What are Russell Group Universities?
The Russell Group is a consortium of 24 universities, which are mostly spread across England, from the University of Exeter in the south-west, to Durham University in the north-east. Cardiff University, the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Queen’s University in Belfast make up the group.
The group began in 1994, when the heads of 17 universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London, began meeting up at the Hotel Russell in London. Their initial aim was to represent their collective interests to the government.
In 1998, Cardiff University and King’s College London joined, followed by Queen’s University Belfast in 2006. In 2007, the Russell Group became a professional, incorporated organisation, and the last four universities - Durham, Exeter, Queen Mary University of London and York were admitted in 2012. The full list of Russell Group universities can be found on the Russell Group website.
The group shares the common belief that ‘people and ideas are the key to meeting global challenges’, stating that it aims to ‘help ensure that our universities have ‘the optimum conditions in which to flourish’ and to ‘continue to make social, economic and cultural impacts through world-leading research and teaching.”
The member institutions work together to determine issues, write reports and lobby the government, collaborate on research and ‘provide strategy, policy development, intelligence, communications and advocacy’ for its members.
Between them, the Russell Group universities teach a quarter of the UK’s undergraduate students, employ approximately 250,000 people and generate close to £87b a year for the UK economy. They also produce more than two-thirds (68%) of all the world-leading research produced in UK universities*.
The Distinctive Features of Russell Group Universities#
The members of the Russell Group are all individual institutions, with their own strategies and objectives, but they have many commonalities, including a focus on world-class education and a pioneering research culture. They are also mostly institutions with long histories, that rank highly in league tables and have high entry requirements.
In the QS World University Rankings 2025, three Russell Group universities made the top five: Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. University College London was at number nine.
Russell Group members receive two-thirds of UK university research grants and contract income. This means they attract top academics from around the world, and can offer both them and students access to many research opportunities, as well as first-class research facilities.
Each institution plays a strong role in its community by opening up its expertise to businesses, and their international partnerships with institutions worldwide give their students and teaching bodies access to a plethora of global opportunities.
Entry Requirements and the Application Process for Russell Group Universities#
While entry requirements for Russell Group universities tend to be high across the board, the grades needed for courses are particular to each institution. For example, the requirement for BSc Accounting and Finance at the University of Southampton is AAB, while Warwick asks for A*AA.
BTECs are accepted at nearly all UK universities and, in a document published in 2023, the Russell Group stated that 17 of its 24 members accepted T Levels for a limited number of subjects.
Courses at Russell Group universities are available through Clearing, but it’s likely that the most popular ones will have been filled before they get to that stage.
International students can apply for undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes at Russell Group universities, but application processes may differ so they should be looked at carefully.
Are Russell Group Universities Worth It?#
The universities in the Russell Group vary in their offerings, including campus experience and the specifics of their diverse programmes. However, all have to meet the strict criteria of the Russell Group, so the same high standard of academic rigour will be common to them all.
The advantages of studying at a Russell Group university may become more apparent at a postgraduate level, with access to high-quality research opportunities, facilities and teaching staff, as well as the increased funding the institutions attract.
The 2021 Research Excellence Framework found that almost twice as much of Russell Group research is ‘world-leading’ compared to other UK universities, and more than half of their research has ‘outstanding impact’. It also found that the Russell Group universities are more than ‘twice as likely to provide the most conducive environments for the very best research.’
Degrees from Russell Group universities can benefit graduates when applying for jobs, particularly research-based roles, as they are seen as prestigious by employers and students leave with high levels of skill and commercial knowledge. The international outlook of the Russell Group also means students will gain a global perspective on their education and research, which is likely to be attractive to employers.
The strong links the universities make with businesses allow students to enhance their CVs with experience gained through work placements, internships or networking during their course, which in turn helps their job applications to stand out. This can be further boosted by the other opportunities offered through extracurricular activities and campus societies.
The Russell Group vs Other Groups#
UK institutions are often categorised into groups, which may leave people wondering whether comparisons should be made between them. For example, what is the difference between the Russell Group and the UK’s red-brick or post-92 universities, or the US’s Ivy League?
‘Red-brick’ refers to six universities in Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield, that were known for engineering courses and named after their distinctive red brickwork. All six are now part of the Russell Group.
Post-92 is the name given to former polytechnics given university status through the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, to distinguish them from those more established. The Russell Group does not include any post-92 universities.
The Ivy League is similar to the Russell Group in that both are recognised for including some of the highest ranked academic institutions but neither group contains all the top-ranking universities in their respective countries.
The Russell Group was formed so a number of universities could pursue their common goals of exceptional learning and research, and develop the best conditions to achieve those, while the Ivy League is a collective name for an elite group of eight of the oldest and most sought-after colleges and universities, but which were originally united purely through their participation in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
There are many other institutions in both countries that have comparable reputations for learning, sport and research that are not part of either group.
Do Employers Prefer Graduates from Russell Group Universities?#
Employers increasingly look for graduates who are ‘workplace ready’, so getting a job after university will come down mostly to results, relevant experience gained during the course, and interview performance.
However, having top grades from a Russell Group university can help CVs to stand out, and could have an influence for those pursuing a research-based role.
There may be some companies who target Russell Group students at careers fairs and events, but most will be open to all universities.
Graduate Outcomes of Students from Russell Group Universities#
According to the 2021/22 Graduate Outcomes Survey, 82% of all UK graduates were in employment or unpaid work 15 months after they graduated, with a further 10% in part-time employment or a combination of employment and further study.
Queen’s University Belfast, came top of the Russell Group rankings for graduate outcomes, also with 92% of its graduates in employment or further study after the same amount of time. A 2017 statement from the Russell Group cited that 80% of their graduates enter professional employment six months after graduation, and data analysed in 2019 by job search engine Adzuna from more than half a million CVs found that students who attended a Russell Group university could expect to earn up to £13.5k more per annum than those from non-Russell Group institutions.
Is There Value in Going to a Russell Group University?#
In conclusion, whether studying at a Russell Group university will bring more value to a student than another educational institution will depend on the needs and wants of the individual.
There are many universities in the UK which offer rich and worthwhile educational experiences, but the Russell Group focus on high academic standards and quality research, plus the strength of the links with its international business and education partners, gives its students a solid foundation from which to move into either further studies or the job market.
This is complemented by the addition of valuable transferable skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication and adaptability, which Russell Group members help students develop, allowing them to make a more fully-rounded contribution to society.
On a larger scale, the Russell Group universities bring a great deal of value to the UK through their standing as major employers in their communities, plus the advances they make through their research programmes and the amount of income they generate for the economy.
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