Accounting & Finance University Choice UK

I'm applying to university in the UK to study Accounting & Finance and would appreciate hearing recommendations, uni life experiences and post study experiences relating to the following institutions.

I have applied to: Uni of Birmingham, Uni of Nottingham, Queen Mary Uni of London and Uni of Liverpool.

I have a rough order for these through recommendations from friends and online but would appreciate hearing the perspective of the wider Finance community. If you have reasoning behind any ranking please include this to further help guide my decision.

14 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some insights and recommendations for the universities you mentioned for studying Accounting & Finance in the UK:

  1. University of Birmingham

    • Reputation: Known for its strong business school and solid reputation in finance and accounting.
    • Uni Life: Vibrant campus life with a diverse student body. The city of Birmingham offers a mix of cultural and social activities.
    • Post-Study Opportunities: Good placement rates with strong connections to major financial firms in the UK.
  2. University of Nottingham

    • Reputation: Highly regarded for its business and finance programs. The Nottingham University Business School is well-respected.
    • Uni Life: Active student life with numerous societies and clubs. The city of Nottingham is known for its student-friendly environment.
    • Post-Study Opportunities: Strong alumni network and good career services that help in securing roles in top financial institutions.
  3. Queen Mary University of London

    • Reputation: Part of the University of London, it has a good standing in finance and accounting.
    • Uni Life: Located in London, offering access to numerous professional and social opportunities. The campus is diverse and inclusive.
    • Post-Study Opportunities: Proximity to the financial hub of London provides excellent internship and job opportunities.
  4. University of Liverpool

    • Reputation: Known for its solid academic programs in business and finance.
    • Uni Life: The city of Liverpool is vibrant with a rich cultural scene. The university has a strong sense of community.
    • Post-Study Opportunities: Good career support services and a growing network of alumni in the finance sector.

Ranking Recommendation: 1. University of Birmingham 2. University of Nottingham 3. Queen Mary University of London 4. University of Liverpool

Reasoning: - University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham are often ranked higher due to their strong business schools and excellent post-study opportunities. - Queen Mary University of London benefits from its location in London, providing direct access to the financial industry. - University of Liverpool is also a good choice but may not have the same level of recognition or immediate access to financial hubs compared to the others.

These insights should help guide your decision based on the reputation, university life, and post-study opportunities of each institution.

Sources: Superday Advice From a Tired Interviewer, Reflections from year 4 as an equity analyst, Superday Advice From a Tired Interviewer, Principles; What Are Your Main Governing Principles in Navigating Life and Your Career, Business School Case Books

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

only notts makes sense from these listed, but in my experience the recruiting is a combination of uni name, internships if you have any and many unknown variables you don't have control over. Also what is your end goal? I know a few alumni from a&f at notts, and they landed relatively cool internships/jobs at big corporate names, also at banks  (more like mo/bo) but not in ib. I mean I'm sure notts alumni work in IB, but just not anyone I know personally

 
Most Helpful

I’d applied for A&F this year, got into all my unis

In order of ranking (and preference):
-Durham
-Nottingham
-Bath
-KCL
-Exeter

I’m assuming you’re an international and want to break into IB. It isn’t worth paying UK tuition to go to anything other than a semi-target, and even that’s debatable. IMO, Europe has good, much cheaper options and makes more sense for a bachelors if you don’t have stellar grades.

However, because of the timing, I’m guessing you haven’t started year 12. That means another 5 months or so to boost your predicted grade. That’s all that really matters for UK, maybe throw in an internship and some extracurricular experience.

So instead of wasting your time on WSO and Reddit - GET YOUR GRADES UP. It is the single best investment of your time that you can make for your career right now.

If you can get yourself to an A*AA (or whatever equivalent) or above, you’re free to apply to nearly any degree, including targets. Oxbridge and LSE might be difficult, but UCL, Imperial and definitely Warwick open up as options. You also have much better safeties that way.

Take it from someone who’s the made the same mistakes. Sit down and hit those past papers. You have plenty of time for modelling, interview prep and roleplaying being a VP in IB on the internet later. One step at a time.

 

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