QUICK OVERVIEW
How do universities outside London vary ?
Universities outside London can be divided by date of their foundation. The first type is Ancient Universities. There were only two university establishments in England: University of Oxford (before 1167), University of Cambridge (1209) and five in Scotland: University of St Adrews (between 1410 and 1413), University of Glasgow (1451), University of Aberdeen (1495) and University of Edinburgh (1582). These universities, nowadays, offer student a large number of subjects. Moreover, they achieved a great deal of success, and having high rankings in the UK, even in the world, particularly University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.
-The second type is 19th century universities. Apart from University of London, there are four universities founed in this period of time: University of Wales, Lampeter (1828), The University of Durham (1832), The Queen’s University of Belfast (1845) and University of Wale (1893). These Universities is famous for Geography, Engineering and History, Pharmacy respectively.
-Civil univercities is the third type. These universities were distinguished by being non-collegiate institutions that admitted men without reference to religion or background and concentrated on imparting to their students "real-world" skills, often linked to engineering. This includes two groups: Red brick universities (The large civic “red brick” universities all gained official university status before the First World War. The term is inspired by the university of Liverpool’s Victoria Building which is built from a distinctive red pressed brick. All of the red brick institutions have origins dating back to older medical or engineering colleges) such as: University of Birmingham, University of Manchester and Second wave of civic universities such as University of Exeter, University of Southampton.
- Other type is Plate glass universities. Universities founded during the 1960s are called this because of their architectural style. Typical examples of these universities are: University of York, University of Essex,etc.
-Finally is the New university, established from 1992 which take a large proportion of the number of universities in the UK. They all spread over England.
Conclusion regarding the universities outside London:
-Therefore, whether London counts around 40 universities and attracts a great number of students, undergraduates need also to consider the 70 other universities located throughout the United Kindgom. Looking for universities within AND outside London enlarge the range of choices thanks to the diversity of both levels and courses proposed by these universities. Particularly, if a student is searching for a specific course that can only be found outside London or for less competitive courses.
The pros easily outweigh the cons :
- COST
The cost of living is lower than London from food, to accomodation and also for places to go out. Therefore, it provides students more opportunities to save money for other activities. For example, students who study in Bath just spend 6000 pound per year, but students in London are recommended to spend 9000 to 10000 pound on their cost.
- ACCOMODATION
Because the cities are traditionnally smaller, the accomodation is closer to the campus. That ensures students a shorter travelling time between the university and their living place : people just take several minutes to visit friends and go to other places.
- CAMPUS LIFE
Universities outside London concentrate all the activities in the campus. Althought the cities around these univerisities do not offer as many activities as in London, outside London the students are much involved in the activities provided by the campus and that brings a friendlier environment within the campus.
- SECURITY
Life outside London is safer, because the criminal rate is lower. When you go outside at night, you would not be worried about yourself as much as in London.
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Reasons for studying outside London
Whereas studying in London have many advantages in terms of employbility and experiences, the number of students who choose universities outside London is even more. However, what makes students keen to choose other cities than London?
Considering life and value outside London
1. Costs
http://todayilearned.co.uk/2012/05/14/how-young-professionals-spend-money-in-london/
According to NUS (National Union of Students), the average living costs in London is £13,388 compared to £12,056 in other cities for a academic year. Although some say that they can save money in food or clothes, but the main point is the rent. The renting fees in London and outside is £6,143 and £4,834 respectively. If one want to take a degree course at a world-class university such as LSE which located in zone 1 for three years, they must ensure that they have adequte capital sources.
2. Safety
For some parents, sending their children to a high reputation university is important. However for most parents, the safety of their children is the more crucial.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2372911/Degrees-danger-The-universities-students-EIGHT-times-likely-victims-crimes.html Retrieved date 02/11/2013
As can be clearly seen from above, London holds the highest crime rates in the UK. Moreover, most of those cites which have the minority of rates are outside London.
3. View
When one thinks about studying in London, there are many things that will force him to choose this place instead of other European cities.
The metropolitan area of London is the largest in the EU with a total population of 13,614,409, it has a lot of museums, national libraries, and historical sites.
http://www.purepotential.org/university/--university-partners/lse
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Education/article1258487.ece
What is the differences between universities outside London?
