Physics Durham vs Lancaster

2

After achieving a successful re-mark in Physics I have been offered my first choice uni of Durham to study Physics, However, as I hadn't achieved these grades initially they said that they could only offer me a place there for 2026 entry. In the meantime I have been offered a place at my insurance choice of Lancaster. For those who are at either university, can you please tell me about your experiences on the courses to help me decide which to proceed with; either go to Lancaster this year or to go to Durham next year.

Reply 1

McGinger

20

Lancaster is an excellent smaller Uni with a top academic reputation.
Unless you have definite plans for a gap-year, then Lancaster would be a very good choice.

Reply 2

normaw

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

20

Original post

by Schmule

After achieving a successful re-mark in Physics I have been offered my first choice uni of Durham to study Physics, However, as I hadn't achieved these grades initially they said that they could only offer me a place there for 2026 entry. In the meantime I have been offered a place at my insurance choice of Lancaster. For those who are at either university, can you please tell me about your experiences on the courses to help me decide which to proceed with; either go to Lancaster this year or to go to Durham next year.

Have a look at some of the posts by @Ghostlady whose daughter studied physics at Lancaster. For example:

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6562744

Reply 3

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

18

Original post

by Schmule

After achieving a successful re-mark in Physics I have been offered my first choice uni of Durham to study Physics, However, as I hadn't achieved these grades initially they said that they could only offer me a place there for 2026 entry. In the meantime I have been offered a place at my insurance choice of Lancaster. For those who are at either university, can you please tell me about your experiences on the courses to help me decide which to proceed with; either go to Lancaster this year or to go to Durham next year.

Hey,
Congratulations on securing both offers for a competitive degree at two top universities!
As a recent Computer Science graduate at Lancaster, I can share some of my university experience that will hopefully be of use.
Firstly, the careers support is outstanding. I didn't make as much use of it until my 3rd year, but they have been incredibly helpful: when I was applying for Master's and internships this year, I had almost weekly 1-1 meetings with one of the Careers advisors, who reviewed my applications and sent me reminders to keep me on track with the application process. Even after my graduation, I recently received a call from them asking about my situation and inviting me to book an appointment to discuss my plans. The careers team offers 1-1 CV, LinkedIn, and planning appointments, mock interviews, assessment centre workshops, and organises multiple Careers Fairs (Tech and Science focused too) and networking events. There are also many opportunities to work flexibly on campus, either through micro-internships during term time (like my Innovations Developer internship, where I worked 10 hours a week in my own time designing and building an alert device in collaboration with a local charity), summer internships (my friend who studied Physics has done one of these with the Statistics department and it was a useful learning experience), and part-time zero-hour contract roles (like being a student ambassador, a subject representative, working in the library, college bars or on-campus stores, helping with tech set-up for events, etc.).

Secondly, the quality of teaching. While it may vary between courses and academics, generally, the staff are very knowledgeable and approachable, most importantly. Lancaster University's community feel translates not only into student life, but also to how you interact with your lecturers. Many of them, in my experience, have been very quick to respond to email or Teams enquiries, and are eager to talk about their research or provide support when you seek it. The teaching materials, all lecture recordings, and assignments are usually uploaded to Moodle in a timely fashion, making learning easier.

Thirdly, an active student body. There are so many societies at Lancaster, from academic to sports and social ones. There is always something happening at the Alexandra Square at the centre of campus, whether it's an employer visit, a giveaway, an event, or the weekly Farmer's Market. Being a collegiate university, Lancaster has that exciting college rivalry, with college competitions held throughout the year. Furthermore, every college organises various activities every week (e.g. free coffee mornings, Mario Kart nights, free film screenings, bar crawls, petting zoos, etc.), and you are welcome at almost all college activities regardless of your college. We also have a good student representative system, where student reps meet regularly with their department and discuss important issues at the Student Rep forums. And we even get to see some of the student complaints being acted upon - which always feels rewarding.

