MLitt at Durham or St Andrews?

[spucklerboach]

Hi, everyone! I've been accepted into the taught MA programs at St Andrews and Durham, and I'm trying to figure out how to decide between them. (I'm particularly interested in Homer, if that makes any difference!) 

[StudentGA]

Both are extremely strong UK universities. Globally, St. Andrews is better known but domestically Durham slightly edges it (it's slightly harder to get into Durham, most students from the UK would choose Durham over St. Andrews if they had offers from both). 

St. Andrews is quite a small city and very isolated. Durham is an even smaller city but has Newcastle, York and Leeds nearby.

Both are very old universities with lots of traditions. Alike Oxford and Cambridge, Durham is one of the three collegiate universities in the UK, which has a massive impact on university life. Durham is also very good at sport. St. Andrews famously has scarlet red gowns and has a very international student base.

 

Overall, I'd suggest Durham if you want to pretend you're at Oxbridge, you're good at sport or considering the slight academic edge. 

Choose St. Andrews for the international reputation or high % of international students (they're mostly American).