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Whether you’re planning to return to university or attend for the first time, choosing to study a degree later in life can be the start of an exciting chapter. However, with hundreds of institutions to choose from in the UK, it can be tricky to decide between them.
In our guide to becoming a university student in your 50s, 60s, and beyond, we stressed the importance of choosing the right course and offered some tips for finding one that suits you. But with many universities offering similar courses, sometimes the toughest decision can be choosing where to apply.
So once you’ve decided on what you’d like to study, and you’ve found a few courses that interest you, it’s time to look at what universities are out there. To help, we’ve listed seven questions to consider when choosing a university as a mature student below.
1. Consult university rankings
When choosing a university, most people will first advise you to look at university rankings. These are tables that rank universities based on factors like reputation, student satisfaction, average student-to-staff ratio, and postgraduate employment rate.
There are three main rankings tables in the UK, and they’re published by The Guardian, The Complete University Guide, and The Times/Sunday Times. And while these rankings are based on averages, you can use each to search for the best universities according to certain criteria. For instance, if one of your priorities is class size, you can view the university rankings according to student-to-staff ratio.
You can also use rankings to find out which universities perform best in particular subject areas. For instance, the best universities for English and creative writing, or those that excel in teaching economics.
2. What do the student reviews say?
Reading student reviews can be really helpful when deciding whether or not to invest time and money into something – and the same is true for universities. After all, who knows more about the experience of a given university than a student who studied there?
As with reviews of any kind, it’s important to remember that student reviews are subjective. What’s true for one person might not be true for another, so they should always be taken with a pinch of salt.
However, unlike university rankings, student reviews offer a personal, ground-level insight into what people like/dislike about a university. They might involve opinions on anything from the quality of the teaching to how good the coffee is at the campus cafe.
Sites like WhatUni allow people to review entire institutions as well as individual courses. And Student Crowd even organises reviews into ranking tables, so you can see which institutions are better-reviewed for certain things.
For instance, if you’re looking for a university with a great library and study spaces, why not check out this list of the best universities for campus and facilities according to student reviews? Or, if career services are important to you, this list of the best universities for career services might be helpful.
3. What are my non-academic priorities?
The course you take should generally be your number one priority when choosing what university to attend. However, there are lots of different ways to get a degree, and university doesn’t have to be solely about studying. In fact, higher education is a great chance to get involved in new things and meet new people, and different universities will offer different opportunities.
So, to help narrow down your choices, it’s worth taking some time to work out what your other priorities are.
Some questions to consider are:
Do you want to get involved with extracurricular activities? If so, it’s worth looking at what societies and sports teams are run at different universities.
What kind of support will you receive? From support with disabilities and learning difficulties to counselling and careers, universities offer a range of support. So it’s worth looking into what each one has in store when making a decision.
- What’s the cost of tuition and living? Some degrees, such as online ones with The Open University, are cheaper than typical courses. So it’s worth looking into what your options are when it comes to tuition, as well as the cost of living in different areas if you’re looking to relocate to attend university.
For information on financing help, have a read of our guide to becoming a university student or visit the government’s website.
4. Do I want to study at an online, campus, or city university?
Universities come in all shapes and sizes, but they can be roughly split into three categories: online, campus, and city.
Online universities
Online universities like The Open University don’t have a campus, with all the teaching being delivered digitally. These can be a great option if you’re looking to earn a degree while working because you can study in your own time and save time on commuting to lectures. Online universities are also typically cheaper than in-person choices.
Campus universities
The second type of university is a campus university. These are often located in rural areas and usually have all of the facilities and most of the student accommodation on one site.
Because everyone and everything is all in one place, a campus university is a great option if you’re looking to throw yourself headfirst into university life and find a strong sense of community.
Many people also consider campus universities to be safer options than city universities, due to their self-contained nature. But you might find that they’re not as well-connected.
City university
And finally, the third type of university to consider is a city university. As the name suggests, these are located in urban areas with facilities often spread throughout the city. So if you like the idea of being among the hustle and bustle of a metropolis while you study for a degree, this might be the perfect option.
Plus, if you’re commuting to lectures from home, a city university might also have better transport links than a campus university. However, if you’re looking to relocate to attend university, it’s worth bearing in mind that the cost of living is usually higher in the city, and you may not get the immersive, community feel of a campus university.
It’s also worth noting that, since the pandemic, many city and campus universities have been offering some courses online. So if you like the look of a course at a traditional university, but you don’t want to relocate to attend lectures, it’s worth checking if you can study remotely.
5. Have I considered a specialist university?
Traditional universities offer a variety of courses on a diverse range of subjects, from law and literature to cosmology and nanoscience. And these institutions are often great choices because they have great services and facilities like libraries, study areas, extracurricular programs, and a large and diverse student body. Although, depending on what you want to study, it’s also worth considering specialist universities.
