This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Reputation of Scottish Universities in Scotland

I live in London and this is how they view the reputation of Scottish universities in my area.

The Leaderboard

1. Edinburgh - Edinburgh is viewed as being second to Oxford and Cambridge and is seen as highly prestigious.

=2. St Andrews - Nobody has heard of St Andrews.

=2. Glasgow - Nobody knows a single thing about the University of Glasgow, but they assume it's crap because the city has an awful reputation in London.

So how do these universities reputations fare in Scotland among the Scots?

Reply 1

RightSaidJames

16

I'm not from Scotland, but I'd like to add that St. Andrews is typically known across the country for being good for golf and for being in the middle of nowhere.

Reply 2

-Neon-

I would have put St. Andrews first for most subjects, Edinburgh second only slightly ahead of Glasgow.

Reply 3

Menelwen

Edinburgh = incredible

I can't believe I'm actually going ! <3

Reply 4

necessarily benevolent

14

I thought you were banned from making threads. :holmes:

(*reports thread to mod* :ninja:

)

Reply 5

Mayze59

Strathclyde is very underrated and imo is in the top 1% of Business uni's in Europe.

Reply 6

gyyy2807

14

I'd say:

1) St. Andrews
2) Edinburgh
3) Glasgow.

and loads of people have heard of st. andrews.

Reply 7

mathematics91

i think its really stupid how people just have an unfair opinion of glasgow university just because of someparts of the city.its like saying imperial is rubbish because some parts of london are dumps .(and no im not trying to compare glasgow to imperial)

Reply 8

terpineol

14

On what I've gathered it goes with most people here

1) St-Andrews
2) Edinburgh
3) Glasgow
4) Aberdeen
5) those pseudo unis, tayside, caledonian, etc...

Many scots feel st andrews is too english and thus prefer to think of edinburgh as the best.

I'm not sure how one would rank things more objectively, thats just what one picks up.

Reply 9

Ekpyrotic

13

Still around I see.

Reply 10

0404343m

17

Down South, the outdated reputation of the city of Glasgow probably hurts the University's reputation, and the size of St Andrews/ a certain event in 1999 seem to make it seem elite. In terms of actual academic standards, theres nothing to pick between Glasgow/Edinburgh/St Andrews, and most in the central belt of Scotland (and indeed the UK) would see those three as the best. In Scotland, they'd probably be considered equal, and probably in much of England, while most would regard the academic standards as pretty nigh on identical (they are, just no one seems to understand stats these days), Glasgow would probably be edged out based on ye olde view the city is a dump. This will (probably) change with the generations though- most teachers and parents remember Glasgow of the 70s, which in turn trickles through to teenagers. Thousands aren't put off though, out of around 30,000 applicants per year, 10,000 are from outwith Scotland. They're all the best known abroad too- well at least from people I know in and out of academia in North America- they're usually the only three they've heard of. Usually its because of the cities, St Andrews has the royal connection thats put it on the American's radar, and caused thousands of eligible young girls from the States to apply in 1999. Funny that. In terms of the money they turnover and draw in from their research, Glasgow and Edinburgh together outperform the rest of the Scottish Universities put together- research wise, they're certainly on the radar among the largest ten in the UK. St Andrews obviously is hindered by its location, so produces comparitively very little, but what it does do is usually high quality.

Aberdeen is probably next, and its ability to attract the very best on a consistent basis (although there are many good students there) in terms of both applicants and staff, is hampered by its location, as Andrew Marr would say "on the periphery of the British experience, remote from the central belt of Scotland nevermind London" (he was actually talking of oil industry here, but meh, same difference). Again, its location hits it rep, although unlike Glasgow its not thought of as rough, merely cold, wet and remote. St Andrews by comparison is a full two hours closer to most of the major English cities, and around one hour from Edinburgh. Reputation among the public and reputation among people in the know are two totally different things though.

After this, Strathclyde/ Heriot Watt or Dundee, followed by Stirling- aka the 60s Unis. All broadly similar, Dundee's link with St Andrews and Strathclyde's resources by being in the middle of most of Scotland's population have meant in general they've been able to compete in lots of areas with the ancients. After this, it doesn't really matter. Not that RGU or Caledonian aren't good for certain things (notably pharmacy or optometry), merely that to compare an institution which really only has two or three areas and dozens of weaker ones, is probably unfair to the institution in question. I certainly wouldn't look down on anymore for attending Caledonian for certain subjects, or Abertay for its Computer Games course, thanks to its links with Rockstar, its probably one of the best places to go.

Reply 11

jaaay89

1) Tie between Edin and St. Andy
2) Glasgow
3) Aberdeen
4)Dundee
5) All those other uni's with fake names like Robert Gordon etc... not that they are bad uni's but not amazing.

As for Glasgow's reputation, well from what I know it has a good rep mostly anyway. It is one of the top 100 in the world, and Glasgow (if you get to know the thing without judging) is a great city. I have lived in Glasgow all my life and I have yet to be stabbed, raped or mugged (was almost mugged in Motherwell though, but that isn't Glasgow).

Edinburgh is a great uni but something about it doesn't scream *I'm f*cking amazing* and I don't know what, so that's MY opinion. I'm going to Aberdeen which I admit is the 4th best Scottish uni... but it's better than Glasgow for my subject (Zoology) on one of those daft meaningless tables. At the end of the day, I always say, if you get a 1st at Glasgow Caledonian it's better than a 3rd from Glasgow Uni.

