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Russell Group
You’ve decided that you want to study at university or college. There are over 160 higher education providers in the UK and it can be difficult to decide which one you would like to study at. You may have heard about Russell Group universities and wonder what the term means and whether it’s even something that you should be considering.
What is a Russell Group university?
The Russell Group is made up of 24 of the UK's top leading universities. These universities are committed to maintaining the highest levels of academic excellence in both teaching and research and have unrivalled links with business and the public sector.
Annually over 280 Winstanley College students received places at Russell Group universities
Winstanley College always attracts the best students from across the North West. Annually, 39% of students go on to study at Russell Group universities. Compared to a Sixth Form College average of 29%. This shows great things can be achieved when students are inspired and supported to achieve their true potential.
Why study at a Russell Group University?
Leading research
By deciding to study at a Russell Group university, you will have the opportunity to choose a degree from a wide range of internationally renowned courses – from medical, biological and physical sciences to business, social sciences and the humanities. More than 500,000 students are enrolled at Russell Group universities – one in five of all higher education students in the UK. Importantly, many academic staff in Russell Group universities are working at the cutting edge of their disciplines. This means that, as a student, you will interact with leading thinkers and follow a curriculum which is informed by world-class research. As a student, you are likely to have opportunities to engage in research yourself.
Big Investers
Russell Group universities have some of the best state of the art facilities. Millions of pounds are spent investing in libraries and study space, cutting-edge laboratory equipment, improved lecture theatres, innovative courses, arts and culture facilities, the latest software and professional careers services. On average, Russell Group universities spend 50% more per student than other UK universities on academic services and staff and student facilities. Entry to this group of universities is highly selective, and applications outweigh places on the majority of courses. This means that you will benefit from working with, and learning from, a highly-motivated and talented peer group.
Bursaries and scholarships
Every student with the qualifications, potential and determination to succeed at a Russell Group university should have the opportunity to do so, whatever their background. Bursaries and scholarships are available at all Russell Group universities.
Success rates
There are many indicators which highlight the success of Russell Group students during their degree courses: the rate of students who complete their degrees is better than at many of the other institutions in the UK and abroad, and Russell Group students are more likely to achieve excellent degree results. Furthermore, a high percentage of students are in work or further study six months after their graduation: 93% of first-degree graduates from Russell Group universities, compared to 90% for non-Russell Group graduates . First-degree students from research-intensive universities are also more likely to progress straight to postgraduate study.
Transferable skills
Students are taught how to problem solve, learn independently and think creatively and analytically – all valuable employment skills. Graduates are equipped with the skills to be successful entrepreneurs, and a significant number of them set up their own companies. So it’s no wonder why graduates are highly sought after by employers, both nationally and internationally.
Research suggests that graduates from Russell Group universities earn, on average, around 10% more than those from other universities over a lifetime. One recent study shows that 41% of those in work were earning £30,000 or more after three years, compared to 32% for graduates from all UK universities.
Networking
Russell Group universities, have successful and growing alumni associations across the UK and internationally, which provide excellent opportunities for networking and staying in touch.
