Bath, Edinburgh or Exeter for Economics?

[wishIwasinsagaponack]

DD is currently struggling to decide between firming Bath (AAA), Edinburgh (A*AA) and Exeter (AAA) for Econ. First exam on Monday, so she could really do without the distraction at this stage. I was wondering if anyone has an opinion regarding these Unis with regards to reputation/career prospects. DD's heart is slightly with Exeter as she loves the campus and the all round fun vibe. Her instincts are leading her towards Bath due to support for year in industry and belief that having some experience on her CV upon graduation could be beneficial. She is quite practical/determined. However, she is battling with the historic prestige of Edinburgh. She is aware that she is very fortunate to have great options.

In terms of career prospects, I'm conscious that it's very early days and likely this will change over the next few years. However at the moment one of the options she is very interested in is IB (knowing that its a very very long shot and very aware that these Unis are not targets). Not in investment banking/corporate finance but more interested in sales & trading, asset management and researching a few other areas also. She is also open to other paths.

We've suggested that career prospects won't differ massively with these options and to choose based on where you think you'll have a happy Uni experience.

My DD did Economics at Edinburgh and loved it. She threw herself in to everything she could, despite being blighted by Covid for 2 years. She did not restrict herself to an English public school bubble - lived with actual Scottish people who are still friends.

Her entry requirements were much lower. I think she started out with an AAA offer, but they twice reduced it - AAB then ABB. They like full fee-paying students. The course was really flexible and offered lots of opportunities for interesting optional modules.

She was never interested in casino banking, and is now a senior economist in the civil service.

was your DD from the English school system and Alevels @CraftyGin ? I've heard a couple of people say how their kids have struggled a bit switching between English / Scottish school qualifications and then degree subjects because syllabuses can be quite different. The first and second year in Scotland are also quite different to English unis as you tend to pick from a range of subjects so it's more like doing an A-level year again. This can be advantageous if you're not sure what you want to specialise in but if you do it might feel like a bit of a waste of time.
If she likes the campus vibe of Exeter then Edinburgh is the polar opposite of that with the uni buildings and accommodation spread over quite a large area of the city. You'd also be paying tuition fees and other living expenses for 4 years rather than 3 and the cost of living is far from cheap despite it being "up north"!

Yes, she did A-levels in Surrey.

He A-grade A-levels (Economics, Mathematics, Chemistry) gave her maximum half a term head start.

@CraftyGin Thanks for sharing your DD's experience. Lovely to hear about her time at Edinburgh and that she made lovely friends and has had great career success. Also really helpful to know that A levels only provided half a term head start. Thats not as much as I thought. But still nice to have while you find your feet/get settled.

@MiddleAgedDread thats a very good point regarding campus. DD did think she would prefer a campus with a couple of exceptions, Edinburgh being the primary one. I agree they are both totally different experiences but both sound great for different reasons. As you can see, I am of no help to her in terms of making a decision. The cost is a definite factor but I was trying to not make it about that in the first instance, in case Edinburgh was discounted on other factors.

I went to Edinburgh back in the 1990s and even then I though the level of education (contact hours) was pretty dire. It's gotten worse since then - so my friends tell me who have children at Edinburgh. Bath on the other hand, has a required year out in the real world between years 2 and 3. So its a four year experience (like Edinburgh) but you only pay for 3 years, PLUS, your child has work experience when they start applying for jobs. So I'd take Bath over Edinburgh. I have no idea about Exter.

Bath is exceptionally highly regarded for economics.

My DD is at Edinburgh, having a fabulous time and very happy with the education and contact hours and I think most of her friends are the same. But it could be quite subject specific. My DD is studying history and Arabic and I think most of her friends are on MFL or humanities courses. Worth taking a look at contact hours.

I believe Exeter will have a placement year as well - it is an option even if you've not explicitly applied to it on UCAS, it's something you can switch onto I believe.

But with all unis that have a work placement year, it is down to the student to find the job and the competition is fierce. Many don't secure a job and have to fall back to the three year degree.

@pab54pab54 I think Edinburgh definitely have lower contact hours as they seem to promote independent study.

@Piggywaspushed I think DD is being drawn to Bath specifically due to its reputation and the support they offer for the year in industry but she is aware that you need the find an opportunity yourself.

@Dery Delighted to hear that your DD is having a good time. I have heard the same from other friends of friends.

@AuntyBulgaria thats a very valid point and one that I have emphasised. Finding a placement is not guaranteed.

Bath. Its the highest ranking.

Bath says weekly contact hours in y1 are between 12 and 15 for economics. On balance I’d say Bath but not if Edinburgh is a big pull and she’s keen on a bigger city.

Bath econ grad here - albeit from 20 years ago - and someone with lots of experience of grad interviewing. The work placement year opportunities at Bath for economics are unparalleled given it’s been an established part of the course for decades. Having a year of work experience on the CV as you graduate is a meaningful advantage for grad roles given the direct work experience examples and general maturity it provides. Bath pretty much always ranks in top 10 if not top 5 for employability.

@Alljan Even Bath now say that placement opportunities cannot be guaranteed. Obviously great for most who want it but some are disappointed.

@PriscillaQueenoftheKitchen thanks for your vote. Am guessing you mean for Econ. As I think Edinburgh is ranked higher in general. But am never sure how much weight to give all the rankings.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner the contact hours is a very relevant point and I think she would like more structure.

