How to choose a university or an education institution
Choosing where to go to university is a really important decision – it’s going to be your home for the next three years, after all, or you will be learning the course it is conducting online. Here are some key things to factor into your research.
Before making a final decision on your application, it’s worth researching universities, colleges and courses using independent and unbiased sources.
You can check if a degree you’re studying for is officially recognized. If your degree is not officially recognized, employers or universities might not accept it.
Not all colleges that teach degrees can award them. Your degree might be awarded by a higher education institution that’s different from the place you’re studying.
If you’re not sure who awards your degree, ask your college or check their website or prospectus. You can double check this with the higher education institution you’re told awards your degree.
Consult University ranking
Rankings are a good place to start your research, but they won’t tell you everything you need to know which university is right for you. It’s helpful to understand what different rankings are based on, as this can help inform your decision. For example, rankings for specific subjects can be very different from rankings for universities’ overall quality.
Consult the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 which include 1,799 universities across 104 countries and regions.
University reputation
League tables, parents, teachers, careers advisers – all may offer suggestions about which universities are the most prestigious and which ones will guarantee you a bright future, but the definition of a ‘good’ university varies from person to person and employer to employer and will differ according to your subject area.
While it can be useful to refer to league tables and check out graduate employment rates, ultimately the best university for you is one that offers a course you enjoy and gets you thinking, with lecturers who inspire you, in an area you like living in, and people you like living with.
Comparing universities
When choosing a university, it’s worth considering the following:
- Which universities offer the right course options and flexibility to suit you?
- How do they rank for student satisfaction and care?
- What might your career prospects be after graduation? What percentages of their students go straight into employment or further study after finishing their studies?
- What are their teaching standards like?
- How do they perform in terms of research activity?
- What facilities are on offer? Consider things such as libraries, lecture halls and study spaces.
- How might extra-curricular life fit in with what you’re looking for – for example active student unions, societies and sports teams?
- Are they based on one campus or spread out over a city?
- What are the course fees and accommodation costs and standards like?
- Are the institutions recognized by world authorities as having an accredited degree awarding powers?
Field of study
If you have a specific career in mind, you may find that only a few institutions offer an appropriate course (if it’s really specific, you may even find that you are limited to only a few institutions in the entire country or overseas). You may also find that, while a number of institutions offer courses in your study area, only a few really excel in the field.
The course
Use the course or subject area you want to study as a sensible starting point in your university search. Things to consider:
The course content: Which areas of your subject are you really keen to study? Courses can vary widely between universities, so it’s a good idea to dig into the detail and ask yourself which courses cater best to your interests.
Do all universities offer the course you’re interested in? If you want to study veterinary science, for instance, there are only a handful of universities offering it, narrowing your options straight away. On the other hand, if you want to study something like business, there are 100s of universities to pick from, not to mention different types of business degree.
The entry requirements. There’s no point applying to a course if you’re not likely to meet the requirements they’ve set out as absolutely essential.
Course accreditation from professional bodies
Some professions approve or accredit related courses. If you’re planning to pursue a career in a particular area, you should check that your course is one of those approved by the relevant organization that represents the career you are choosing. Every university or college should be able to give you this information.
The environment
Search for a university based on the type of location and environment you’re interested in, and explore things to do, living costs and university options in the most popular student cities to find your perfect home for the next few years.
University environments vary hugely, from self-contained campuses or ‘student villages’ with everything you need for living and studying in one place, to lecture theaters and student facilities scattered across a large city. Campus universities may have more of a community feel, while you might feel more independent at a university with its lectures and housing more spread out.
Even if you pick a university based in a city, it doesn’t necessarily mean lectures will be slap bang in the middle of the action – look into where you’ll actually be spending most of your time.
The cost of living
While all higher education institutions are required to be registered with the government, state institutions, including technical institutes and most universities, are funded by the government, while private institutions (including private providers and private universities) are independent and rely on full tuition fees to subsidies student places.
Tuition fees of up to US$ 10,000 or Rs 3.6 million a year may sound like a lot of money, but when you’re actually at university it will be your day-to-day living and accommodation costs where you’ll notice the drain on your bank account – and some places are far pricier than others. Here are some questions to ask yourself relating to money matters:
- How much will your accommodation cost each term? That’s private housing costs as well as halls, as this is where you’re likely to be spending your post-fresher years.
- How much will you need for travel? If you’re going to rely on peak-time trains or buses to get to lectures, you’ll need to check out ticket prices. Don’t forget your student discount.
- What extras will you be expected to pay as part of the course? Materials and field trip costs aren’t (usually) included as part of your tuition fee and will differ from uni to uni.
What sort of flexible part-time job opportunities are there for students in the area or at the university? The university’s student services team should be able to give you an idea.
Degree Mill, Diploma Mill scam
A diploma mill, also known as a degree mill, is a phony university that sells college diplomas and transcripts—the actual pieces of paper—rather than the educational experience. Diploma mills are scam colleges that literally crank out fake diplomas to anyone who pays the requested “tuition.” There is little or no requirements for the individual to demonstrate full competence at the relevant level in the discipline area.
The Get Educated online education team has prepared these Top 10 Signs of an Online College Degree Mill to help students protect themselves from this popular online scam.
Don’t be fooled by degree mills. Many maintain impressive-looking websites, and all of them advertise heavily online under the attractive terms “fast degree,” “life experience degrees,” “fast online degree” and “work experience degree.”
Degree mills love to use official-sounding terms to impress potential students. These terms often sound good, yet mean little in terms of educational quality. Be wary of these terms and phrases: “authenticated,” “verifiable,” “licensed,” “internationally approved,” “notarized,” “recognized by the Pope” and “accredited by UNESCO.”