Where to do biology degree

[Wotrewelookinat]

Does it matter where your degree is from? DD has offers from 5 unis. Whittled them down to Exeter and Bangor on the modules. Exeter scores higher in all the rankings and she really likes it, but likes Bangor equally, plus she’s very outdoorsy and she has won a scholarship from Bangor of £3000. She is predicted high A level grades. Would she be doing herself a disservice to go to a lower ranking uni? Will a degree from Bangor be as well-regarded as one from Exeter or is this not relevant for future career prospects? (It’s not the RG vs non-RG that we’re worried about, just the rankings.)

Thank you.

There are lots of considerations and it depends what you want to believe.

I think for parents that Exeter has a higher boast factor because it’s higher in league tables. If some of the threads are to be believed it may be easier to get a first at a lower ranking uni. If employers are institution blind then who cares what Uni gave the degree? All they will be looking at is the grade.

If she’s visited both and prefers Bangor then should you advise against because of league tables? It’s her debt, her 3 years. Her choice!

Exeter and Bangor both have excellent reputations for Biology though Exeter probably has a higher ranking overall as a research University and in the jobs market.

They are both quite different in terms of vibe and social mix but I expect she has worked that out already. I'm assuming it is main campus rather than Penryn she is looking at with Exeter. If you DD loves the mountains and outdoor water activities Bangor clearly has the edge.

It is so important to be happy at Uni so place does matter while also having an eye to how future employers may view her degree. E.g. if she was thinking of a career in the City I'dd probably go for Exeter but if looking at research or NGOs either would be good.

The Complete University guide ranks universities by degree area. So for biological science Exeter is 24. Bangor is 76. I’m amazed at 76! Basically entry standards are low and grad prospects are 48%. For a science that’s dreadful. Exeter is 65%. This means over 50.% of grads from Bangor are not doing much after graduation from Bangor. That really would concern me and these two universities are not equal. The scholarship looks like inducement to go there as entry standards are relatively low. Have you looked at all the stats @Wotrewelookinat ?

@TizerorFizz thanks for your reply. We’ve looked at a lot of surveys etc. The Guardian university guide has graduate level employment after 18 months as 83% Bangor and 85% Exeter for biology. It’s tricky when different surveys /guides have different stats.

Graduate level employment is one thing, but one thing that would separate the two is average graduate salaries rather than just the "employed" status and how much of the remainder chose to stay in academia, for example

Bangor are offering her money because they need her more than she needs them.

University choice isn't just about how much you like a specific university or its setting. She has the rest of her life to deal with the consequences of going to a low ranked university and also to have fun hiking or trekking or canoeing or whatever it is that she enjoys doing outdoors.

What sort of career is she looking at after graduation?

@Wotrewelookinat
Lots of people do not think the Guardian ranking is reliable. It’s quirky. They are far apart in ranking though so I would say you can do a lot of outside activities in Devon too!

@curiousllama how do we find that information?

@mathanxiety likely research then conservation work

Lots of opportunities for outdoor activities in Exeter: lovely beach at Exmouth (start of the Jurassic coast), Dartmoor, surfing at Saunton Sands.

@curiousllama
They do not mention salaries. It is based on what is graduate level work or further study.

@Wotrewelookinat Conservation is rarely well paid. It’s usually charity or ngo employment. Research to what level?

@TizerorFizz currently thinking of masters level, though of course this might change. She is aware conservation isn’t well-paid, but doubt she’d be happy in the corporate/big business world.

@Wotrewelookinat There is a middle way! She’s probably not explored all employment avenues at 18. Or met people who are working in a variety of fields.

It’s also not fair for anyone to say Exeter biologists work in the city or for huge corporations. I have found salary matters unless you are funding DC forever more. Masters doesn’t guarantee much either these days. Everyone does them. A conservation masters won’t guarantee better pay. Or even a job. I would take the better university and broaden horizons.

The issue with conservation is that many aspects are run by volunteers. The jobs that are available are open to Environmental scientists, Geographers and other biological science grads. A friend’s DD works on water testing for the National Trust with a geography degree. Her granny bought her a car so she could do the job. She lives at home.,I think it’s good to follow your dreams if someone else pays. Therefore I would check all avenues for employment and university definitely helps do this.

@TizerorFizz thank you so much for all your input. Of course ultimately it’s up to DD but your points have definitely helped me to guide her.

Interestingly, my DS has finished his masters in marine biology at Exeter and is now about to start his PhD at Bangor! Both I would say are highly regarded for biology (marine in DS's position)
He studied in Falmouth, so although he's never actually been to Bangor, it looks like a similar city. Bangor was his insurance place.

@derekthe1adyhamster thats interesting, thank you. What is his phd in? And why did he choose to go to Bangor for it?

Hamza Yassin has lots of good things to say about Bangor!

I think going with her gut, where she feels she will be most settled is important. And she'll then get the most out of her degree.

If she's interested in conservation/wildlife then Exeter. Not just because it's a better uni but because there are more opportunities for wider skills development in the area. A biology grad with no experience is in for a long slog post graduation (regardless of level), but a student that volunteers and takes relevant seasonal work is an attractive prospect. The south west in general is actually a pretty good area to pursue a conservation career, but it's a broad field so it's important to get experience early and work out which area to focus on. For volunteering Exeter is home to Devon Wildlife Trust HQ, there are several National Trust properties in the area, the two national parks, Clinton Devon Estate and RSPB. As a small city it's also the base for lots of ecological consultants who recruit for seasonal surveys, which is a great way to get real world survey experience (very different from the set ups they seem to teach undergrads in uni).

He has PhD place at the school of ocean science, I think it's something to do with ocean floor ecology and ship anchors.....
No choice of where to go as it's a funded place. He did apply for one in Falmouth but didn't get it.
If it's more conservation work she's interested in, the Falmouth campus is amazing, but both areas are in outstanding natural areas. I'm not helping am I 🤣 but neither are a poor choice imo

He's did the integrated masters at Exeter, and had friends who did the year in industry course too....

🤣 and Steve Backshall is a guest lecturer!

If you want a different league table again, The Times Good University Guide (pretty much the best one but paywalled) has Exeter at 24th and Bangor at 25th...

I really don't think they are as different in actuality as that CUG one implies in terms of the study experience. Reputation , yes, possibly. But does that RG prestige actually matter as much in biology as it does in, say , Law?

Bangor on that league table has the higher graduate prospects and the higher student satisfaction.

At the end of the day, either triangulate all 3 league tables , or dump them altogether as being too conflicting.

Correction .. student experience slightly higher at Exeter. Interesting it's Research Quality that is better at Bangor.

@thaneofglamour
It's odd how something like grad prospects can differ so much from ranking to ranking. You would think they could use the same measure! I did comment earlier how poor grad prospects were at Bangor for a science. It seemed too low! One thing about Bangor though: I think it’s popular for post grad. Maybe that’s where research quality comes in? After a first degree elsewhere?