Warwick Vs St Andrews Vs Bath for economics?

Hi,

I have offers for economics from Warwick, Bath and St Andrews however I'm not sure which one to choose as my firm. I really love the feel of St Andrews and the community spirit it seems to have however I'm worried that St Andrews grads aren't paid as well as those of Warwick and Bath. According to the Graduate Earnings survey, over 2016/2017 the median earnings after 5 years were Warwick (£54k), St Andrews (£43k) and Bath (£52k). I really want to thrive in my career and this statistic seems to make St Andrews seem a poor choice career wise. It surprised me because St Andrews is more competitive than the other two and it's students' average UCAS tariff score is quite a bit higher. Yet at the same time I feel like St Andrews has a better reputation internationally and so would make international work easier.

If anyone has any experience or advice then please say, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1

A Rolling Stone

Original post by theeetimdoherty

https://www.economist.com/britain/2017/08/12/which-british-universities-do-most-to-boost-graduate-salaries

this gives breakdown by degree subject that will be more reliable - Imperial College London is 100% science, Bath is probably like 80% science whereas St Andrews is only 1/3 science, so it follows that it's grads will be (on average) less well paid. UAL is entirely Arts soo...

as a graduate of st andrews, i can tell you the biggest factor of how well paid you will be is how proactive you are at seeking work experience opportunities rather than what uni you go to. for me, the 4 year Scottish degree structure meant i had more summers to spend doing work experience and the longer degree gave me more time to think carefully about what i wanted to go into, no point earning well in a job you hate. what uni you go to by name does not make much difference, except that employers know that smart people go to the best unis

University of St Andrews

Reply 2

Scotney

Original post by A Rolling Stone

Just about covers it!

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 3

peterdxherty

Original post by A Rolling Stone

I agree but at Bath my offer has a fourth year placement, do you think this would be more useful than work experience inbetween summers at St Andrews? Or would St Andrews be better for variety? Also, I agree about being proactive, getting a first will do more to boost my prospects than the name of the uni.

Reply 4

A Rolling Stone

Original post by theeetimdoherty

nah employers don't care much about a 1st vs a 2:1. just get good experience. i personally loved the 4 year structure where i got to study 3 subjects in my first 1 or 2 years and the environment was perfect for me, but if the placement scheme Bath offers appeals to you then go for that!

Reply 5

Historyisawesome

When did you get your St. Andrews offer?

Reply 6

peterdxherty

Original post by Historyisawesome

When did you get your St. Andrews offer?

About an hour ago. I haven't heard back from Warwick yet but I asked the question in case I had to choose between all 4 of these unis (and was rejected by LSE).

Reply 7

ethancruise15

For econ L100

heres the unofficial rankings I got from HR at a BB bank

1. Oxford, Cambridge, LSE - Do econ here and you're essentially set
2. UCL - You'll probably get into big finance with econ
3 Warwick - You have a good chance with econ

4. St Andrews, Durham, Exeter, Bath - Reject Unis with almost 0 chance for IB
5. Everything else - No

So Warwick really outclasses your other options, consider that the huge majority of graduates going into big finance comes from 1-3.

Reply 8

StDave

I can tell you this: A good candidate is a good candidate, no matter what university they come from. A good candidate has a good degree, but also life experience. So travel, employment/work experience and a broad range of life experience is just as important as your degree. (My friend has a doctorate from Oxford and I wouldn't trust him to boil a kettle!)

Any organisation, unless it operates in a niche area, is setting itself up to fail if it limits its recruitment to only a few universities. I wouldn't take too much interest in what is, or is not, a 'target' university. The reality is that being a 'target' means little more than the company sends a stall to the university careers fair - and this usually means that it is easy to get to from London.

What is far more important is going to the university that you will enjoy. It's hard to get a good degree if you hate the institution you're studying at.

They are all great universities, so choose the place where you can see yourself being for the next 3 or 4 years.

Reply 9

JUG UK

St Andrews would offer you the chance to study up to three subjects but it is 4 years long. it is a very particular experience given its location. Some of my former students said it was a long way for others to visit but the community was great. It is very well known internationally as well.

Warwick is the classic back up for LSE - many of my students who did nto get into LSE went to Warwick, campus uni so very different than city life but then again so is Bath. latest Times league table out this week says Warwick, St Andrews and then Bath overall but also for employment . if it is all about money - shame if it is but you can find earnings data for courses using https://discoveruni.gov.uk/search-landing-page/

ultimately you, yours skils and personality will determine how successful you will be