Specialist universities are often smaller than traditional universities, and they focus on specific subjects. For instance, SOAS University of London is one of the world’s leading universities for the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and the Royal Veterinary College specialises in (you guessed it) veterinary studies.
Places like this are often good to consider for a number of reasons. Firstly, their smaller size allows students to receive a more focused and highly specialised education, and many have great contacts for things like work experience and future careers.
A specialist university also tends to be more vocational and less lecture-focused than a traditional university, so if you’re looking to take a practical course like nursing or drama, these can be a great option. Plus, they also offer the chance to be surrounded by more like-minded students who are all studying similar subjects.
6. What can I gain from attending open days?
You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it first – and choosing a higher education institution is no different. The best way to try your university choices on for size is to attend open days.
Open days are when universities invite prospective students to take a look around the grounds. You can visit the facilities, such as the library and student accommodation, and speak to student ambassadors and attend talks from your would-be teachers. This can help you get a taste for what the learning experience and life on campus are like.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that choosing a university isn’t all about looking at statistics and reading student reviews. As with anything, it’s also about what feels right. This is especially true if you’re planning on attending university in person, as you’ll ultimately be spending a lot of time on campus and in the surrounding area. So, whether you take a campus tour or explore the place by yourself, make sure to ask yourself: ‘Can I see myself studying here?’
If you’re planning on studying online, you can attend an online open day. Most universities run these, giving you the chance to listen to students and staff members talk about how learning works at that particular institution – as well as what support you’ll receive throughout your studies.
A degree is a huge investment, so our advice is to attend as many open days as possible – even at universities you’re not sure about. You never know, somewhere might surprise you. And with most institutions offering online open days and virtual tours, where you can explore campuses from the comfort of your home, it’s never been easier to choose the right place for you.
7. Is my university choice accredited?
In recent years, particularly since the beginning of the pandemic, many universities have started offering courses completely online. This has opened up higher education opportunities to a wide range of people, including those who don’t live near the university they want to attend or full-time workers who can’t fit the commute into their day.
However, sadly, some people have used this increase in online higher education opportunities to take advantage of others by offering bogus degrees from fictional universities, tricking people into buying a piece of paper that’s worth nothing. Luckily, it’s not too tricky to tell whether a degree course is legitimate or not.
The best and surest way to avoid falling victim to these so-called ‘diploma mills’ is to make sure the degree provider is listed here on the government’s website.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the institution that you’re studying at (or thinking of studying at) won’t always be listed here. Sometimes, degrees are awarded to university students by a different institution. In this case, it’s best to find out which institution awards your degree, check if they’re listed on the government’s website, and then check with the institution itself to confirm that this is correct.
There are also other ways to spot fake universities. These include:
- Promising the degree within a short period of time – getting a degree is no easy feat. It takes time and effort to obtain, with students typically spending at least three or four years studying full-time. So if an institution is promising a quick degree with little or no effort involved, then it’s probably too good to be true.
- Indiscriminate admissions policies – university courses usually have admissions criteria. This isn’t to restrict people from getting a higher education, but to ensure that they possess the correct skills and experience needed to complete the course. Therefore, if an online university is offering degrees to anyone and everyone, this might be a sign of fraudulent activity.
- Payment upfront – universities typically don’t require a lump sum payment before you begin your studies. And although this may be an option, tuition is typically paid in instalments. For that reason, if an online university asks you to part with the entire tuition fee before beginning your studies, then, unfortunately, you’re probably facing a scam.
- Spelling or grammatical errors on their website – sometimes, fraudulent university websites can look pretty convincing. But if you spot any spelling errors, this can be a giveaway that they might be part of a scam.
- Insufficient contact details – universities usually have well-staffed admissions departments who, despite facing busy periods occasionally, typically during late summer and early autumn, are usually more than happy to answer your queries.
Fraudsters, on the other hand, typically don’t want to be contacted directly. So if it’s difficult to find contact details and get in touch with them, this could be another indicator of a scam. It’s also worth verifying the address listed on their website, if any.
If you think you might be involved in a diploma mill scam, you should report this immediately to Report Fraud either online or by calling 0300 123 2040. Report Fraud is the national reporting centre for cybercrime and fraud.
Final thoughts…
Whether you’re looking to progress in your career or you simply want to learn more about a subject you love, attending university is an experience that many people treasure for the rest of their lives.
But a degree can also be a hefty financial investment, and if you want to get the most out of your university experience, choosing the right place to study for it is incredibly important.
So when choosing which university you’d like to attend, take your time, and hopefully, some of the tips mentioned above will help you find the perfect place.
For more information on becoming a university student in later life, check out our complete guide here. Or, if you’re looking for some inspiration, why not read Christine’s story? Christine attended university at the age of 57 and loved every minute of it.
Do you have any additional tips for choosing a university later in life? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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