Nottingham vs Manchester

hi, i'm an international student, about to pursue MSc in development economics from sep 2024.
i have received an offer from university of manchester and university of nottingham.

nottingham has a really beautiful campus, but manchester is ranked much above (#24) than nottingham (#100) in World QS rankings. i'm really torn on what to choose :frown:

can anyone offer any advice on the same?

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 1

rowan_willow

12

Hey! I have also applied for Notts; it depends on what you want from a uni. When it comes to rankings I wouldn't really pay attention because the degree you get will mean the same thing for employers. Manchester is far more expensive than Nottingham, but Manchester is probably more diverse. What kind career are you thinking of? Do you want to go to uni to meet people and network or are you more focused on the educational aspect?

Reply 2

Laffer

9

Original post by reva_sr

hi, i'm an international student, about to pursue MSc in development economics from sep 2024.
i have received an offer from university of manchester and university of nottingham.

nottingham has a really beautiful campus, but manchester is ranked much above (#24) than nottingham (#100) in World QS rankings. i'm really torn on what to choose :frown:

can anyone offer any advice on the same?

Manchester 100%, it's a great university with a fantastic international reputation. Nottingham is a good uni too, but the reputation just isn't as good as Manchester. Since you're international and may want to work in multiple countries the reputation of a uni matters even more. When you have offers from both, it just doesn't make sense to choose Nottingham.

Reply 3

Laffer

9

Original post by rowan_willow

Hey! I have also applied for Notts; it depends on what you want from a uni. When it comes to rankings I wouldn't really pay attention because the degree you get will mean the same thing for employers. Manchester is far more expensive than Nottingham, but Manchester is probably more diverse. What kind career are you thinking of? Do you want to go to uni to meet people and network or are you more focused on the educational aspect?

"When it comes to rankings I wouldn't really pay attention because the degree you get will mean the same thing for employers."

Strongly disagree with this, you could make that case for something like teaching or medicine which have external bodies setting a minimum standard for entrance into gated jobs. Simply not the case for something like development economics where there is no clear defined path, the courses will be different and employers will care. Not in any way saying Nottingham's is a poor offering, but it's not the same as Manchester and so that's why reputation does matter.

Reply 4

rowan_willow

12

Original post by Laffer

"When it comes to rankings I wouldn't really pay attention because the degree you get will mean the same thing for employers."

Strongly disagree with this, you could make that case for something like teaching or medicine which have external bodies setting a minimum standard for entrance into gated jobs. Simply not the case for something like development economics where there is no clear defined path, the courses will be different and employers will care. Not in any way saying Nottingham's is a poor offering, but it's not the same as Manchester and so that's why reputation does matter.

Idk I would argue employers are going to care more about experience rather than something as trivial as Uni rankings that can change so dramatically each year. On paper sure Manchester is better than Nottingham, but it depends on what you want to get out of it. If an Oxford graduate and Manchester graduate are both applying to the same job an employer isn't going to pick them based on uni, they will pick them based on who is more suitable for the job.

Reply 5

Laffer

9

Original post by rowan_willow

Idk I would argue employers are going to care more about experience rather than something as trivial as Uni rankings that can change so dramatically each year. On paper sure Manchester is better than Nottingham, but it depends on what you want to get out of it. If an Oxford graduate and Manchester graduate are both applying to the same job an employer isn't going to pick them based on uni, they will pick them based on who is more suitable for the job.

It's a fair point but one that unfortunately isn't representative of reality I'm afraid. Agreed employers care more about experience but for jobs worth having, everyone has experience and a solid CV. Companies get significantly more applications from highly suitable candidates than they have positions.
Recruiters need to rule out people somehow and doing so based on what uni is a quick and easy way to thin the pack. No it's not fair and rules out candidates who could do the job, but if you have 30 applicants, 1 job and 10 mins to decide on who you're going to interview, then anything you can use to discount people will be used.
I suspect it's more important for OP who is looking at poorly defined job specs in an international market and so they should go with the one which has the best international reputation.

Reply 6

reva_sr

OP

2

Original post by rowan_willow

Hey! I have also applied for Notts; it depends on what you want from a uni. When it comes to rankings I wouldn't really pay attention because the degree you get will mean the same thing for employers. Manchester is far more expensive than Nottingham, but Manchester is probably more diverse. What kind career are you thinking of? Do you want to go to uni to meet people and network or are you more focused on the educational aspect?

all the best for Nottingham! i'm actually looking to network more in the Uni, since my main aim is to choose a Uni which can offer the best job opportunities.

Reply 7

reva_sr

OP

2

Original post by Laffer

Manchester 100%, it's a great university with a fantastic international reputation. Nottingham is a good uni too, but the reputation just isn't as good as Manchester. Since you're international and may want to work in multiple countries the reputation of a uni matters even more. When you have offers from both, it just doesn't make sense to choose Nottingham.

yeah makes sense! development econ is a very vast subject, i would definitely need a Uni with a better reputation to enhance my job prospects. thanks!

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

Original post by reva_sr

hi, i'm an international student, about to pursue MSc in development economics from sep 2024.
i have received an offer from university of manchester and university of nottingham.

nottingham has a really beautiful campus, but manchester is ranked much above (#24) than nottingham (#100) in World QS rankings. i'm really torn on what to choose :frown:

can anyone offer any advice on the same?

Hiii , I’ve lived in manchester my whole life so this may be biased but manchester is a fun city , there is lots to do from concerts to shops and activities it’s great .aswell as great transport across the city for a low price. The fact that it’s rated highly is a bonus. Plus if you take advantage of all the opportunities available at uni for economics you’re bound to be attractive to employers.
The only down side would be manchester uni is in the city so it may be a bit more costly than Nottingham.

( this opinion doesn’t include comparing the course quality, just generic information sorry)

Reply 9

reva_sr

OP

2

Original post by Anonymous #1

Hiii , I’ve lived in manchester my whole life so this may be biased but manchester is a fun city , there is lots to do from concerts to shops and activities it’s great .aswell as great transport across the city for a low price. The fact that it’s rated highly is a bonus. Plus if you take advantage of all the opportunities available at uni for economics you’re bound to be attractive to employers.
The only down side would be manchester uni is in the city so it may be a bit more costly than Nottingham.
( this opinion doesn’t include comparing the course quality, just generic information sorry)