not sure what uni to choose

Hi all,

Recently got offers from

University of Bath - BSc Accounting and Management
University of Manchester - BSc Management (accounting and finance)
University of Nottingham - Bsc Finance, Accounting & Management

What would be the most optimal uni to go to for employment reasons, like the best university for opportunities, if firms target these unis ect.

Would be greatly appreciated!

Reply 1

AllThingsCCCU

Official Rep

Original post

by Ridwan0606

Hi all,
Recently got offers from
University of Bath - BSc Accounting and Management
University of Manchester - BSc Management (accounting and finance)
University of Nottingham - Bsc Finance, Accounting & Management
What would be the most optimal uni to go to for employment reasons, like the best university for opportunities, if firms target these unis ect.
Would be greatly appreciated!

Manchester is the safest bet overall; it’s been ranked #1 most targeted uni by top employers (High Fliers / The Graduate Market 2026).
Nottingham is also a strong “target-ish” uni for big recruiters (it’s consistently in the High Fliers targeted lists).
Bath is smaller but still very strong for careers, especially if you want a course with a solid business-school vibe and you actually use placements/insight weeks properly.
Real talk: for accounting/finance jobs, all 3 can get you interviews. The difference is usually (1) what you do at uni (spring weeks, societies, internships) and (2) the course structure (modules + placement options), not just the name.

Reply 2

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post

by Ridwan0606

Hi all,
Recently got offers from
University of Bath - BSc Accounting and Management
University of Manchester - BSc Management (accounting and finance)
University of Nottingham - Bsc Finance, Accounting & Management
What would be the most optimal uni to go to for employment reasons, like the best university for opportunities, if firms target these unis ect.
Would be greatly appreciated!

Hi there,

Congrats on all of your offers 🙂

All of those are very good unis, however nowadays what a lot of employers look for isn't which uni you went to but your own personal profile (skills, personality, internships, experience) - I can't really comment about Manchester or Notts and what their provision is like, but here at Bath we have one of the best and most well-supported industrial placement schemes in the country. People on Accounting and Management courses often end up in banks, consultancy firms and also large global businesses such as L'Oreal and Unilever in various business management roles for their year-long placements. This will add its weight in gold to your graduate CV and give you a lot to talk about in future interviews as well as being a fun thing to do between your study years. Also helps to get your foot in the door if you want to apply to the same firm for a job after graduation 🙂

I would also encourage you to think about which of these unis' courses has the modules you think you will enjoy most, which campus/city you feel most at home in/would feel happy living in for 3-4 years, and the cost of living in the areas. Academically I would say that in any of those unis you will have a great quality education, but just remember to look at factors beyond rankings as these cannot tell you what uni will provide you with the best uni experience for YOU.

Hoping this helps, best of luck with your decision!

Reply 3

Ridwan0606

Original post

by University of Bath

Hi there,
Congrats on all of your offers 🙂
All of those are very good unis, however nowadays what a lot of employers look for isn't which uni you went to but your own personal profile (skills, personality, internships, experience) - I can't really comment about Manchester or Notts and what their provision is like, but here at Bath we have one of the best and most well-supported industrial placement schemes in the country. People on Accounting and Management courses often end up in banks, consultancy firms and also large global businesses such as L'Oreal and Unilever in various business management roles for their year-long placements. This will add its weight in gold to your graduate CV and give you a lot to talk about in future interviews as well as being a fun thing to do between your study years. Also helps to get your foot in the door if you want to apply to the same firm for a job after graduation 🙂
I would also encourage you to think about which of these unis' courses has the modules you think you will enjoy most, which campus/city you feel most at home in/would feel happy living in for 3-4 years, and the cost of living in the areas. Academically I would say that in any of those unis you will have a great quality education, but just remember to look at factors beyond rankings as these cannot tell you what uni will provide you with the best uni experience for YOU.
Hoping this helps, best of luck with your decision!

i was considering about switching my course to a placement year, however i don’t want to feel even more behind. Currently on a gap year as i wanted a break from education and i wanted to travel as well as work on projects. However doing so i’m 1 year behind from my cohort, so i’m not sure if i want to do placement and be 2 years behind.