For further information about Russell Group universities
A full list of Russell Group universities and the Winstanley College students who attended them in 2023:
University of Birmingham
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Outwood Grange Haydock |
Joseph |
Bishop Rawstorne HS |
Millicent Alice |
Standish HS |
Fahd |
Burscough Priory Academy |
Ellen |
University of Bristol
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Ormskirk School |
Naomi |
Other |
Natalie |
Burscough Priory Academy |
Stuart |
Other |
Lydia |
Westhoughton HS |
Louise |
University of Cambridge
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Merchant Taylors |
Thomas |
Great Sankey HS |
Lucy May |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS |
Molly |
Standish HS |
Martin |
Culcheth HS |
Will |
Other |
Eleanor |
Standish HS | Vijay Hitesh |
Our Lady's RCHS, Skelmersdale | Harry |
St. Peter's RCHS | Ellie |
Cardiff University
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Ormskirk School |
Maggie |
Moorside HS |
Lillie-Belle |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS |
Anne-Marie |
Kings Leadership Academy |
Kian |
St. Bede's RCHS |
Niamh |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS |
Elise |
Bishop Rawstorne HS | Erin |
St. Joseph's RCHS, Horwich | Emily |
Tower College | Jessica |
Rainford HSBen | Ben |
St. Peter's RCHS | Olivia |
Durham University
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Byrchall HS |
Harriet |
Moorside HS |
Erica |
Culcheth HS |
Charlotte |
St. Peter's RCHS |
Isabelle Louise Ann |
Our Lady's RCHS, Skelmersdale |
Emily |
Rainford HS |
Rebecca |
Birchwood Community School | Benjamin |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Daniel |
Upholland HS | James |
Culcheth HS | Ruby |
Golborne HS | Nina |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Amelia |
Co-op Academy Walkden | Ella-Louise |
Burscough Priory Academy | Ellie |
Bolton School | Alice |
Rainford HS | Hannah Louise |
Burscough Priory Academy | Katharine |
Bishop Rawstorne HS | Lydia |
Deyes HS, Maghull | Darcy |
Hawkley Hall HS | Ellie |
University of Edinburgh
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Fred Longworth HS |
Fai |
Scarisbrick Hall |
Ella |
Byrchall HS |
Leonie |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS |
Olivia |
Kings Leadership Academy |
Tay |
Lowton HS |
Aidan |
University of Exeter
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Our Lady's RCHS, Skelmersdale |
Grace |
University of Glasgow
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Byrchall HS |
Aliyah |
King’s College London
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Culcheth HS |
Evie |
Co-op Academy Walkden |
Lucy |
University of Leeds
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
St. Peter's RCHS |
Holly |
Deanery HS |
Jamie |
Moorside HS |
Olivia |
St. Bede's RCHS |
Roisin |
Deanery HS |
Ellen |
Standish HS |
Thomas |
St. Bede's RCHS | Lauren |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | James |
Culcheth HS | Lauren |
Golborne HS | Amelia |
Rainford HS | Jessica |
Golborne HS | Jessica |
Deanery HS | Robyn |
Greenbank HS | Samara |
University of Liverpool
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Rainford HS |
Alla |
Culcheth HS | Ethan |
Maricourt RCHS | Luke |
St. Bede's RCHS | Annaleise |
Our Lady's RCHS, Skelmersdale | Matthew |
Deanery HS | Nicky |
St. John Fisher RCHS | Ellie |
Our Lady's RCHS, Skelmersdale | Amy |
Kings Leadership Academy | Evie |
All Saints RCHS, Kirkby | Libby |
Bishop Rawstorne HS | Alexandra |
Byrchall HS | Daniel |
St. Bede's RCHS | Joseph |
Culcheth HS | Romahn |
Upholland HS | Gabriel |
St. Joseph's RCHS, Horwich | Isabelle |
Deyes HS, Maghull | Lydia |
Maricourt RCHS | Ethan |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Jude |
Ormskirk School | Holly |
Standish HS | Thomas |
Hawkley Hall HS | Lewis |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Benjamin |
Byrchall HS | Emma |
St. Peter's RCHS | Caoimhe |
St. Peter's RCHS | Erin |
Cansfield HS | Harry |
Fred Longworth HS | Penny |
Fred Longworth HS | Charlie |
Outwood Grange Haydock | Will |
Outwood Grange Haydock | Ben |
Co-op Academy Walkden | Eve |
Culcheth HS | Melissa |
Bridgewater HS, Worsley | Amber |
Bedford HS | Rebecca |
Co-op Academy Walkden | Rebecca |
Standish HS | Daisy |
Rainford HS | Maryam |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Daragh |
The Westleigh School | Ivaylo |
All Saints RCHS, Kirkby | Charlie |
St. Bede's RCHS | Sean |
