Does university rankings matter for a career in neuropsychology? Need advice!
Hey, I’m in year 12 and currently trying to decide on my undergrad path and could really use some advice, especially from those in psychology/neuropsychology.
For some extra information, I am taking Psychology, Biology and RE at A-level.
I’m really interested in neuropsychology, so I want to do a psychology degree with more neuroscience elements. Problem is, I got a C in GCSE Maths, and most high-ranked unis require a B. I’ve looked into Royal Holloway’s Psychology & Neuroscience course and I really like it. The modules look interesting, love the look of the uni (obviously!) and I know someone that goes there and has had a really positive experience (for a different degree than I want to pursue though). But it’s lower-ranked compared to some others and I’m worried about how this might affect my career prospects.
(Another thing that’s much more minor is my ego lol, I’m the first in my close family to go to university and because of this I do feel a kind of pressure (more from myself) to go to a good uni since they couldn’t go at all.)
My two options right now are do Psychology & Neuroscience at a lower-ranked uni (like Royal Holloway) or study something else at undergrad (eg. Biology) at a higher-ranked uni, then do a psych conversion later and continue from there.
Would employers care more about say other experience (eg. MSc, PhD, research placements, degree classification)? And would going to a less ranked uni impact my chances of getting on said MSc, PhDs or research placements?
To add on to this, does doing an entirely separate undergrad subject impact these also?
I keep seeing people (especially on sixth form/uni subreddits) act like your life is over if you don’t go to a top-ranked uni, which is also stressing me out. But I also know psychology in general is a competitive field, and I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. I do know that online opinions can be a bit dramatic sometimes though so I’d like some genuine advice.
Thank you!
For some extra information, I am taking Psychology, Biology and RE at A-level.
I’m really interested in neuropsychology, so I want to do a psychology degree with more neuroscience elements. Problem is, I got a C in GCSE Maths, and most high-ranked unis require a B. I’ve looked into Royal Holloway’s Psychology & Neuroscience course and I really like it. The modules look interesting, love the look of the uni (obviously!) and I know someone that goes there and has had a really positive experience (for a different degree than I want to pursue though). But it’s lower-ranked compared to some others and I’m worried about how this might affect my career prospects.
(Another thing that’s much more minor is my ego lol, I’m the first in my close family to go to university and because of this I do feel a kind of pressure (more from myself) to go to a good uni since they couldn’t go at all.)
My two options right now are do Psychology & Neuroscience at a lower-ranked uni (like Royal Holloway) or study something else at undergrad (eg. Biology) at a higher-ranked uni, then do a psych conversion later and continue from there.
Would employers care more about say other experience (eg. MSc, PhD, research placements, degree classification)? And would going to a less ranked uni impact my chances of getting on said MSc, PhDs or research placements?
To add on to this, does doing an entirely separate undergrad subject impact these also?
I keep seeing people (especially on sixth form/uni subreddits) act like your life is over if you don’t go to a top-ranked uni, which is also stressing me out. But I also know psychology in general is a competitive field, and I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. I do know that online opinions can be a bit dramatic sometimes though so I’d like some genuine advice.
Thank you!
Reply 1
Original post by utilitarianist
Hey, I’m in year 12 and currently trying to decide on my undergrad path and could really use some advice, especially from those in psychology/neuropsychology.
For some extra information, I am taking Psychology, Biology and RE at A-level.
I’m really interested in neuropsychology, so I want to do a psychology degree with more neuroscience elements. Problem is, I got a C in GCSE Maths, and most high-ranked unis require a B. I’ve looked into Royal Holloway’s Psychology & Neuroscience course and I really like it. The modules look interesting, love the look of the uni (obviously!) and I know someone that goes there and has had a really positive experience (for a different degree than I want to pursue though). But it’s lower-ranked compared to some others and I’m worried about how this might affect my career prospects.
(Another thing that’s much more minor is my ego lol, I’m the first in my close family to go to university and because of this I do feel a kind of pressure (more from myself) to go to a good uni since they couldn’t go at all.)
My two options right now are do Psychology & Neuroscience at a lower-ranked uni (like Royal Holloway) or study something else at undergrad (eg. Biology) at a higher-ranked uni, then do a psych conversion later and continue from there.
Would employers care more about say other experience (eg. MSc, PhD, research placements, degree classification)? And would going to a less ranked uni impact my chances of getting on said MSc, PhDs or research placements?
To add on to this, does doing an entirely separate undergrad subject impact these also?
