Is Sheffield A Good University?
Sheffield in the autumn sunshine
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Is Sheffield A Good University?

Zoe Kramer February 15, 2023

One of the original red brick universities and ranked among the world’s top 100, Sheffield University has secured a positive reputation. If Sheffield University has made it onto your list of potential universities, you’ll want to gather as much information as possible before you decide whether to apply. It’s important to have a sense of what your student experience will be like, how the course is structured in your chosen subject, and what the reputation of the university is like overall. Here is a guide to everything you need to know about Sheffield University so that you can determine if it is suited to your needs and finally answer the question: Is Sheffield a good University?

Is Sheffield University Good?

Two different students can have very different experiences of the same university. While there is no universal student experience of Sheffield, it can be helpful to look at input from current and former students as to what they liked about the university and what they wished had been different. This can give you an idea of what to expect beyond what the brochures will tell you.

“There’s loads of societies and clubs to choose from, guaranteed you’ll find something for you interests. Staff are friendly especially when it comes to careers, very supportive when it came to placement searches and grad jobs. It is a city uni so it is lectures can be a bit scattered but all the while you get to see a range of buildings and facilities, old and new,” one student wrote on StudentCrowd.

The university “Goes above and beyond to help students with their onward study or placement/graduate jobs,” another StudentCrowd reviewer posted.

“Amazing city with a superb location with the proximity to the peaks. The student life is also smashing with the union always putting on a night. The sports facilities could be improved though,” another student weighed in on WhatUni.

Overall, it seems that the majority of students were left with a positive impression of the university. Sheffield has an average ranking of 4.62/5 on StudentCrowd and 4.2/5 on WhatUni.

Photo by Harrison Qi on Unsplash

See also: Is Aberdeen A Good University?

How Many Students At Sheffield University?

Sheffield University has a total student population of 30,055. Of these, 19,100 are undergraduates and 10,955 are postgraduates. This makes it the 7th largest British university. This means that if you attend Sheffield University, you will definitely have the experience of a big university, with lots of people to meet and extracurriculars available.

Big universities can be great for many reasons. You won’t find any shortage of sports or societies to join. Even if you have an interest that is somewhat niche, in a big university you are bound to find others who share it. The amount of social and community building opportunities can make it an exciting experience. However, if you’re interested in a quieter environment or a tight-knit feel, a smaller university may be the way to go.

It is of a comparable size to Sheffield Hallam University, which has a population of approximately 33,000. Both are well-regarded institutions in the city.

What Does Sheffield University Specialise In?

One of the most well-known departments at Sheffield is its architecture programme. The programme has earned a fantastic reputation, and offers a range of knowledge in both the science and the humanities aspects of the field. Student learn both through theoretical and hands-on projects, and get many exciting opportunities to share and display their work.

Another area of study that Sheffield specialises in is business. Both its undergraduate business programme as well as its MBA programme are well ranked. The Business Management BA is triple accredited, which gives you a leg up when you graduate.

In general, Sheffield ranks well for arts and humanities subjects, so if this is what you want to study, Sheffield is a great option.

Is Sheffield University A Russell Group Uni?

Sheffield is a Russell Group Uni. The Russell Group includes many higher education institutions in good standing. Here is the full list:

The Russell Group is certainly not a definitive measure of how good a university is. There are plenty of excellent universities that don’t fall into this group. However, Russell Group status is an indication of some factors that may be worth considering when deciding where to apply. Russell Group universities are known for having good funding and lots of research opportunities available, for example. They are also known for a high standard of academics.

See also: Is The University Of Nottingham Good?

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Zoe Kramer has been writing for GRV Media’s student-centric website Freshered since October 2022 and is now also contributing to HITC. She graduated from Cardiff University in 2022 with a BA in Journalism, Media and English Literature. During her time in university, she worked for her student newspaper as well as completing an internship with a book publisher. She has also written and continues to write book and theatre reviews. She is excited to now be pursuing a career as a journalist and learning something new every day. In particular, she loves writing about student life, books, the Internet, and travel. Originally from the United States, she is enjoying living abroad in the UK.