Which university rankings are the most reliable?

[GMH1974]

I'm really confused. Depending on where I look it's very different. Which university is better for Aeronautical Engineering, Southampton or Glasgow?

@GMH Probably Bristol! How many years at Glasgow for MEng? If it’s 5, stay in England. 4 for MEng is better. Bath, Bristol and Southampton are above Glasgow in Complete University Guide. It’s pretty reliable. Ignore The Guardian.

I agree that the Complete University Guide is good, as is The Times. I wouldn’t say The Guardian is bad, but it does focus overmuch on the student experience as refracted through the NSS survey and some other metrics open to wide interpretation.

I like what The Guardian is trying to capture, but their instruments are crude. Not sure it can be done well currently.

Thank you

I actually think data from students 3 plus years after graduating is very useful. When you have had time to reflect on your degree and what you have gone on to do as a result of it puts the degree into better perspective. Was it actually useful. Some info on student satisfaction is crude as hardly anyone responds. That’s a problem with all surveys though.

hardly anyone responds

the last National Student Survey received

324,329 responses.

a response rate of 69%.

the Graduate Outcomes Survey is somewhat lower. HESA indicated a response rate of just below 48%

@boys3. Fair enough. I’m sure I read something very different.

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-information-and-data/national-student-survey-nss/

@TizerorFizz tbh I was quite surprised (thought it lower).

However like you I think the Graduate Outcomes is far more interesting. Although the various IFS reports, which you have referenced on other threads, are arguably more insightful again. And in some instances really quite stark in what they tell us.