UCL or University of Edinburgh?

[Prometheus827]

I just got accepted to the master programs of both schools (UCL and University of Edinburgh). I am not sure which school would be more beneficial to my future pursuit of PhD programs. Is UCL more well-known than the University of Edinburgh? Which city is cheaper and more convenient? Which school is worth the investment? Any thoughts? 

[thestage]

I would imagine that living in London is much more expensive than Edinburgh.

Edited March 12, 2013 by thestage

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Congratulations on two great offers. London will be more expensive than Edinburgh, though neither is unmanageable, and both are wonderful cities. Both are of course very well connected. In terms of reputation, for what it is worth, UCL probably has the edge- it certainly has a better international reputation. Both, however, are obviously top tier programs, with UCL the most prestigious in Britain after Oxbridge. 

 

I've probably not helped! Good luck making your decision- you'll be well placed to pursue a Ph.D after attending either university.

[Ategenos]

UCL. London is more expensive than Edinburgh, but not as much as one might think - especially if you look for shared accommodation in the suburbs (and commute in), or get university accommodation... they're both capital cities, after all.

 

Of course, the more important thing is which one will prepare you better for your PhD applications. They are both very well respected universities (although UCL does have the edge in that regard), but it depends what direction you're wanting to take your studies in. Take a look at the professors at each, and the courses you'll be doing, and make your decision based on that.

[blueberryscone]

Hey, I went to UCL for their Shakespeare MA program and ended up loving it. London is a fantastic city--and yes, it's expensive, but if you cook for yourself and don't live downtown, it's completely reasonable--and UCL's English faculty is unreal.  Every time I went to the library to research something, I came across something written by a UCL professor. My favorite parts of the program weren't what I'd anticipated--one of the best parts was being within walking distance of the British Library, which, when you're dealing with old books and manuscripts, is so, so helpful.  I also liked that you can take a bus or train from London to anywhere, which ended up making things a lot easier when I chose a dissertation topic that involved traveling to archives around England, and was glad that the UCL brand name is well-known and respected, at least in England.

 

It took me a bit of time to warm to the program, largely because the other students were mostly (though not all) right out of college, and only a few of us intended to immediately apply to PhD programs.  But once I figured out how to ask for and pursue support from the faculty (rather than expecting it to appear before me, like it had in my small liberal arts college), the resources of the department really came through.

 

In fact, if things don't work out this application cycle, I may apply to return to UCL for a PhD.  The reason I didn't try to stay on straight through was that I've heard it can be tougher to find a US job with a UK degree, but it may be worth rolling the dice on that to be at an institution with UCL's firepower. 

 

The city of Edinburgh is super cool, but only London is London.  I don't know anything about Edinburgh's English Dept.