Reply 4

Ridwan0606

Original post

by AllThingsCCCU

I understand the different is the applicant themselves, which is why i’m going to work hard no matter what university I go. However i’m just scared of making the wrong choice and going to the wrong uni haha.

Reply 5

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post

by Ridwan0606

Honestly, if you're a little older than 18 starting from first year no one will notice. My closest friends at uni were 19 and 23 having both taken gap years. The School of Management is large enough that there will be plenty of people choosing to do placements and plenty choosing not to so you'll have familiar faces after placement from your course. It is of course up to you whether you do a placement and its not essential but I found it really helped me prepare for a professional workplace and made my grad fuller compared to other people who perhaps have not had the experience.

I really wouldn't think of doing a 4-year course as putting yourself behind, in fact the majority of students at Bath at undergrad level do placements and its also very common for people to do gap years before applying. So you would by no means be alone or behind!

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 6

Ridwan0606

Original post

by University of Bath

Honestly, if you're a little older than 18 starting from first year no one will notice. My closest friends at uni were 19 and 23 having both taken gap years. The School of Management is large enough that there will be plenty of people choosing to do placements and plenty choosing not to so you'll have familiar faces after placement from your course. It is of course up to you whether you do a placement and its not essential but I found it really helped me prepare for a professional workplace and made my grad fuller compared to other people who perhaps have not had the experience.
I really wouldn't think of doing a 4-year course as putting yourself behind, in fact the majority of students at Bath at undergrad level do placements and its also very common for people to do gap years before applying. So you would by no means be alone or behind!

is it possible to change my course when i start or is there a deadline ?

Reply 7

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post

by Ridwan0606

is it possible to change my course when i start or is there a deadline ?

You would just need to ring us on 01225 383019 - that's the Admissions team number, and we are open from 9-4 in the week. You can also email us on [email protected] but if you ring the answer will likely be faster and you'll get to speak to someone there and then.

I believe you can switch your course between placement and non-placement variants but the sooner you tell us the better, if this is what you'd like to do.

Hopefully this helps 🙂

Reply 8

Ridwan0606

Original post

by University of Bath

You would just need to ring us on 01225 383019 - that's the Admissions team number, and we are open from 9-4 in the week. You can also email us on [email protected] but if you ring the answer will likely be faster and you'll get to speak to someone there and then.
I believe you can switch your course between placement and non-placement variants but the sooner you tell us the better, if this is what you'd like to do.
Hopefully this helps 🙂

I also had a few questions about placements,

1) When do people typically do their placement years?

2) If you cannot land a placement does your degree convert back to a traditional 3 year course?

3) Are you still able to apply to spring weeks as a first year?
This is because i’ve been told when you apply for spring insights, their requirements are usually first year students in a 3-yr degree programme or second year students in a 4-yr degree programme, therefore making first years in a degree with a placement unable to apply to these springs.

Reply 9

Uni of Notts

Official Rep

Hi!

Well done you to have offers from 3 really good universities! 😊

I cannot comment on Bath or Manchester, but I can say that University of Nottingham has been ranked first for graduates entering highly skilled roles for 5 consecutive years.

That aside, you need to consider which courses you feel you will really enjoy, so take a look at the course content. I would also recommend visiting all three to get a ‘feel’ for them. I imagine you have received an invite to attend offer holder days. At Nottingham, and probably the same for Bath and Manchester, this would give you an opportunity to speak to academic staff and current students which would be really insightful. You could then visit accommodation and at Nottingham the sports facilities (again, not sure for the other two).

You could list what is important to you and which ever university has the most ticks may help you to narrow down your choice.

With regards a placement year, I agree with previous comments. Students vary in ages, many take a gap year, and it is about what is best for you and your journey. In the grand scheme of things, 2 years really will not make a difference. For Nottingham, if you want to change your course, you can use the enquiry form to request this and Admissions will review your application to see if the change is possible.

You can find information on our Placement Year here.

I hope this helps, but please feel free to use the enquiry form if you still have questions.

#UoN Official Rep Karen 😊