The Student Room Group

Which of the following has the best undergraduate law program: Exeter, Leeds or UEA?

I have offers from all three of these universities for law LLB and am struggling to decide which one to choose. How important is it that Exeter and Leeds are part of the Russell group whilst UEA is not? Also the subject table rankings are very conflicting between The Times and The Guardian. The Guardian ranks UEA as 8th best in the county for law while Leeds is 29th and Exeter is an abysmal 54th. However, The Times ranks Leeds the best at 11th while UEA is 17th and Exeter is 31st. From this it would seem like I can exclude Exeter from my decision, but Exeter overall has the best reputation and I'm not sure how important this factor is. Could anyone studying law or otherwise please suggest which has the best program/what factors are the most important when deciding? Thank you.
Original post by Veral999
How important is it that Exeter and Leeds are part of the Russell group whilst UEA is not?


Not at all. Just go to the one you most fancy.
Reply 2
Exeter has the best reputation in my opinion. They have some excellent law staff. It is all subjective though.

The problem with league tables is that they all use different methodologies and very often it is the research output of the department that makes or breaks their score. That is why Russell Group are usually higher up... they get more research funding so have higher research output. Then post-92s get less funding, can't do as much research and therefore cannot climb up the table very easily.

League table position is going to have almost no effect on the quality of teaching at undergraduate level.

I strongly suggest you visit them to get the feel of the place and talk to staff and other prospective students. You're going to be there for 3 years so pick the one that suits you best, not the one that is best ranked.
Hi,

I hope you don't mind me jumping in to offer some food for thought!

In the 2015 National Student Survey, UEA Law School ranked 1st for overall student satisfaction, and 2nd for teaching out of all English mainstream university law departments, while UEA as a whole, consistently ranks highly in student experience surveys, with students voting on the strength of our lectures, facilities, and our welcoming social environment on campus in particular.

UEA Law School is a vibrant community of expert academics and ambitious students with strong and meaningful links to the wider community, supported by our highly successful alumni. Our graduates are highly regarded both inside and out of the legal profession, and our focus on employability and skills includes offering students a range of competitive internship opportunities and practical experience locally, nationally and internationally. Students can also gain additional experience through our Law Clinic Pro Bono Programme, and Mooting.

The campus environment of UEA was designed to provide many amenities in one place - a 24-hour library, shops, a bank, post office, launderette, bars, restaurants, cafes, a club and live music venue, Britain's biggest indoor sports centre, the Sainsbury's Centre for Visual Arts, a dedicated Careers service, a multifaith centre - the list goes on! And the centre of Norwich is only a 15 min bus ride away. London is less than 2 hours away by train, and Norwich international airport can get you to Amsterdam in 45 mins by plane, among other destinations. We even have our own resident rabbits and a nap room!

I think the important thing to remember is that what works for one person, may not for the next, regardless of ranking and prestige. Your choice has to feel right for you, and there are certainly plenty of UEA law students who have been very happy with their choice. Come and visit us if you want to check it out for yourself: https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/visit

You might want to take a look at our Law video too:
https://youtu.be/qy1TgVRkAK8?list=PL...AJKY1D_TLxKsCb

Best of luck with whatever you choose,

Original post by Veral999
I have offers from all three of these universities for law LLB and am struggling to decide which one to choose. How important is it that Exeter and Leeds are part of the Russell group whilst UEA is not? Also the subject table rankings are very conflicting between The Times and The Guardian. The Guardian ranks UEA as 8th best in the county for law while Leeds is 29th and Exeter is an abysmal 54th. However, The Times ranks Leeds the best at 11th while UEA is 17th and Exeter is 31st. From this it would seem like I can exclude Exeter from my decision, but Exeter overall has the best reputation and I'm not sure how important this factor is. Could anyone studying law or otherwise please suggest which has the best program/what factors are the most important when deciding? Thank you.


I'm in a really similar position! I have offers for the LLB at Exeter and UEA, along with Manchester, Surrey and Kent. I love UEA but i'm also concerned about the prestige that comes with the 'Russell group' title. Are some employers selective when it comes to only employing russell group graduates? I'm not sure :/
The rankings are an absolute joke. I would suggest CUG but even they are a bit mental with their ranking—York was 31st in 2015 and now is 12th. What difference a year can make. Historically, subject rankings are the least reliable, so I would not put as much into them as you do.

On the face of it, Exeter is the best uni for law out of those three.

Quick Reply

Latest