I keep seeing people (especially on sixth form/uni subreddits) act like your life is over if you don’t go to a top-ranked uni, which is also stressing me out. But I also know psychology in general is a competitive field, and I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. I do know that online opinions can be a bit dramatic sometimes though so I’d like some genuine advice.
Thank you!
For some extra information, I am taking Psychology, Biology and RE at A-level.
I’m really interested in neuropsychology, so I want to do a psychology degree with more neuroscience elements. Problem is, I got a C in GCSE Maths, and most high-ranked unis require a B. I’ve looked into Royal Holloway’s Psychology & Neuroscience course and I really like it. The modules look interesting, love the look of the uni (obviously!) and I know someone that goes there and has had a really positive experience (for a different degree than I want to pursue though). But it’s lower-ranked compared to some others and I’m worried about how this might affect my career prospects.
(Another thing that’s much more minor is my ego lol, I’m the first in my close family to go to university and because of this I do feel a kind of pressure (more from myself) to go to a good uni since they couldn’t go at all.)
My two options right now are do Psychology & Neuroscience at a lower-ranked uni (like Royal Holloway) or study something else at undergrad (eg. Biology) at a higher-ranked uni, then do a psych conversion later and continue from there.
Would employers care more about say other experience (eg. MSc, PhD, research placements, degree classification)? And would going to a less ranked uni impact my chances of getting on said MSc, PhDs or research placements?
To add on to this, does doing an entirely separate undergrad subject impact these also?
I keep seeing people (especially on sixth form/uni subreddits) act like your life is over if you don’t go to a top-ranked uni, which is also stressing me out. But I also know psychology in general is a competitive field, and I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. I do know that online opinions can be a bit dramatic sometimes though so I’d like some genuine advice.
Thank you!
No rankings do not matter at all in Psychology.
Do you want to be a Research or Clinically focused Neuropsychologist? These are very different pathways also. I personally would not get too focused on a very specific part of Psychology before you have even studied the undergrad, its a akin to trying to specialise in medicine before you have done your foundational trg. The trg is at least 7 plus years for Research based Neuropsychologist and circa 9 years for a Clinical Neuropsychologist (and require circa 3 to 4 degree degrees), hence why I would suggest you dont run before you can walk.
Greg
Clin Psy
(edited 2 months ago)
Reply 2
Original post by utilitarianist
Hey, I’m in year 12 and currently trying to decide on my undergrad path and could really use some advice, especially from those in psychology/neuropsychology.
For some extra information, I am taking Psychology, Biology and RE at A-level.
I’m really interested in neuropsychology, so I want to do a psychology degree with more neuroscience elements. Problem is, I got a C in GCSE Maths, and most high-ranked unis require a B. I’ve looked into Royal Holloway’s Psychology & Neuroscience course and I really like it. The modules look interesting, love the look of the uni (obviously!) and I know someone that goes there and has had a really positive experience (for a different degree than I want to pursue though). But it’s lower-ranked compared to some others and I’m worried about how this might affect my career prospects.
(Another thing that’s much more minor is my ego lol, I’m the first in my close family to go to university and because of this I do feel a kind of pressure (more from myself) to go to a good uni since they couldn’t go at all.)
My two options right now are do Psychology & Neuroscience at a lower-ranked uni (like Royal Holloway) or study something else at undergrad (eg. Biology) at a higher-ranked uni, then do a psych conversion later and continue from there.
Would employers care more about say other experience (eg. MSc, PhD, research placements, degree classification)? And would going to a less ranked uni impact my chances of getting on said MSc, PhDs or research placements?
To add on to this, does doing an entirely separate undergrad subject impact these also?
I keep seeing people (especially on sixth form/uni subreddits) act like your life is over if you don’t go to a top-ranked uni, which is also stressing me out. But I also know psychology in general is a competitive field, and I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. I do know that online opinions can be a bit dramatic sometimes though so I’d like some genuine advice.
Thank you!
For some extra information, I am taking Psychology, Biology and RE at A-level.
I’m really interested in neuropsychology, so I want to do a psychology degree with more neuroscience elements. Problem is, I got a C in GCSE Maths, and most high-ranked unis require a B. I’ve looked into Royal Holloway’s Psychology & Neuroscience course and I really like it. The modules look interesting, love the look of the uni (obviously!) and I know someone that goes there and has had a really positive experience (for a different degree than I want to pursue though). But it’s lower-ranked compared to some others and I’m worried about how this might affect my career prospects.
