Choosing a university is hard. We made it easier.
University rankings have problems
University rankings try to put everything into one number. But universities are complicated.
You can’t really compare a huge research university with a small art school. They’re completely different, but rankings try to anyway.
Rankings can also jump around a lot. A uni might go from 20th to 10th place just because they changed how they calculate things. The university hasn’t actually changed.
Plus, you probably don’t care about everything they measure. If you want good teaching, why does research funding matter to your choice?
Badges work better
Instead of one all encompassing number, badges show what each university is actually good at.
Like:
- Outstanding Teaching – officially rated as excellent by the government
- Student Favourite – students who go there really like it
- Research Power – does important research
- International Mix – students from all over the world
Simple. Clear. Useful.
How to use badges
Work out what you want
Do you want:
- Great teaching?
- Good student life?
- Research opportunities?
- To meet international students?
Pick your top 2 or 3 things.
Find unis with those badges
Look for universities that have badges for the things you care about. Ignore the rest.
Check the basics
Now look at:
- Location
- Whether they do your course
- Entry requirements
- Cost
Visit the ones left
You should have about 5-8 unis to visit. Much better than trying to compare 50 different rankings.
That’s it
Pick a uni that’s good at what matters to you. Not one that just has a high ranking.
Badges show you exactly what each university does well. No confusion, no complex system used to formulate a single number.