@Alljan thank you so much for sharing your personal experience. In your role interviewing grads, can I ask if you there is any difference in your view depending on Uni when its not in top tier (Oxbridge, LSE etc), so if its a Durham, Edinburgh, Bath, Notingham, Manchester, Exeter etc or are they all perceived broadly similar. Also wondering how you would perceive Trinity College Dublin.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner I have heard that about the year in industry. I believe it takes a lot of hard work in your second year.

I work in a role where I often interview graduates of economics from these unis (amongst many others). I work in finance but not IB. I can honestly say I wouldn’t even consider a difference between them, or other unis at all! The placement year, however, is unbelievably valuable. Having grads come in who already have office experience, can use Microsoft, all those little “work” skills you can’t pick up from uni, is amazing, there is a clear difference. They also have so much more to talk about in interviews and it does shine through. I’m only one person in one company but based on that I would definitely pick Bath!

Just to add even though you didn’t ask me, I wouldn’t even consider a difference between “top tier” and other unis. I care about the personal statement showing genuine interest in the job, and relevant work experience, as do all my colleagues

@wishIwasinsagaponack
So Bath is #8 in the general rankings while Edinburgh is #18
for Econ Bath is #9 and Edinburgh #14

Bath is higher ranked for both categories

I do think Ed holds a lot of weight internationally, which for a subject like Economics, is significant.

Agree with @Chipstickcats . If it’s a decent uni (maybe top 30) and there are strong Alevels then the actual uni isn’t the differentiator for most of the types of role that an economics grad would be looking at.

What matters more is being able to demonstrate teamwork, problem solving etc with practical real world examples. Doesn’t have to be a placement, could be working in a bar alongside degree or taking a role running a university society that give that evidence. The classic taking someone with a broad university experience with a 2:1 over someone who just studied with 1st.

FWIW my placement year working in corporate finance back at the start of the century was a huge differentiator. I secured an IB grad role as one of two non Oxbridge on the whole scheme of 20 (the other one was a nepotistic hire!) - that’s with a scraped 2:1!

I do think employers should also look at potential and not just who managed to get a placement. Some placements are about who you know. Not all are competitive because there’s only one candidate. Plus we now know many dc cannot get the placements and not all methods used to select are entirely objective. If 100 apply for one place, who honestly thinks there’s much difference between the successful one and the one ranked 2nd or even 10th? Theres simply not enough places on these schemes and some dc have also elected to study abroad. Are they deemed poor candidates? I would like to see potential evaluated for employment because some dc are very quick learners and would be an asset if given the chance.

@MeetMeOnTheCornerI do see your point but just in my experience, I get 500+ applications for grad level roles, and when skimming CVs, I do have to look for big stand out items which placements definitely are. They show us the student is serious about the career (as they have tried something similar usually) as well as that they are likely to be a step above anyone who hasn’t set foot in an office before. That’s not to say we only hire those who have done placements! We don’t at all, lots of things such as summer internships, work experience, additional courses etc can help stand out as well. Once at interview stage, it’s much easier to evaluate potential as you suggest, it’s the getting to interview that’s harder, as picking through hundreds of near identical CVs is a hard task!

Sorry OP, have derailed a little from your question, my point was simply as someone with seemingly relevant experience, I would generally offer an interview to a Bath + placement student over an Oxford / LSE type student without one. I am just one person but most others in my field would agree

@Chipstickcats You actually have to
match candidates to your published job spec and person spec, not personal feelings. If you take grads with no placement experience, how are you evaluating the grads? Against what spec? Skim reading isn’t very good I’m afraid. It’s clearly not designed to read all details or make an accurate evaluation based on the person spec. No wonder grads feel getting a job is a lottery.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner of course a spec is used over personal feelings. I won’t derail OPs thread any further by going into our recruitment process, but honestly my experience of those complaining of a “lottery” are those with generic, untailored CVs that don’t match any of our published criteria. That’s not to say it isn’t incredibly competitive.

My advice to OP is to ensure her child doesn’t just rely on the degree itself to land a job, as this is the one thing I guarantee every single applicant will have. A placement year is a brilliant, but not the only, way to do this.

good luck OP, it’s a tough decision but I hope your child has a fabulous time wherever they end up!

All three of those have a very good reputation for economics and they are all semi-target universities for IB. A lot of jobs in finance want people who work really hard, are fairly tough and who are of reasonable intelligence and any of the three universities would show that. I think Edinburgh's 4 years obviously would cost an extra year but only get you the equivalent of a 3 year degree in England but lovely city and worked with a lot of great Scottish economists who studied there and 4 years in Edinburgh would be lovely. Bath is probably the strongest rated but not that much in it, its placement year if you can get one would help with getting jobs especially if related to what you want to do. But wouldn't put you ahead of 3 year degree then a year working afterwards in relevant role. I do think its worth getting work experience and skills needed for jobs and there might be more opportunity for that in Bath and Edinburgh. Person we know at Edinburgh loves it but they are doing History plus a language. If your DD has languages skills I would also consider a year abroad. I would also check the content of the degrees re things like options and how much maths.

www.efinancialcareers.co.uk/news/target-universities-finance-uk

I agree with @Chipstickcats you dd’s focus should be on getting as much experience as possible
Work placements, Spring weeks Summer internships are invaluable .

I don't know which rankings you are using, but Times Higher Education ranks Edinburgh #5 in the UK, and Bath at #32. Any rankings which include student satisfaction are not a great guide, students prefer less work and easier courses. If prestige matters I can't believe anyone would rank Bath above Edinburgh.