So...what's the hierarchy?

I know that the 'league table' rankings vary from year to year and obviously there are universities which do brilliantly in a particular subject area. But I was wondering, reputation-wise, where would you place the unis?

Before I get flamed for this post I should probably make it clear that I’d never make a decision about a university based on prestige alone, and I'm just looking to get a general idea of where different universities stand.

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Reply 1

Ham and Jam

From my own perceptions, for what it is worth, of how universities are "tiered" in reputation, and from teachers, friends etc, I always thought it went something like this

Oxford/Cambridge
LSE
Imperial

UCL

(Next are the "top tens" that have tended to rank the best over the last 2 decades and have been the hardest to get into, and also tend to be the Oxbridge reject universities and considered a bit "posh" )
Warwick
Bristol
Durham
St Andrews
Edinburgh
Nottingham
York

(Borderline top tens, just lacking the prestige or 'eliteness' of the previous group but are very close)
Bath
Kings
Manchester

(the solid red brick sort of universities)
Exeter
Soton
L,boro
Sheffield
B'ham
Newcastle
Leeds
Liverpool etc etc (plenty more Russell Groups unis i could list

Just my own $00.2 before someone shoots me down

Reply 2

Redpanda91

You missed off Leicester :p:

Reply 3

xxxchrisxxx

my personal top ten (approximate).

1. oxbridge
3. lse/icl
5. ucl
6. warwick/bristol/durham
9. bath/edinburgh

but i have to mention that i have ceased to be impressed by anyone's alma mater. my quiet reaction to a person's uni is either "oh that's good" (for oxbridge, ic or lse, but mostly only oxbridge) or "ok" (for the rest of the generally top 25-30 or so unis) or "right (with slightly raised eyebrows)" (for the rest).

Reply 4

MIKE ESSIEN IS QUITE SIK

Ham and Jam

From my own perceptions, for what it is worth, of how universities are "tiered" in reputation, and from teachers, friends etc, I always thought it went something like this

Oxford/Cambridge
LSE
Imperial
UCL

(Next are the "top tens" that have tended to rank the best over the last 2 decades and have been the hardest to get into, and also tend to be the Oxbridge reject universities)
Warwick
Bristol
Durham
St Andrews
Edinburgh
Nottingham
York

(Borderline top tens, just lacking the prestige of the previous group but are very close)
Bath
Kings
Manchester

(the solid red brick sort of universities)
Exeter
Soton
L,boro
Sheffield
B'ham
Newcastle etc etc

Just my own $00.2 before someone shoots me down

this is how i would rank them , also putting leeds and liverpool in the 'solide redbrick' universities

Reply 5

Pete's Dragon

Ham and Jam

From my own perceptions, for what it is worth, of how universities are "tiered" in reputation, and from teachers, friends etc, I always thought it went something like this

Oxford/Cambridge
LSE
Imperial
UCL

(Next are the "top tens" that have tended to rank the best over the last 2 decades and have been the hardest to get into, and also tend to be the Oxbridge reject universities)
Warwick
Bristol
Durham
St Andrews
Edinburgh
Nottingham
York

(Borderline top tens, just lacking the prestige of the previous group but are very close)
Bath
Kings
Manchester

(the solid red brick sort of universities)
Exeter
Soton
L,boro
Sheffield
B'ham
Newcastle etc etc

Just my own $00.2 before someone shoots me down

Ditto, but maybe with Bath in the 2nd group

Reply 6

megaduck

Not bad...my only criticism would be that I don't see UCL as being a cut above the group that people here are putting just below it.

Reply 7

aerob89

heres mien:

1. UCL
2. evthing else

Reply 8

swallows

I don't see why UCL should be a cut above Warwick for instance.

Reply 9

Ham and Jam

megaduck

Not bad...my only criticism would be that I don't see UCL as being a cut above the group that people here are putting just below it.

I must admit I was not sure about that either, and it might be better to put UCL into the second tier, its just that 5 odd years ago there was a noticeable gap between Warwick and UCL which has now closed. I'd still put UCL slightly ahead in intl rep though

Reply 10

silent ninja

swallows

I don't see why UCL should be a cut above Warwick for instance.

Me neither, no bias here :biggrin:

These tables are so exciting(!)

Reply 11

Meekle72

put Leeds and Liverpool into the solid Redbricks (or else!) :p:

Also, would slide Nottingham out of that 'prestige' and put Manchester in it's place, then (imo) the list would loook pretty much right. :yep:

I predict a riot!

Meekle72

put Leeds and Liverpool into the solid Redbricks (or else!) :p:

Also, would slide Nottingham out of that 'prestige' and put Manchester in it's place, then (imo) the list would loook pretty much right. :yep:

Agreed. Personally I'd put Manchester and Leeds above Nottingham. But that's just personal opinion without looking at any league tables. Would probably get rid of that 'borderlin' group altogether and shove them in the 2nd group.

Reply 14

Ham and Jam

Svenjamin

Really? Im very surprised by that, especially Leeds, you'd have to explain that one to me. Shows how there must be some sort of regional bias or something cos at the school i went to (southern private school) no one would put them above Nottingham

Reply 15

Mustang Sally

*waits for the guy that's obsessed with Warwick vs. UCL to comment*

Reply 16

Svenjamin

Ham and Jam

I think it's mainly because when I applied for uni all I cared about was which uni was good at biology rather than in general, and Manc is quite a bit higher than Nottingham. And well, after that the impression sticks. As for Leeds, I dunno, I think personal bias must come into that one (sorry).