aviii_

Hi! I'm a US citizen that's been living in Asia. I'm seriously considering going to uni in the UK for the experience. I have the offers, but I'm thinking about future employment. From experience, do US employers usually strongly prefer US degrees? Have you guys enrolled your kids at UK or US unis? I just want to have an idea if I'd be disadvantaged in terms of opportunity and pay in comparison to peers who would have gone to a US uni. I'm going to study IT and business. Any experiences would help! Thank you!!

petitefrancaise

the biggest disadvantage to going to the UK would be getting internships during the summer vacation - the UK universities aren't anywhere near as well set-up as the US ones for this and this would definitely impact your job prospects at graduation.

Pulaski

Addressing only the location of the institution, not the reputation of the institution or the quality of the program, I would say that US employers generally don't seem to care much about where the degree is from, because the US is awash with degree-awarding colleges and universities, such that it is common to get applications from people holding a degree from an institution that not only do you know nothing about, you may never even have heard of!

The UK is the opposite with, IIRC only about 70 institutions awarding degrees, and only ONE of those privately owned, such that an application from an institution you know little about would stand out like a sore thumb.

retzie

Where are you hoping to find employment after you graduate? As PF mentions, being based in the US will open up opportunities to bolster your CV (internships, industry projects, etc.), and your network will naturally be a lot stronger in the market in which you study.

A couple of other things to consider:

Parallel to the desired location question is whether you have specific future employers in mind. You should look into whether they have recruitment arrangements in place with the universities you are considering in either country.

Also it sounds like you might not be applying straight out of high school. If so, you will want to look quite carefully at the US university options. You will find VASTLY different student cultures across the country. And with many good universities residing in small college towns, it could make for a particularly rough transition if you don't fit the prevailing undergraduate demographic.

steveq

It still matters where you go in the UK. There are a lot of places called universities, but the ones with the reputations worth looking at were largely forged more than 50 years ago.

aviii_

My offer from the US is from a school in the northeast within the top 75 of US rankings, and a lot of students in my course at that uni land great internships and jobs. My UK offer is for IT and business at UoManchester. I'm confident that both options can give me great opportunities within their countries but I wanted to know if the UK option (UoManchester) might make it too tough or inconvenient when looking for US jobs shortly after graduation (0-2 yrs after grad). I would consider working in the UK for longer, but visa issues and (potentially) better-paying US jobs might convince me to do otherwise. Trying to decide and finalize with a uni soon.

aviii_

That's sick! Did it happen through your employer?

If I can make the move from the UK to the US smoothly and independently (as I'm a citizen), then UoManchester seems viable. If it'd probably have to be through an employer, though, then it might just be smarter to enroll at my US option

steveq

Manchester is a very fine school. There are something like 24 Nobel laureates directly associated with it. It was also the birthplace of the modern computer, so you are going to somewhere with a great reputation, which I would expect to be highly transferable. Are you going to be treated as an international student in the US and the UK ? .

aviii_

I'm a US citizen so in the US I wouldn't be considered an int'l student. However, I definitely would be in the UK

steveq

The UK would be a costly option, if you have the alternative. IIRC rates are around £40,000/ per year

aviii_

Calculating from my fees and accommodation and considering currency differences, my US school would cost my parents more since its a 4 year course (but they aren't too worried- the priority is opportunities)

scot47

Fees for foreign students in the UK are very high. Okay if daddy is one of the ruling elite from the People's Republic of China. Not sure about the practicality for an ordinary dude from the USofA.

Pulaski

"Good" colleges in the US can be surprisingly expensive if your parents have enough money to disqualify you from grants and discounts, even if you're a US student, and especially if you're "out of state".

steveq

See how your particular field ranks from the two schools. Manchester is pretty highly ranked in many fields

MarylandNed

I'm a graduate of the University of Manchester. I've had no issues - it's a well known and highly regarded university. I have worked in the UK, Canada and the US. For my employment-based green card application in the US, I had to have my degree accredited by a third-party organization to make sure it was the equivalent of a US degree but that turned out to be a formality.