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Broaden your horizons While Russell
One of the ancients, University of St Andrews has provided an excellent quality of education for centuries
NON-RG UNIVERSITIES ARE often more flexible than their highly-selective rivals, USUALLY HAVING LOWER ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS
If you think studying at a Russell Group university is the only option, think again. There are many other high-ranking universities o ering outstanding courses, excellent student satisfaction and employability rates, says SARAH OSHUN-WILLIAMS of Gabbitas Educational Consultancy
Here at Gabbitas, we o en receive enquiries from international students curious about the di erence between Russell Group (RG) and non- Russell Group universities, and the bene ts of each. Although the RG is o en attractive due to the well-known names within it, it’s always worth considering other options, where students have the chance to pursue speci c highly-ranked courses as opposed to just the traditional sciences and humanity subjects.
Russell Group universities
e RG consists of 24 prestigious universities who all play a signi cant role in the cultural and economic life of the UK, and all share a common characteristic: their focus on producing leading research and maintaining a reputation for strong academic achievement.
Given their reputability, RG universities tend to have very rigorous admissions criteria. eir entry requirements are o en higher than those of other universities, leading to a competitive admissions process, especially for the more highly sought-a er courses, like medicine, sciences, economics, and law.
University of Bath ranks high in the league tables each year
Non-Russell Group universities
Despite the RG’s popularity for both British and international students alike, there are approximately 106 other universities in the UK outside of the group that perform equally as well and sometimes even better; are known for their academic excellence; teaching and employability rates; and o er unique courses.
For example, notable names such as St Andrews, and Bath rank consistently high in league tables each year, yet they are not part of the RG, even though they are o en mistaken to be because of their outstanding performance and provision of excellent quality education.
More non-RG universities include Loughborough known for its excellence in criminology, media, and sports; Royal Holloway for its sciences and management; SOAS for its development studies, anthropology, and politics; and City University for its strong business and industry links.
Non-RG universities are o en more exible than their highly selective RG rivals, usually having lower entry requirements. Of course, this depends on the degree – some courses still have high entry requirements, but they tend to be more realistic or achievable. While St ▲
SPECIALIST COURSES
Goldsmiths, University of London
BA Promotional Media
Royal Holloway, University of London
BSc Earth, Climate and Environmental Change
University of Greenwich
BA Film and Television Production
University of Bath
BEng Electronic Engineering with Space Science and Technology BSc Sport Management and Coaching
Loughborough University
BSc Chemistry with Computing MSc Construction Project Management with Building Information Modelling
City, University of London
BSc Investment and Financial Risk Management BSc Music, Sound and Technology
Heriot-Watt University
Stowe students are now more aware MSc Brewing and Distilling ▲ of the vocational routes on o er
The University of Leicester has a silver TEF rating Royal Holloway has more accessible entry requirements than Russell Group universities
Andrews requires AAA-AAB for medicine, Imperial – an RG university – requires A*AA- AAA for the same degree. While Durham (RG) requires AAB for business management, both the University of Westminster, and Royal Holloway require lower at ABB-BBC and AAB- ABB for the same degree, respectively.
Notably, there’s o en less rigidity and, in some cases, more willingness to consider applicants who fall short by a few marks or have complicated cases with their grades and educational background. Additionally, they are o en happy to consider late applicants (aside from UCAS Clearing). is is due to non-RG universities usually still having spaces available, which in comparison is unlikely at RG universities, due to being oversubscribed, making chances of available spaces a er initial admission deadlines small.
Quality of education
In the past, the quality of education provided by non-RG universities has been questioned, especially internationally. One thing that has helped change this view is the option to participate in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), which measures the quality of the student experience provided by each university, especially within the areas of teaching, learning, and graduate employability or further study outcomes.
Participating universities are awarded bronze, silver or gold. Not all RG universities participate but for those that do, most achieve silver and gold awards. However, there are many non-RG universities that achieve the same awards. For instance, Bath and
CASE STUDIES
How we did it
Aryana, 19
INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION COURSE (IFC) AT SOAS UNIVERSITY
from Pakistan “The course equipped me with important skills to thrive well at university. For example, how to write a good and analytical essay at an advanced level.
The teachers have been so helpful and easily accessible. Although, I was unable to enjoy the complete university experience on campus, due to Covid-19, my lectures were online. However, I always had access to support and advice when needed.
I intend to continue my studies at SOAS and apply for an International Relations and Politics undergraduate degree. Coming from Pakistan, my high school qualifi cations were not able to provide direct access onto an undergraduate degree in the UK, so a foundation course was my only option. I was really pleased to receive an o er from SOAS because I appreciate the university’s focus on Africa and the Middle East, which I very much look forward to delving into upon completion of my foundation year.”
Tammy, 25
ACCOUNTING AND MANAGEMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX
from Hong Kong “I was unsure what I wanted to study at university but I’m so glad I chose accounting and management. It was a very useful degree; I was also allowed to choose di erent modules to tailor my degree to my interests, for example I really enjoyed Management Psychology.
At university I played hockey – joining the hockey club was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I would say that my friends from the hockey club made my university experience; we had regular training sessions and attended social events. We also did a lot of volunteering, helping local charities to raise money. I’m still in regular contact with all my university friends and I absolutely loved the experience.”
University of Hull has a silver TEF rating and is in the Northern University ranking top five
University of Bradford is renowned for technology degrees and cutting-edge research
Loughborough have all attained the gold award, as have the universities of Cambridge and Imperial College, as seen on the Office for Students, officeforstudents.org.uk.
Additionally, Brunel, City University, and Brighton have all achieved the silver award, just like King’s College, UCL, and Bristol.
Evidently some of the participating RG universities have the silver award while some non-RG universities have gold. Indicating that, despite not being a part of the RG, an excellent quality of education is still offered within these types of institutions.
Specialist courses
Another great advantage of non-RG universities is their reputation for providing specialist courses, allowing students the opportunity to choose a degree that is tailored more to their interests, or focused on a specific field of study.
Some examples include Greenwich University, the University of Westminster, and Goldsmiths, who, despite usually ranking lower down league tables, offer some of the most unique courses in art and design, business, media, music, technology and more. Many students opt for these universities because of the unique courses they offer, which RG universities do not always provide.
Student life
Universities in the UK actively ensure that international students settle in well for the duration of their studies. This is evident in the wide range of support and well-being services on offer, some including help with immigration issues, finding accommodation, academic support, careers advice, and counselling. Some universities even go as far as assisting students with arranging airport transfers, creating international clubs and societies and student buddy systems, allowing current students to offer support to the new, as well as helping them to make friends.
Many students praise non-RG universities on their welcoming and multicultural atmosphere, and for regularly organising social events to encourage networking. Often commended is Royal Holloway for its network of support, sense of belonging and community feel.
In summary, there are many non-RG universities that perform just as well as those within the RG, and provide equally satisfying environments, support and student experience, meaning that it’s definitely worth considering them when making applications to UK universities as an international student.
