Hey guys, I’ve been trying to establish a list of schools in the US that would be equivalent to their UK counterparts. I’m considering heading to my US for my masters and I would like understand the value of my UG education in the UK so as to better understand my possible career prospects in the US.
This is the list that I have currently established:
Tier 1: HPYSM = Oxbridge
Tier 2: Lower Ivies + Near Ivies = LSE + UCL + ICL
Tier 3: Emory / Vandy tier schools = Durham + Warwick
Is this a fair list? I’m basing this off THE, ARWU and QS (and from personal experience).
I notice that Brits like to equate the UK unis to American privates (even though all UK unis are public). In any case, yes, Oxbridge=HYPSM, LSE=Ivies, UCL/ICL=UMich/UCLA, Durham/Warwick=UNC/NYU/UCSD, I’d say…
In any case, what is this for?
In terms of the brand of undergrad, it depends on who the audience is. Academics and those in global prestige industries would know the UK uni pecking order as well as Brits do, so there would be no need for a translation.
Average American on the street would know of Oxbridge and consider then Ivy-equivalent, probably know of LSE and think they are good. Maaaaybe know about ICL’s rep and that royals go to St. A and know pretty much nothing else about any other UK uni.
I’m considering doing a masters in the US after my UK education (since UG in US is so expensive!) and have heard that my UG institution affects any sort of potential career development should I choose to do that in the US (not my main intention, but it’ll be a good to have). I am trying to keep as many doors open as possible.
LSE > UCL and ICL? My impression was they’re pretty much the same. Good to know that the US perceives it to be on a different level. The power of branding haha.
TBH I’d personally consider schools like UCL and ICL to be comparable to schools like Columbia (or JHU, since UCL is a powerhouse in neuro/biomed research) and Caltech. Looks like I’d have to adjust my expectations a little.
In terms of grad school placement in the US, which schools will be better? Or will they all be equally known and respected by grad schools?
Thanks for sharing btw, couldn’t get much info on TSR.
“have heard that my UG institution affects any sort of potential career development should I choose to do that in the US”
If you went to undergrad in the UK, after you get an American Masters, no, not really, unless you went to Oxbridge, maybe.
LSE is harder to get in to than ICL and UCL (for both Brits and Internationals) as well:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/10/19/which-elite-universities-have-the-highest-offer-rates/
Granted, for placement in to the City/MC, Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, and Warwick are all tops for Brits.
UCLA and UMich are also research powerhouses, if you’ve noticed.
“In terms of grad school placement in the US, which schools will be better? Or will they all be equally known and respected by grad schools?”
Get a First. At the very worst a 2:1. That would matter more if you don’t get in to Oxbridge.
Fair, haha. Oh gosh but LSE is really… It’s like you travel halfway around the world to be tortured 
Yep! LSE is really competitive! That being said, it’s my understanding that if you are only looking at students with straight As for A’ Levels, the acceptance rate is similar. While it’s true that LSE places better, UCL, ICL and LSE are all equally good for placement into BB (McKinsey effectively only recruits from Oxbridge) and other firms in the city.
Hmm… I see. That’s good to know 'cause that makes things significantly easier for me. I’m definitely leaning towards the UK now. @PurpleTitan thanks for your insights!
^ Oh, I thought you were talking about UK uni only.
For American colleges, your undergrad network and brand certainly could matter, but most of those that give you a big boost are much harder to get in to than the UK unis outside Oxbridge (and maybe LSE).
The biggest positive to American colleges is the flexibility of the curriculum. You usually don’t have to declare a major until later on.
BTW, some American unis give you credit for A-levels.
Hmm, that’s true, though I don’t think it’d be a wise choice to pick UMich or UCLA over a school like UCL, IMO there’s really no comparison there, UCL is definitely a more prestigious school. Further, even with AP credits at UMich or UCLA, it’ll still cost more than UK universities.
UCL for example, is a target school for BB (in MBB), IB, HFs and AM firms, but UMich / UCLA aren’t really targets. Getting into BB or IB from UMich or UCLA would certainly be more difficult when compared with UCL. That’s why I thought it was interesting when you paralleled UMich with UCL but not schools like Columbia or Penn.
Prestige aside, the academics at UCL, LSE or ICL (barring Oxbridge) are, according to my seniors, significantly more rigorous than the academics at comparable US institutions like Berkeley or Columbia. A few of my seniors went from UCL to Columbia (for their masters) and breezed through their Columbia years because they have finished the majority of their syllabus at the UG level.
The flexibility and the value of a liberal arts education is something that I’m really interested in. However, the cost of a US UG education is equivalent to a UG degree + 2 years of masters education from the UK. I can argue that taking contrasting masters subjects in the UK would effectively lead to a pseudo-liberal-arts education, albeit one not as comprehensive in breadth as that of the US.
As much as I’d like to study at the UG level in the US, the cost, the current sociopolitical situation and the sheer (some might say unwarranted) competitiveness makes it a lot less attractive than a comparable education from the UK.