All degrees are the same?

[thebluehen]

I don't have a degree, my dp has an HND. We have teen kids who are aspiring to go to Uni.

He keeps telling them that a degree is a degree and they should stay at home and go to the nearest ex poly.

I disagree and think that they should go to the best university they can, wherever that may be.

After all, surely no one would aspire to Oxbridge if all degrees were the same?

But I don't have a degree, so maybe I don't understand. Sigh.

They are not all the same. Then again, you should be happy with your choice. Just because you can get into engineering at Cambridge or Oxford doesn't mean you won't be happier doing drama at Exeter or Norwich.
I studied for a mockworthingly 'soft' undergraduate degree which offered no job prospects whatsoever, but broadened my mind and gave me the basic academic skills to move on into postgraduate study in a much more useful (albeit still not massively profitable) subject which I loved at a really good Oxbridge university. I wouldn't discount my experience of either in contributing to my life as it is now.

As everyone else has said, of course they're not the same. But it does depend on the university and subject as to how they are rated.
So, for example, at one point Oxford Brookes (ex Oxford Poly) was rated one of the best, if not the best for nursing.
Even the top universities vary as to how good they are on a particular subject.

As a very general rule, the more traditional degrees (maths/English/law etc.) are often rated above the more recent ones, (like the often mentioned media studies!) but not always, again, you have to look at them.
I would say discuss with them what they want to do eventually. Some things are as good, or better to learn on the job. If you are going to come out after a degree and start in all but the same position and not be able to rise higher in the end as someone who went at 18yo, then there isn't a lot of point spending 3/4 years studying it.
In which case look and see if apprentices are offered-I had a friend who went to an accountancy apprenticeship at 18yo and he was doing brilliantly in his firm last thing I knew.

Some things like "law" check what degrees they prefer. Problem with a law degree is that you can really only do Law to use it. And Law companies are just as happy with other degrees, but the other degrees haven't restricted you from doing other things.
And dh firm (computer consultancy) has found that anyone who has done a Computer type degree, which you would think would be ideal for the job, is in fact much less well prepared than someone who has done maths/sciences and has a side interest in doing programming. In fact they haven't taken on anyone with even a top looking Computer degree for about 3 years because they have all failed at the aptitude level.

If I just do a brief compare: When I was doing A-level and further maths, dm who coaches maths was asked to tutor a girl doing a maths degree at a local university (which shall remain anonymous) and was struggling in the third year. Dm left one of the papers on the side and I completed it in half the time allowed thinking it was a further maths paper. I got nearly 100%. This was a sample paper for their final exam. (degree mostly based on final exam in those days)
Now there was no way that their degree was going to be worth more than A-level further maths. There was no way that degree could ever be worth the same as a place that started by assuming you had studied further maths, simply because they didn't cover the material. If you only study the material up to C grade, you can't compete with the institution that teaches up to A* grade can you?

In the first few years after I graduated, I know that having a good degree from a top university got me onto short lists for jobs that I didn't really have the experience for. One of which I got, and was a pretty senior role for someone with only a couple of years' work experience.

Now that I've been working for 15 years or so, I don't think it particularly helps - although you could argue that without the boost my degree provided earlier in my career, I might not be where I am now (which is not anywhere particularly senior or earning megabucks, but is a very interesting job that a lot of people are jealous of!)

I think your dh is wrong - a good degree from a good university can be the thing that helps you stand out from a crowd of other recent graduates.

YANBU. Generally speaking, you are right, he is wrong. However, it's not you two doing the degree - the final choice belongs to the DC, after receiving good advice from you not DH.

They are not the same.

The difference in some fields is greater than others.

When I look at cvs a 2:1 from Oxbridge or one or two high ranking others counts as highly in my eyes as a first from lower ranking universities.

If someone had a 2:2 from a very good uni I would be more likely to still interview them than someone with a 2:2 from an average or lower ranking uni.

However, also agree that the Dcs should be happy with their choice and not pick Oxbridge just because they can if those Unis do not cater for their needs, I.e. Choice of courses or extra curricular activies.

Thanks for all the replies.

So how would the funding work if they did go to Uni from home?

Would they get the same grants and loans as if they were away?