“The Russell Group”, it is probably a term you hear quite a lot when searching for university courses and where to go. Most universities will try to sell you their university by showing you satisfaction figures, graduation numbers and even some famous people who went there. For a small group of universities, they will be proud to declare that they are part of something called “The Russell Group”. What is it and why study at a Russell Group University?
What is a Russell Group University?
A university is defined as an education establishment that offers both undergraduate and postgraduate education. The United Kingdom has 109 universities with a further 133 higher education college that offer undergraduate degrees. These are not universities because of the lack of PG provision. Twenty four of these 109 universities are part of something called The Russell Group and to study at a Russell Group University comes with prestige and advantages, but why?
Effectively, The Russell Group is the 24 elite of the 109 institutions. Formed in 1994, The Russell Group started out as a group of 17 elite universities (in alphabetical order): Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Imperial College London, Leeds, Liverpool, LSE, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, UCL and Warwick. Later on, Cardiff and King’s College London (1998) joined. Later still, Durham, Exeter, Queen Mary London and York joined (2012) to form a powerful body of 24 elite researcher centres.
Their aim is to attract the most funding, the best researchers and facilities, staff, students and to lead research in the areas where they are expert. This is all well and good for their own status, but what are the benefits to you as a student?
Why Study at a Russell Group University?
To study at a Russell Group University means you are receiving some of the best education and research standards in the country and in some cases, the world – ten Russell Group Universities are ranked in the top global 30 universities. If you want to go on to postgraduate study and towards a Doctorate then this can certainly help you in your career. If you don’t want to go down the academic career route, then you will still be at an advantage.
- Their student satisfaction rates are higher than at universities not part of that group – with some complaints by students about the quality of their courses and higher tuition fees, the near guarantee of high quality teaching is certainly a draw
- Because they are far more selective about the prospective students to whom they offer places, their dropout rates are lower than the average. You will also generally find higher entry requirements
- On average, graduates from Russell Group Universities earn a 10% higher salary and have access to greater opportunities and more prestigious employment areas
Students take in a wide variety of factors when choosing a university and it isn’t an automatic assumption that a Russell Group University will help you get into your chosen career path. Choose wisely!