✨ What is a Russell Group University? ✨
You may have come across the term "Russell Group University" in connection with UK higher education, but what is the Russell Group?
Formed in 1994, the Russell Group is a self-selecting (they choose their own members) association of the UK's largest public research universities. The following 24 universities are currently members:
| University | ARWU(Global) | QS(Global) | THE(Global) | Complete(National) | Guardian(National) | The Times(National) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Birmingham | 101–150 | 84= | 141= | 16 | 15= | 15 |
| University of Bristol | 61 | 44 | 76 | 17 | 27 | 16= |
| University of Cambridge | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cardiff University | 99 | 137 | 162= | 36= | 42 | 35 |
| Durham University | 201–300 | 78 | 97 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| University of Edinburgh | 32 | 23= | 27= | 23= | 30= | 24 |
| University of Exeter | 151–200 | 158= | 130= | 14= | 13 | 14 |
| University of Glasgow | 101–150 | 65 | 80= | 36= | 23 | 20 |
| Imperial College London | 27 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6= | 4 |
| King's College London | 46 | 23= | 36 | 21 | 39 | 28= |
| University of Leeds | 101–150 | 101 | 139 | 14= | 14 | 10 |
| University of Liverpool | 101–150 | 173= | 177= | 41 | 67 | 42 |
| London School of Economics | 151–200 | 35 | 25= | 4 | 15= | 11 |
| University of Manchester | 38 | 34 | 54= | 22 | 28 | 25 |
| Newcastle University | 201–300 | 161= | 175= | 23= | 30= | 26 |
| University of Nottingham | 101–150 | 84= | 147= | 18 | 19 | 18 |
| University of Oxford | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Queen Mary University of London | 151–200 | 127 | 121 | 33 | 44 | 43 |
| Queen's University Belfast | 301–400 | 202 | 201–250 | 35 | 38 | 38 |
| University of Sheffield | 101–150 | 82 | 104 | 31 | 40 | 21 |
| University of Southampton | 101–150 | 102 | 126= | 26 | 35 | 30 |
| University College London | 16 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 10= | 7= |
| University of Warwick | 101–150 | 57 | 91 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| University of York | 201–300 | 135= | 137= | 20 | 17 | 16= |
They are not selected based on their rankings, but it does include many of the UK's highest ranked universities.
The group's stated objectives are to:
- "lead the research efforts of the United Kingdom;
- maximise the income of its member institutions;
- attract the best staff and students to its member institutions;
- create a regulatory environment in which it can achieve these objectives by reducing government interference; and
- identify ways to co-operate to exploit the universities' collaborative advantage."
It is certainly considered a lobby-group (an organisation that seeks to influence politics), and has been accused of being a cartel (an association of companies working together to raise collective profits); but the Russel Group would say the main focus is to collaborate on research.
Being a Russell Group member doesn't necessarily indicate the quality of the university, but some employers and organisations nevertheless use it as a proxy for the best universities because it does not change every year like university rankings. So you may stand a better chance of getting a job if you went to a Russell Group university.