(Another thing that’s much more minor is my ego lol, I’m the first in my close family to go to university and because of this I do feel a kind of pressure (more from myself) to go to a good uni since they couldn’t go at all.)
My two options right now are do Psychology & Neuroscience at a lower-ranked uni (like Royal Holloway) or study something else at undergrad (eg. Biology) at a higher-ranked uni, then do a psych conversion later and continue from there.
Would employers care more about say other experience (eg. MSc, PhD, research placements, degree classification)? And would going to a less ranked uni impact my chances of getting on said MSc, PhDs or research placements?
To add on to this, does doing an entirely separate undergrad subject impact these also?
I keep seeing people (especially on sixth form/uni subreddits) act like your life is over if you don’t go to a top-ranked uni, which is also stressing me out. But I also know psychology in general is a competitive field, and I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. I do know that online opinions can be a bit dramatic sometimes though so I’d like some genuine advice.
Thank you!
Hey there 😃
Since Royal Holloway feels like a good match for you, I definitely think it’s worth giving it a shot! 🌟 Your university journey is about so much more than just academic rankings — and honestly, once you graduate and start job hunting, the ranking won't matter nearly as much. What truly counts is how you use your time at university: internships, volunteering, extracurricular activities, placements, work experience — all of these will shape your future far more than a number ever could 🎯
If Royal Holloway offers career development opportunities, you’ll be able to build an amazing CV and feel genuinely proud of everything you achieve along the way 🙌 Rankings are becoming less and less important these days — trust your instincts, because they usually know what’s best for you! 😅✨
I hope it will be helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.
Take care,
Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University
Reply 3
11
Original post by utilitarianist
Hey, I’m in year 12 and currently trying to decide on my undergrad path and could really use some advice, especially from those in psychology/neuropsychology.
For some extra information, I am taking Psychology, Biology and RE at A-level.
I’m really interested in neuropsychology, so I want to do a psychology degree with more neuroscience elements. Problem is, I got a C in GCSE Maths, and most high-ranked unis require a B. I’ve looked into Royal Holloway’s Psychology & Neuroscience course and I really like it. The modules look interesting, love the look of the uni (obviously!) and I know someone that goes there and has had a really positive experience (for a different degree than I want to pursue though). But it’s lower-ranked compared to some others and I’m worried about how this might affect my career prospects.
(Another thing that’s much more minor is my ego lol, I’m the first in my close family to go to university and because of this I do feel a kind of pressure (more from myself) to go to a good uni since they couldn’t go at all.)
My two options right now are do Psychology & Neuroscience at a lower-ranked uni (like Royal Holloway) or study something else at undergrad (eg. Biology) at a higher-ranked uni, then do a psych conversion later and continue from there.
Would employers care more about say other experience (eg. MSc, PhD, research placements, degree classification)? And would going to a less ranked uni impact my chances of getting on said MSc, PhDs or research placements?
To add on to this, does doing an entirely separate undergrad subject impact these also?
I keep seeing people (especially on sixth form/uni subreddits) act like your life is over if you don’t go to a top-ranked uni, which is also stressing me out. But I also know psychology in general is a competitive field, and I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. I do know that online opinions can be a bit dramatic sometimes though so I’d like some genuine advice.
Thank you!
For some extra information, I am taking Psychology, Biology and RE at A-level.
I’m really interested in neuropsychology, so I want to do a psychology degree with more neuroscience elements. Problem is, I got a C in GCSE Maths, and most high-ranked unis require a B. I’ve looked into Royal Holloway’s Psychology & Neuroscience course and I really like it. The modules look interesting, love the look of the uni (obviously!) and I know someone that goes there and has had a really positive experience (for a different degree than I want to pursue though). But it’s lower-ranked compared to some others and I’m worried about how this might affect my career prospects.
(Another thing that’s much more minor is my ego lol, I’m the first in my close family to go to university and because of this I do feel a kind of pressure (more from myself) to go to a good uni since they couldn’t go at all.)
My two options right now are do Psychology & Neuroscience at a lower-ranked uni (like Royal Holloway) or study something else at undergrad (eg. Biology) at a higher-ranked uni, then do a psych conversion later and continue from there.
Would employers care more about say other experience (eg. MSc, PhD, research placements, degree classification)? And would going to a less ranked uni impact my chances of getting on said MSc, PhDs or research placements?
