University league tables are a popular tool for students when choosing a university and a course to study, especially since there are so many available. But how valuable are league tables really when choosing your university?
In allowing students to view and compare universities side-by-side – something that is very difficult otherwise – these tables can be really helpful. But you should be careful not to give them too much weighting. Just because a university is at the top of a league table doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the right one for you, and similarly, just because one is towards the bottom of a league table doesn’t mean it’s not right for you.
Student feedback
Many league tables use student feedback towards ranking scores, and this is one figure that many students, myself included, pay particular attention to. But, although this shows the view of those who have experienced the university first hand, just because some students dislike a university, doesn’t mean that you necessarily will. So these figures, and indeed a university’s overall ranking, shouldn’t be put before your own experience at a university open day and the course’s quality.
Excluded areas
League tables don’t include everything that will be useful for a prospective undergraduate to consider. Many of these excluded areas are important, but left out because they are difficult to turn into a numerical value. These include resources and facilities, the flexibility of the course and its modules, and the assessment methods used. And all of these factors, and more, can affect how you feel about the course, whether you will enjoy it and whether the assessments suit your strengths.
Employment chances
Most importantly, a university’s league table ranking will not affect your future employment chances. Despite what many believe, employers do not sort job applications depending on which university you went to, and whether it was in the top ten or not. Instead, it is a high class of degree, relevant work experience and university activities that graduate employers look for. So, it is the class of degree that makes the difference, not the university you got it from.
To conclude…
Although league tables can be helpful, they shouldn’t be used as the only source of information with which to research universities. League tables should be used alongside other sources such as university prospectuses and open days, which will give you a greater feel for the university. This is a much more important indicator of whether the university is right for you.
So stop obsessing over those league tables, and concentrate on finding the right degree and university for you, where you can fill your CV with relevant experiences and useful skills. If you choose a university that suits you, rather than because it’s highly ranked, you will be more likely to succeed. And this will be much more important after graduation than how highly your university ranks in this year’s league table.
Do you think university league tables are important? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo: AJ Cann
Second year History undergraduate.
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