St Andrews or Durham

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DD is in the great position of having offers from both and does not know which to pick. She has a natural sciences offer from Durham and Maths and Physics for St Andrews. We are in Scotland so about equal distance from both.

Any views on which is generally viewed the better place to study for these courses?

Surely if she is undecided (and they are similar in terms of size of place and a lot of other factors) then St A is the badger - no fees? Or is that not a factor for you and her?

I don't know detail wrt the courses but ofc both are well respected unis and I suspect may offer a similar experience (ie, not a big city, traditional uni-centred experience).

MY DD in a similar position - choosing between these two for an insurance. Other than location, cost etc. she is also looking at the type of research and connections with industry. For example, she is interested in GSK and Durham have partnerships with them. Other thing to look at is rankings, Durham ranks highly for Natural Sciences and St Andrews for physics?

If you're in Scotland surely you won't have to pay any fees if she picks St Andrews?
What does she hope to do as a career?
I'd also have thought there would be more options with a maths and physics degree but of course am willing to be corrected!
(DH went to Durham for languages and had a whale of a time...seems to be a very, er, social, place. )

I was going to say St Andrew's before I knew you loved in Scotland. Since you do live in Scotland and therefore won't have any fees to pay at St Andrew's (?) you'd honestly be a bit silly to choose Durham...?

Based on my two close friends from school, one of whom went to St A's and the other went to Durham, I'd definitely go for St Andrew's.

My friend who went to Durham had an awful time there and her career has not been great either, whereas the St Andrew's graduate has gone on to have a really good career and enjoyed it there too. Similar subjects and if anything, the St Andrew's friend was extremely shy and insecure, so less likely to find uni easy! The Durham friend was super bright and confident but had a terrible time there.

Edit to add that the reason she hated it was that she had to share halls with people who didn't care at all about studying - so the "very social" thing checks out! Great if you want to party but my friend really wanted to study, so think it doesn't always suit studious people there? May depend on college / housemates in halls though

DS loved Durham but it is quite a cliquey place I think. He dropped rugby completely, after playing in the first 15 for his school (very sporty and particualrly good for rugby) because he didn't like the Durham cliques.
But he was very confident and sociable so he got on well there. I wonder if it might be different for girls, though, especially at some of the colleges.

We are in the same position except it's for CS and we don't live in Scotland. My son slightly prefers St Andrews but it's 5 hours away whilst Durham is less than an hour away from home and 3 years instead of 4, so these might be deciding factors...

DD, Scottish, had offers for both and chose St A (not physics). She (and I) was put off by the Durham open day - everything felt cramped and shabby, and the college we were shown as an example of accommodation smelled damp and was pretty dingy. And I do know about student accommodation! So much to love about St A - the beaches, the traditions, the hugely positive student satisfaction scores. DD made a wide range of friends and was definitely on the studying rather than partying side, but still got really involved with fantastic student societies.

You can often skip first year at Scottish Unis if you are studying Maths/ sciences and you have Advanced Highers so you don't always have to do the extra year.

Son in second year at St Andrews doing Maths with physics option in first year.
Loves his course and a surprising number of girls doing Maths

If I was Scottish I'd take an offer from St Andrews over Durham, no question.

Given you live in Scotland and they are equidistant then StA seems the obvious choice. Unless the breadth of natural sciences is a real pull? DS is currently in year2 (biological sciences) at Durham and is very happy. He chose s/c for first year and his flat was not very sociable. He made most of his friends through college sport. Not in any cliques!

I'm glad everyone agrees with me that the fees make St A an obvious choice. Sometimes on MN I feel as tho I am in another world with my mere <£40k income and having to think about these things!

Btw I see my post is poorly worded - when I said (ie, not a big city, traditional uni-centred experience) I mean not a big city, but offering a traditional uni-centred experience (because of not being a big city!)

My son is friendly with lots of maths and physics students at St Andrews and from what he says there are a few more Scottish students in STEM subjects than he found in his Humanities subject,

@clary It’s fairly obvious that saving the money is a no brainer here. If you say save the maintenance by going to Bucks uni (plucked out - no slight intended) as opposed to going to Durham then money should not be a factor! Horses for courses etc. St A is hardly a back number when compared to Durham!

St Andrews is voted the best university in the Uk and you will have no fees. I would go with that one.

So Oxbridge are not counted then?

I think the previous poster may have been referring to The Times and Sunday Times ranking

2 excellent unis, and courses that should open the door, should a DC wish, to well paid careers.

one, Durham, comes with an extra c£25k price tag attached. Three years tuition fees at Durham of £9250 per year, with interest charged from day 1. So perhaps tuition fees alone approaching £30k of “debt”. Presumably StA is four years rather than 3 at Durham so a bit of an offset given one less year at Durham of living costs, assuming some form of maintenance loan taken.

have to admit unless the Durham course really does offer an awful lot more I’m struggling to see any logical reason to choose Durham over StA in this instance.

@TippingPointing the Guardian also ranks it first.

I like Durham, but finances aside, I’d pick St Andrews. Disclosure: my DD is at St Andrews having a wonderful time.

Good to know, DD still waiting to hear back!