1. History
The Industrialization is one of the main reason for which there are more and more Universities outside London.
The big rural areas are becoming small cities and more populated, as a consequence the government tries to provide and satisfy student's needs to study near their home town building new universities. A significant example is whose of East Anglia (Norwhich), which opened its doors in 1963 to a total of only 87 undergraduate students, it now has over 15000 students and this year it was elected as the first university in UK for student satisfaction.
2. Value of the Universities
When one examines in detail the students' choices about the Universities, the majority would look over the rankings. According to University League Table 2013, needless to say Oxford and Cambridge, there are 7 of the top 10 Universities in U.K are outside of London in terms of Entry Standards, Student Satisfiction, Research Assessment and Graduate Prospectusand. Only 3 of them are located inside London. This means that students can have an excellent gradute and do not have to dissipate so much money.
| CUG Rank | University Name | Entry Standards | Student Satisfaction | Research Assessment | Graduate Prospects | Overall Score | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2012 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Cambridge | 593 |  |
4.21 | |
2.98 | |
84.4 | |
1000 | |
| 2 | 4 | London School of Economics | 526 | |
4.01 |  |
2.96 | |
87.8 | |
996 | |
| 3 | 2 | Oxford | 572 | |
4.22 | |
2.96 | |
79.8 | |
995 | |
| 4 | 3 | Imperial College London | 553 | |
3.87 |  |
2.94 | |
87.1 | |
959 | |
| 5 | 5 | Durham | 501 | |
4.10 | |
2.72 | |
78.5 | |
912 | |
| 6 | 6 | St Andrews | 515 | |
4.17 | |
2.72 | |
74.1 | |
855 | |
| 6 | 8 | Warwick | 496 | |
4.00 | |
2.80 | |
77.6 | |
855 | |
| 8 | 7 | University College London | 495 | |
3.95 |  |
2.84 | |
79.9 | |
847 | |
| 9 | 9 | Lancaster | 409 | |
4.05 | |
2.71 | |
73.6 | |
841 | |
| 10 | 10 | Bath | 457 | |
4.08 | |
2.71 | |
79.1 | |
824 | |
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?y=2013
Choices of the past IFP students
Count on the Confirmed final destinations for Queen Mary, University of London IFP students between 2011 and 2013:
-University of Manchester
-University of Kent
-University of Reading
-University of Leeds
These are some universities outside London that are preferred by IFP students in previous years for a variaty of degrees.
It is true that London is very energetic and amazing city for study, but if you want to know more about British people and their lifestyle it will better chance for you to go to other cities of England. People outside London are complitely different ,in the way they talk ,how organize their house, lifestyle where prefer to go,expectetion for life. London are becomeing more and more international and other areas outside London hold more British domestic cultures.
Ancient university
In the United Kingdom, universities established before nineteenth century calls Ancient University, they are Oxbridge and University of Aberdeen, University of Glasgow, University of St Andrews, University of Edinburgh, University of Dublin. Except the latest one, all of them still exist in the United Kingdom and none of them have campus in London.
Because of their long history, those universities have enough times to shape their own culture. Take University of Glasgow and University of Edinburgh as examples, the number of their student societies are higher than King´s College London, which is one of the largest college of University of London. Regardless student societies, those universitis also have high reputation in academia. Besides, even though Glasgow and Endinburgh are not such kind of metropolitan like London, both of them are culture centers of Soctland, so their foundamantal facilities are not bad in contrast to London.
New Universities
In contrast to Ancient Universities, there is another wave of universities established in the United Kingdom. There are a great many of shcool which were polytechnics and not polytechics gain the status of universities after 1992. Most of them do not locat at London. In fact, campare to Ancient Universities which have high international reputation, those new universities are more like some kinds of local universities. For example, Endinburgh Napier University, Nottingham Trent University and Universities of Highlands and Islands. It is not to say that those universities do not have international students, on the contrary, they also hold a graet many foreign students because of the internationlisation of the United Kingdom. They may have relatively more local students and most of them are not famous, nevertheless, some of them still are vigorous and advanced in some specific field. For instance, Nottingham Trent University have over 130 socities and be regarded as "the most enviromentally friendly university in the country" by The Complete University Guide in 2008.