2:1 or first degree dependant on uni?

It is my assumption that the more reputable the university, the harder it would be to get a 2:1 or first. (If I am mistaken please correct me.)

I am interested though, before I finalise my university choices?

Would it look better to say, have a first degree in English from Queen Mary or Kings College London, or a 2:1 from UCL?

Thoughts?
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Reply 1

Joshale

You're also writing to expect you will get a first from Queen Mary or Kings College?

Reply 2

icharliee

Original post by Joshale

You're also writing to expect you will get a first from Queen Mary or Kings College?

I wasn't meaning to come across as stuck up or anything. I was just meaning theoretically... It would obviously look better having a 2:1 from UCL than a first from say...Hertfordshire uni. But i'd be interested to know people's opinions on the top/RG universities. If still prestige trumps degree or if a first at a lesser 'top' uni looks better than a 2:1 from a very high uni.

Reply 3

KatetheLecturer

Original post by icharliee

Theoretically, both the external examining procedure and the degree validation process are supposed to ensure that a First from UCL is of the same standard as a First from Hertfordshire: however, you're right in saying that employers do rank degrees from some universities as more prestigious than others. That said, if you're talking about a First, then you're unlikely to be discriminated against in favour of someone with a 2:i from elsewhere, in all honesty.

If you're planning to go on to further study, by and large, the grade is more important than the institution: I work at a post-92 university that's not as prestigious as many in the RG - but one of our student who graduated this year with a First (and not the top First either) is going on to study on a 1 + 3 ESRC studentship (*very* competitive) at the top RG institution for our subject.

So bottom line - probably depends on what you're going to do. A graduate scheme is interested in your grades, but if you're applying for something based on interview alone, and it's a "prestigious"-type of role, institution is probably more important in some ways.

Reply 4

icharliee

Thank you. This is very helpful. I have asked because upon making my university choices I feel I must be careful. I am better at coursework, (and I believe for an english degree, this is a more fair way to assess someone's ability) however some of the top RG's are all or mostly exam, and so I was just wondering (having given random examples above) if it'd be better with prestige and suffer through exams, or still good (say QM or kings) but with a better grade.

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Reply 5

DylanJ96

Well I don't know much about this, admittedly, but I know two different people who've did music degrees and both graduated recently - one at Newcastle University and the other at the University of Hull. The one at Newcastle was doing diploma level on his main instrument (the highest possible level) with grade 8 on two others, was a real hard-worker and definitely knew his subject well since he got the music prize at all levels in our school yet he came out with a 2:1 from Newcastle. The other guy hasn't even reached grade 8 on any instrument, was always lazy with work and not at all academic (he also only got a B in A level music) yet he came out with a first.

That's just an experience I've observed that would lead me to believe that the "better" the university, the harder it is to get a good 2:1/1st.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 6

icharliee

This is what I thought, too.

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Reply 7

TyrionL

The unisats website shows the percentage of people that had each class of degree by university and subject.

Choose the subject and uni's you want to compare, click 'compare universities', then choose the 'study information' tab and scroll down to 'class of degree'. There are very big differences between number of firsts and 2.1's awarded by different universities.