so there's not an extremely large amount of universities that offer it. I'm aware that places like Oxford offer the degree, but even if I got in there, I seriously doubt I could afford it. I've got a 4.0 GPA and graduated with a BA in communication from a state university. I've been accepted to the Museum and Gallery Studies MA program at Kingston University. I've read it's ranked 15th in the art and design subject table from The Guardian, but I've read some conflicting things about the school's reputation, so I have a few questions.

I know Kingston doesn't have the "prestige" thing going for it, but is the reputation *bad*? For example, I went to Mississippi State University, which obviously has no real reputation outside of the state/region, but if I were to apply to a position, an employer would not be likely to throw me out of consideration because MSU does give reputable degrees. Does that make sense? I don't feel like I'm explaining that very well.

Another question, I've also got an upcoming interview with the University of Essex. What is their reputation in relation to Kingston?

Here is my situation - I will have to go into debt for this degree. My family is not wealthy by any means, so I can't afford an Ivy League equivalent, yet I don't want to get a next to useless degree just because it's cheaper. I also want to live in or around London. I realize I probably sound extraordinarily picky.

Final question - do you think it's worth it to go on and get a degree at Kingston, or should I wait a year and apply to more prestigious places next year?

Thank you!

I can't comment on Kingston other than to say it doesn't have a particularly high profile in museum studies. For postgrad courses you really want to look for a department with a good research profile. Have you considered the University of Leicester - they have a museum studies department with a really good research reputation. They recently won an industry award - see details -
http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/news/press-releases/2010-2019/2010/06/nparticle.2010-06-18.5780839476

The university itself has a growing reputation - especially for student satisfaction. It's well worth a look. A far, far better university than Kingston.

I'm an American interested in an MA in museum studies. It's obviously a pretty niche degree, so there's not an extremely large amount of universities that offer it. I'm aware that places like Oxford offer the degree, but even if I got in there, I seriously doubt I could afford it. I've got a 4.0 GPA and graduated with a BA in communication from a state university. I've been accepted to the Museum and Gallery Studies MA program at Kingston University. I've read it's ranked 15th in the art and design subject table from The Guardian, but I've read some conflicting things about the school's reputation, so I have a few questions.

I know Kingston doesn't have the "prestige" thing going for it, but is the reputation *bad*? For example, I went to Mississippi State University, which obviously has no real reputation outside of the state/region, but if I were to apply to a position, an employer would not be likely to throw me out of consideration because MSU does give reputable degrees. Does that make sense? I don't feel like I'm explaining that very well.

Another question, I've also got an upcoming interview with the University of Essex. What is their reputation in relation to Kingston?

Here is my situation - I will have to go into debt for this degree. My family is not wealthy by any means, so I can't afford an Ivy League equivalent, yet I don't want to get a next to useless degree just because it's cheaper. I also want to live in or around London. I realize I probably sound extraordinarily picky.

Final question - do you think it's worth it to go on and get a degree at Kingston, or should I wait a year and apply to more prestigious places next year?

Thank you!