Facilities. The facilities at Lancaster are great, especially for STEM subjects like Computer Science, Engineering, Chemistry or Physics. Modern spacious computing labs, experiment labs, the Quantum Technology Centre, and maker studios, some of which are accessible to students 24/7. The library is an award-winning study space, and the accommodation is also one of the best ones I've seen across UK universities. Furthermore, the colleges all have their own study spaces, common rooms, and some have other facilities like college bars, music rooms, cinema rooms, etc., all of which can be used by any student.

Reputation. Ranked 4th by the Guardian and 8th by the Complete Uni Guide for Physics, and consistently ranking in the top 10, Lancaster offers a highly prospective Physics course. Furthermore, the Physics department focuses a lot on research, with 98% of research outputs recognised as world-leading. Lancaster also has great international links through its International campuses in China, Malaysia, Germany, and Ghana. I got an amazing opportunity in my 2nd year to go to the German Lancaster Campus in Leipzig and work on a project together with the Leipzig Robotics Society, as an example of the university's international initiatives.

But yeah, overall, I have really enjoyed my course and life at Lancaster. It is a beautiful town, very affordable both in terms of living, accommodation, and entertainment. Despite being a small and safe town, it has a bustling student community and offers diverse activities for those who enjoy wild nights out and those who prefer more chill ways to spend time. And with the Lake District being so close (less than 1 hour by bus) and Manchester being only 1 hour away by train, you end up with a lot of organised and independent travel opportunities.

Let me know if you have any questions about Lancaster at all, and if you want to learn more about what it's like to study Physics at Lancaster, get in touch with one of our current Physics students via UniBuddy: Ask a student - Lancaster University

Hope this gives you some insight,
Polina,
Lancaster University Student Ambassador.

Reply 4

Ghostlady

21

Original post

by Schmule

After achieving a successful re-mark in Physics I have been offered my first choice uni of Durham to study Physics, However, as I hadn't achieved these grades initially they said that they could only offer me a place there for 2026 entry. In the meantime I have been offered a place at my insurance choice of Lancaster. For those who are at either university, can you please tell me about your experiences on the courses to help me decide which to proceed with; either go to Lancaster this year or to go to Durham next year.

Hi my daughter did four years integrated masters at Lancaster. Went down the particle physics and cosmology route. Best thing she did was Lancaster. Physics dept was fantastic, loads of support. Always there for any questions, she got two internships there, and they supported her in getting her PhD at Manchester in neutrinos.

Reply 5

Physician

21

Original post

by Schmule

After achieving a successful re-mark in Physics I have been offered my first choice uni of Durham to study Physics, However, as I hadn't achieved these grades initially they said that they could only offer me a place there for 2026 entry. In the meantime I have been offered a place at my insurance choice of Lancaster. For those who are at either university, can you please tell me about your experiences on the courses to help me decide which to proceed with; either go to Lancaster this year or to go to Durham next year.

My strong advice would be to take a year out and earn some money, then go for Durham. The chance of undergraduate education only occurs once, and Durham is held in higher regard than Lancaster with graduate employers. Durham is also way nicer as a place to study. That said, for Physics specifically, there isn't much between them, but Durham is strong in astrophysics.

Reply 6

normaw

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

20

Original post

by Physician

... Durham is held in higher regard than Lancaster with graduate employers.

Source?

Reply 7

Ghostlady

21

Lancaster is held in high regard about physics. During the time there there was quite a few days where employers would come and students would mingle and put their name across. She was in third year and got offered some coding positions before she even got to fourth year. And the campus is gorgeous, the woodland walk is fab.lancasters not a Russell group but in physics it does hold its own weight when it comes to funding. Funny enough she’s at Durham uni now for a compulsory particle physics summer school for all students that’s completed their first year PhD. Still loves her lancater😊 her PhD is at Manchester uni so she’s been living there for the past year.

Physics Durham vs Lancaster

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