Liverpool (Computing (With a year in industry)) vs Lancaster (Computer Science)

Lancaster is generally very well regarded by employers. The course is pretty good in my opinion and I've heard only good things from those who go there. If you do want to do Computer Science, then why go for Computing and hope you do well enough to transfer to CS? Sure, that might push you do to well and work hard, but imagine the worst case scenario, and you will be stuck for 3 years doing a course that you only half-like. Don't be blinded by Liverpool's RG status as in this case it means very little. There are a lot of Non-RG universities that are better than their "superior" RG counterparts, and Lancaster would be one of them. Going by league table statistics, Lancaster is above Liverpool in every single category.

For me, the biggest difference is the year in industry. If you graduate with a straight degree, you are competing against thousands of other grads who have straight degrees. Given the world of work is less about what you know and more of what you can do, having a year under your belt opens so many more doors.

As for prestige - it is so difficult to recruit in the IT world that no one really cares. Sure some companies are looking for red brick candidates, but having interviewed a variety of people from all types of uni, I think discriminating on that level is short sighted.

Seriously - do a year in industry. I did one and it saved my degree. It gives you a break from all the academic b0llocks and puts a perspective on what it is all for. It also gives you a healthy work attitude for your final year.

Good luck!