Choosing a university

If you have decided that undertaking a degree course at a UK university is the right path for you (see our should I apply to university section if you are still uncertain), then there are two important decisions you need to make next:

• Which undergraduate course to study
• Which university you would like to go to

In this section, we look at what you should consider when deciding which university to attend.

General factors

When deciding which university to attend, there are a few general things you may want to consider before researching more specific factors. These might include:

• Whether you want to attend your local university or move way from home. If you choose to leave home, how far away do you want to be?

• Does the university have all the facilities you require, such as a gym, outdoor sports grounds, car parking, etc? 

• How big is the university itself, and how many students attend? Would you prefer to go to a larger or smaller institution?

• Where is the university located? Do you want to go to a university in a big city or somewhere quieter? Remember that the cost of living will be higher in large cities, which may affect your budget significantly.

• Based on your expected A level grades, is it likely you would get onto your course following a conditional offer from the university?

League Tables

A good way to start researching which university to go to is to look at university league tables. You can look at university ratings in the Guardian and the Times. This will allow you to see how well a particular university is doing in comparison to others by recording marks for research quality, student satisfaction, entry standard, completion, plus other important aspects. A higher placing in the table generally means facilities, grades and teaching standards are better.

As well as comparing universities in general, you can also view subject league tables here. So if you’ve already decided which degree course you want to do, you can see which are the best universities to attend for studying that particular subject. A higher placing in the table means more student satisfaction, better career prospects and more money spent per student.

Remember that going to a university higher up in the league tables does not automatically mean you will achieve better grades – whilst the quality of the teaching, etc. may be better than other universities, it is down to the individual student how well they perform during the course.

You can also check out our own university reviews section, for honest views on life at various universities straight from students who've attended them.

Unistats.com is a useful website that allows you to research subjects and universities before deciding where to apply to. You can compare subjects, compare universities and colleges, look at student satisfaction ratings and find out the figures for getting a graduate job after completing a course.

Unistats also has the results of the National Student Survey and some statistical information on universities, colleges, subjects and teaching style.

Student support and services

Check whether the university offers all the necessary support to students to maintain their well-being – this includes careers advice, a personal tutor system, counselling, a safety bus, and a union society.

Social activities

The social side of university is a very important part of student life, so it’s important to make sure the range of social, sports and cultural activities and clubs offered by the university match your requirements. Taking a degree isn’t all about studying – you need to balance your life as a student with some fun! It may take you a little while to find the right balance between working and socialising, but you will find your feet eventually.

Friends

Some students let their friend’s choice of university influence their own decision on which institution to attend. Whilst you may feel better having the security and comfort of your friends around you, it also reduces the chances of you striking up new friendships.

This could isolate you from the main crowd, which you don’t really want if you’re going to be studying with these people for 3 years. Even if you go to the same university as your friends, you may actually find that you won’t see them very much if they are taking a different course and therefore have a different timetable.

Making a decision

Having already decided the course you want to do will make narrowing down a university to attend easier. If you are still uncertain what course you will be taking, it is worthwhile checking out the teaching quality, facilities and social aspects of universities and compare them to try and pinpoint some specific areas where you would be interested in attending university.

You can also visit the universities you are thinking of applying to by going to one of their open days. These will be advertised on their website, and will allow you to get the feel of a place by going on a tour with one of the attending students, as well as offering you the opportunity to ask questions about the social environment, facilities, and any other aspects you wish to know more details on. Don’t forget to contact the university for a prospectus, or grab a copy on the open day, as this will have information on courses and the institution in general.

Looking at the factors above, it’s important to realise that you should consider many things when deciding on your university – there’s no point making a decision based on one or two characteristics, as you are likely to find it doesn’t meet all your needs.

Each university is unique, although won’t appeal to every prospective undergraduate – it may take a bit of research, but hopefully you will find a university that attracts you more than others, and you will know this is the right one for you.