To add on to this, does doing an entirely separate undergrad subject impact these also?
I keep seeing people (especially on sixth form/uni subreddits) act like your life is over if you don’t go to a top-ranked uni, which is also stressing me out. But I also know psychology in general is a competitive field, and I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. I do know that online opinions can be a bit dramatic sometimes though so I’d like some genuine advice.
Thank you!
If you’re the first in your family to go to uni you may qualify for contextual offers some of which may accept a lower maths grade. Search each uni website and also subject pages for contextual offer criteria
Reply 4
Nope.
Reply 5
Original post by Ledel01
If you’re the first in your family to go to uni you may qualify for contextual offers some of which may accept a lower maths grade. Search each uni website and also subject pages for contextual offer criteria
I occasionally qualify for contextual since I go to a state school, get FSM and am a young carer, but pretty much all of these are for the A level requirements, rather than GCSE. I think Durhams contextual offer does reduce the B in GCSE maths to a C but I don’t think I qualify for theirs.
Reply 6
17
You can get in Leicester, which has a research quality rating in Psychology of 83% (joint 25th in the UK), according to The Complete University Guide. This is equal with Reading, and higher than Nottingham (82%), Queen Mary University of London (82%), Leeds (82%), Durham (81%), Newcastle (80%), Bath (76%), and many others.
Royal Holloway has a research rating of 87% for it (joint 12th in the UK, with Stratchclyde, Birmingham, and Liverpool). As well as all of the universities mentioned in the first paragraph, this is higher than Sheffield, Exeter, St Andrews (all 86%), Manchester (85%), Warwick (84%), and others.
I can't see what the GCSE requirements are for Nottingham, so you may be able to get in there too. You can get in Queen Mary University of London, Strathclyde, St Andrews, and Warwick.
If you're eligible for contextual offers, that may benefit you in some cases for these and other universities.
Royal Holloway has a research rating of 87% for it (joint 12th in the UK, with Stratchclyde, Birmingham, and Liverpool). As well as all of the universities mentioned in the first paragraph, this is higher than Sheffield, Exeter, St Andrews (all 86%), Manchester (85%), Warwick (84%), and others.
I can't see what the GCSE requirements are for Nottingham, so you may be able to get in there too. You can get in Queen Mary University of London, Strathclyde, St Andrews, and Warwick.
If you're eligible for contextual offers, that may benefit you in some cases for these and other universities.
(edited 2 months ago)
Reply 7
Hello,
Great to hear you are interested in studying Psychology, have you thought of applying to Lancaster? Our entry requirements are set at AAB but each application is taken on a case by case basis.
One of our biggest selling points is our Psychology Employability Programme (PEP), allowing you to gain first hand research experience alongside your degree. Given your interest in Neuropsychology, I think it might be worth you taking a look at our Neuroscience of Speech and Action lab. Through our PEP scheme you could even be involved in research using our fantastic Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Dr Helen Nuttall! The webpage for the lab itself is here: https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/nosalab/
Our department webpage is here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/psychology/ You'll see that we consistently rank highly in the UK for research and teaching. We are also lucky to have some fantastic research facilities including our BabyLab which is at the forefront of developmental psychology.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask! I have been at Lancaster since 2020 and having held two PEP placements during my undergrad, I am now a PhD student conducting my own research. We also have a department Instagram account @psychologylancaster where you can see what we're about 🙂
Best wishes!
Holly
Lancaster Student Ambassador
Great to hear you are interested in studying Psychology, have you thought of applying to Lancaster? Our entry requirements are set at AAB but each application is taken on a case by case basis.
One of our biggest selling points is our Psychology Employability Programme (PEP), allowing you to gain first hand research experience alongside your degree. Given your interest in Neuropsychology, I think it might be worth you taking a look at our Neuroscience of Speech and Action lab. Through our PEP scheme you could even be involved in research using our fantastic Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Dr Helen Nuttall! The webpage for the lab itself is here: https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/nosalab/
Our department webpage is here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/psychology/ You'll see that we consistently rank highly in the UK for research and teaching. We are also lucky to have some fantastic research facilities including our BabyLab which is at the forefront of developmental psychology.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask! I have been at Lancaster since 2020 and having held two PEP placements during my undergrad, I am now a PhD student conducting my own research. We also have a department Instagram account @psychologylancaster where you can see what we're about 🙂
Best wishes!
Holly
Lancaster Student Ambassador
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Does university rankings matter for a career in neuropsychology? Need advice!