Also saying that English people don't know St ANdrews? What? How? It's one of the best unis around and even that Prince went to it which boosted the rep a lot. What I will say is that there is a load of English unis that MOST English people probably have not even heard of, which can't be good?

Reply 12

Oddjob39A

15

I always thought that Glasgow had an underserved reputation (much like Liverpool)

And then I actually visited Glasgow. It's a hole.

On a different note - The city of Edinburgh is beautiful and the university amazing. If I could be instantly admitted to any uni in the world, it would be Edinburgh without a doubt.

Ironically, they are the only uni that rejected me for undergraduate.

Bastards.

Reply 13

Redders

From what i can gather its between Edinburgh and St Andrews, generally if your at Edinburgh you say Edinburgh is the best and vice versa but I don't think it makes a terrible amount of difference they are just different

Reply 14

FyreFight

14

Oddjob39A

I always thought that Glasgow had an underserved reputation (much like Liverpool)

And then I actually visited Glasgow. It's a hole.

On a different note - The city of Edinburgh is beautiful and the university amazing. If I could be instantly admitted to any uni in the world, it would be Edinburgh without a doubt.

Ironically, they are the only uni that rejected me for undergraduate.

Bastards.

Someone from Liverpool calling Glasgow a hole? Careful pal, you're on some pretty thin ice there... :p:

Reply 15

growly

necessarily benevolent

I thought you were banned from making threads. :holmes:

(*reports thread to mod* :ninja:

)

I hope I'm replying to the right person here, umm....

UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL....but then I AM from London...but my gran's Scottish and agrees with me that on the whole Glasweigan's (sorry for spelling, my bad) accents are utterly incomprehensible (spelling, I know, seems rather hypocritcal) but then she should try understanding some (yes, definitely implies there's more than one) of my Russian lecturers...boy, that's difficult!

If I'd stayed in London I would've chosen UCL, especially as I don't think I would've quite got into Imperial to do ChemEng with 3 Bs...also I did get them from Hackney Community College ('nuff said) and Bath accepted me onto their MEng course so can't be that bad.

Ahem, UCL.

Scottish unis are generally ****...sorry!

Although I would like to see Edinburgh at some point of the year when it's not -5 C...July, August...anyone?!

Reply 16

munn

16

all three of those universities are worldwide renowned
it's only english people who don't seem to know it

Reply 17

FyreFight

14

growly

I hope I'm replying to the right person here, umm....

UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL....but then I AM from London...but my gran's Scottish and agrees with me that on the whole Glasweigan's (sorry for spelling, my bad) accents are utterly incomprehensible (spelling, I know, seems rather hypocritcal) but then she should try understanding some (yes, definitely implies there's more than one) of my Russian lecturers...boy, that's difficult!

If I'd stayed in London I would've chosen UCL, especially as I don't think I would've quite got into Imperial to do ChemEng with 3 Bs...also I did get them from Hackney Community College ('nuff said) and Bath accepted me onto their MEng course so can't be that bad.

Ahem, UCL.

Scottish unis are generally ****...sorry!

Although I would like to see Edinburgh at some point of the year when it's not -5 C...July, August...anyone?!

Bizarre statement.

Reply 18

Oddjob39A

15

FyreFight

Someone from Liverpool calling Glasgow a hole? Careful pal, you're on some pretty thin ice there... :p:

Fair enough, Liverpool isn't exactly Rome or Paris. But it's a damn sight better than Glasgow.

Capital of drug use/knife violence is an accolade no city wants (i.e. Glasgow)

Lowest violence rate in any metropolitan area outside London (i.e. Liverpool, ahem) now thats another story.

Having said that, the University of Glasgow is pretty decent. Actually, it's amazingly solid. It's just a shame it's in Glasgow, that's all.

Why hasn't anyone remarked on Dundee University? Or Robert Gordon University? Both are fantastic. (Robert Gordon has the best Graduate Job Entry employment rate in the whole of Scotland - if you want to be earning 50k a year by the age of 25, go to RGU for things like Manufacturing, Art, Design, and energy related industries, such as oil and offshore drilling. There is a reason why Aberdeen is nicknamed the Dubai of Europe).

Reply 19

MittenKrust

11

growly

I hope I'm replying to the right person here, umm....

UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL UCL....but then I AM from London...but my gran's Scottish and agrees with me that on the whole Glasweigan's (sorry for spelling, my bad) accents are utterly incomprehensible (spelling, I know, seems rather hypocritcal) but then she should try understanding some (yes, definitely implies there's more than one) of my Russian lecturers...boy, that's difficult!

If I'd stayed in London I would've chosen UCL, especially as I don't think I would've quite got into Imperial to do ChemEng with 3 Bs...also I did get them from Hackney Community College ('nuff said) and Bath accepted me onto their MEng course so can't be that bad.

Ahem, UCL.

Scottish unis are generally ****...sorry!

Although I would like to see Edinburgh at some point of the year when it's not -5 C...July, August...anyone?!

Stereotypical somewhat? I need subtitles to understand many English shows like Hollyoaks or Eastenders or whatever so the entire UK has hard to understand accents.

Scotland isnt some artic country, in fact since I have moved from central/Southern Scotland to Northern England im actually far colder down here and noticed more rain, in the last 2 flats I had in Scotland, even at their coldest in the winter months felt warmer than my flat in England in this nice time of year when its warm during the day!

Reputation of Scottish Universities in Scotland

Related discussions

Articles for you