Researching universities properly means following a clear process: build a longlist, compare each course in the same order, then cut your options with evidence.
Start with a longlist. You need enough options to compare before you commit to your final UCAS five. Some courses will fail on entry requirements, cost, location or course content. Others will become stronger once you check modules, assessment and practical details properly.
Build a longlist before opening too many tabs
Aim for a working list you can test and cut. As a practical range, start with eight to fifteen possible courses. That gives you enough choice to compare without creating a list so large that you stop researching properly.
Use UCAS search and university course pages to collect the basics first. At this stage, record the course title, UCAS code, entry requirements, required subjects, course length, location, course variant and any obvious cost or accreditation issue. Leave detailed judgement until the same checks have been applied to every course.
Course names are a poor shortcut. UCAS explains that courses with the same name can differ in content, teaching, assessment, modules and placement options. Psychology, History, Business Management or Computer Science will not look identical across universities once you check the compulsory modules and assessment methods.
Research the exact course variant. A placement year, study abroad year, foundation year, integrated master’s route or joint honours combination is a specific choice. It may have a different UCAS code, course length, cost pattern and student finance consequence. Record the version you are considering, not just the university and subject.
Set up the comparison table before judging the courses
Before opening more course pages, make a simple comparison table. Use the same columns for every option.
Include columns for:
- course and UCAS code;
- entry requirements and required subjects;
- contextual offer information;
- modules that interest you;
- teaching and assessment;
- placement, study abroad or professional route;
- location and travel;
- likely costs;
- official data notes;
- questions to ask;
- keep, question or remove.
The final column stops the research becoming a collection exercise. Move each course through the process. Mark it as “keep” if the evidence is strong, “question” if something needs checking, or “remove” if there is a clear reason it no longer belongs on the list.
Research each course in the same order
Use the same order so every course faces the same checks. Start with the course page, then entry requirements, official data and practical gaps.
Begin with the academic course. Look at compulsory modules, optional modules, teaching methods and assessment. A course with heavy exam assessment will suit a different applicant from one built around coursework, practical projects, lab work or studio work. A course with broad first-year modules will feel different from one that specialises quickly.
Then check whether the course is realistic. Don’t stop at the headline grades. Look for required subjects, GCSE requirements, admissions tests, portfolio requirements, interviews, contextual offer policies and rules for resits or alternative qualifications. A course is realistic only if you meet the full set of conditions that applies to you.
Use official data to test the course page
Use official data to sharpen your questions. A single figure is too thin for a decision.
Discover Uni’s guidance on comparing courses explains that some figures describe the exact course, while others use a wider subject area when the exact course numbers are too small. Check this before relying on student satisfaction or graduate outcome figures.
A statistic carries more weight when you know what group it describes. If the data is subject-level, treat it as background evidence. Give more weight to the current course page, modules, assessment methods and questions you can ask the university directly.
Career outcomes need the same care. The Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis of undergraduate degrees and lifetime earnings is useful here because it shows why salary data needs context. Earnings vary by subject, graduate choices, background and career route, so use outcome data as one part of the comparison.
If different sources point in different directions, use How do you know which university information to trust? to decide which evidence deserves more weight.
Fill the gaps with direct questions
Your table will show missing information. Turn each gap into a question.
If a module list is unclear, ask whether modules are guaranteed, optional, rotating or limited by timetable clashes. If a placement year is advertised, ask how placements are found and what support students receive. If costs are unclear, ask which costs are compulsory and which are optional.
Cost belongs in the main research, not at the end. Check tuition fees, compulsory course costs, likely travel, accommodation, commuting and whether the timetable would leave space for paid work.
Course costs go beyond tuition fees. Check compulsory field trips, lab equipment, studio materials, specialist software, placement costs and travel requirements. Then check the local reality: accommodation costs, travel times, the university’s student jobs board, Students’ Union work, careers service vacancies and whether the timetable would allow regular shifts. A course is harder to manage if the finances depend on work that the location or timetable makes unrealistic.
For regulated careers, check approval directly with the relevant regulator or professional body. Nursing, midwifery, medicine, architecture and several health professions have recognised routes. A course sounding professional is not enough where approval affects entry to the career.
Cut the list in stages
Don’t try to choose your final five in one go. First, remove the obvious weak fits.
A course should leave the list if the modules do not fit your interests, the entry requirements are not realistic, a required subject is missing, the costs do not work, the location creates practical problems or the course does not meet a professional requirement you need.
Then deal with the courses marked “question”. Some will become stronger once you find the missing information. Others will become weaker because the detail confirms the concern. Update the table as you go.
Once the weaker options have gone, the remaining choice becomes a comparison problem: What should you compare when choosing a university?
Build a shortlist with range
Keep courses you would genuinely study. A filler choice wastes space on the UCAS form and becomes a problem later if it turns into your only offer.
The shortlist also needs a sensible range of entry requirements. Five ambitious choices with similar grades leave very little room for results-day uncertainty. Five cautious choices can leave you wondering whether you aimed too low. The exact balance depends on your predicted grades, subject, course competitiveness and confidence in meeting any required subjects or extra conditions.
Rankings, open days, student reviews, official data and course pages all have limits. A course earns its place when several pieces of evidence point in the same direction: the content fits, the requirements are realistic, the location works, the costs are manageable and the course supports the route you want.
A visit helps with feel, travel and the surrounding area. Keep it alongside the course evidence. If visiting is difficult, use Can you choose a university without visiting it? to check what remains possible through online evidence, virtual events and direct questions.
Our guide onHow to build a balanced UCAS shortlist explains more, covering the difference between reach, match, and safe choices, and how you can strategise to maximise your university potential.
Know when to stop researching
Stop when you can explain why each course is on your shortlist and what would make it a poor choice. You should know the course content, entry requirements, assessment style, location, likely costs and any professional route issues.
Some questions will stay open. Module choices change. Accommodation availability changes. Results-day decisions may change the final order of your preferences. Brand, panic, pressure and guesswork should not survive the table.
If a course still looks strong after you have checked it properly, keep it. If it only looks strong when you avoid the details, remove it.
