imperial EFDS VS UCL econ

I’m lucky enough to have received an offer from UCL and to have had an interview at Imperial. If I do get an offer from Imperial, I’ll need to decide which one to firm.

I’ve seen some older threads saying that EFDS is a “money grab,” but now that more cohorts have gone through the programme, has the perception changed?

Here’s how I’m currently thinking about it:

Pros for UCL (Economics):

• Better wellbeing / work-life balance (from what I’ve heard)
• Better social scene, although I know Imperial still has one
• I genuinely like the subject of pure economics
• It aligns well with my ambitions (policy, corporate roles, IB, etc.)
• I’ve heard it’s better for policy-related careers
• Possibly seen as more prestigious than Imperial Business School at the undergraduate level (not sure about this though). For masters, Imperial seems stronger, so maybe the undergrad reputation difference is just because EFDS is still quite new.

Cons for UCL:

• No data science component
• That said, I’m not sure I’m that interested in data science anyway
• And if I did want that skillset later, I could potentially do a master’s in data science.

Pros for Imperial (EFDS):

• The data science component could be useful and keeps more options open
• I’ve spoken to a couple of EFDS students who said some people try to break into quant roles, and the data science aspect could help keep tech-related careers open
• However, I’m unsure how strong the degree is for those paths. My intuition is that:
  • A) many data science roles expect a master’s anyway
  • B) because the degree combines economics, finance, and data science, it might go into less depth in each area
• Fewer essays (I think?)
• Being part of a relatively early cohort / newer degree could be interesting (like being an “early investor” in the programme, though maybe that’s naive)
• Potentially good networking with more STEM-focused students
• People might be more focused / career-driven (although I’m not sure if that’s really different from UCL)

Cons for Imperial:

• I’m not particularly interested in finance specifically
• I’ve heard there’s a heavy finance focus in Year 3