St. Bede's RCHS | Isabella |
St. Bede's RCHS | Paul |
Atherton Community School | Suzie |
St. Bede's RCHS | Nicholas |
Ormskirk School | Cerys |
Byrchall HS | Daniel |
Upholland HS | Jemma |
Upholland HS | Grace |
Other | Eraj |
Our Lady's RCHS, Skelmersdale | Braden |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Daniel |
Standish HS | Milly |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Charlotte |
Maharishi School | Daniel |
Golborne HS | Benjamin |
Kirkby HS | Devon |
Atherton Community School | Oliver |
St. Peter's RCHS | Ting Xin |
Upholland HS | Olivia |
University of Manchester
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
The Westleigh School |
Katie |
St. Bede's RCHS | Pedro |
Lowton HS | Olivia |
N/K | Emilia |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Rachel |
Co-op Academy Walkden | Arjun |
Rivington & Blackrod HS | Jack |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Bridgette |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Megan |
Rainford HS | Megan |
Atherton Community School | Ellie |
Rainford HS | Paige |
Rainford HS | Jessie |
Standish HS | Yoseph |
Atherton Community School | Debbie |
Culcheth HS | Oliver |
Kings Leadership Academy | Ben |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Eleanor |
Ormskirk School | Junjia |
Byrchall HS | Thomas |
St. Mary's Crosby | Grace |
Atherton Community School | Brandon |
Co-op Academy Walkden | Ellie |
Atherton Community School | Louisa |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Matthew |
Fred Longworth HS | Elizabeth |
St. Bede's RCHS | Regan |
Kirkby HS | Dylan |
Dean Trust Rose Bridge | Faith |
Co-op Academy Walkden | Thomas |
Hawkley Hall HS | Llyanne |
Fred Longworth HS | Ellie |
Birchwood Community School | Jake |
Deyes HS, Maghull | Hannah |
Rainford HS | Cody |
Byrchall HS | Emigen Hong-Yee |
Shevington HS | Willem |
Newcastle University
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Shevington HS |
Elizabeth |
Deyes HS, Maghull |
Anna |
Culcheth HS | Georgia |
Byrchall HS | Bethany |
Culcheth HS | Ryan |
Deyes HS, Maghull | Faye |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Grace |
Co-op Academy Walkden | Elijah |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Elleanor |
St. John Fisher RCHS | Mary |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Aimee |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Daniel |
St. Joseph's RCHS, Horwich | Jude |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Roisin |
Rainford HS | Rebecca |
Standish HS | Felicity |
Tower College | Liam |
Byrchall HS | Caitlin |
Kings Leadership Academy | Jack |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Abbie |
St. Mary's RCHS, Leigh | Summer |
Standish HS | Lydia |
Culcheth HS | Isabella |
University of Nottingham
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS |
Leon |
St. Bede's RCHS |
Evie |
Upholland HS |
Sjoerd |
Fred Longworth HS | Katie |
Rainford HS | Jessica |
Culcheth HS | Isabella |
Lowton HS | Dillon |
Evie | |
Fred Longworth HS | Thomas |
University of Oxford
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Greenbank HS |
Josephine |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS |
Kira |
St. Peter's RCHS | Cecilia |
Shevington HS | Megan |
Culcheth HS | Lucy |
Ormskirk School | Amy |
Byrchall HS | Molly |
Queen Mary University of London
N/A
Queen’s University Belfast
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Westhoughton HS |
Della |
St. Bede's RCHS |
Daniel |
University College London
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Culcheth HS |
Aiden |
Culcheth HS |
Heather |
St. John Fisher RCHS |
Bethany |
Culcheth HS |
Harley |
Bedford HS |
Mackenzie |
University of Warwick
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Byrchall HS |
Jarod |
Birchwood Community School |
Megan |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Charlotte |
Fred Longworth HS | Andrew |
Ormskirk School | Isabel |
Byrchall HS | Katie |
Shevington HS | Emily |
University of York
Feeder School | Name |
---|---|
Byrchall HS |
Emma |
Fred Longworth HS |
Jamie |
Kings Leadership Academy | George |
St. Bede's RCHS | Annabel |
Ormskirk School | Amy |
Outwood Grange Haydock | Callum |
Golborne HS | Elizabeth |
Culcheth HS | Emma |
Deanery HS | Dylan |
Rainford HS | Georgina |
St. Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS | Poppy |
Westhoughton HS | Natasha |
Culcheth HS | Laura |
Hawkley Hall HS | Ella |
Culcheth HS | William |
Kings Leadership Academy | Morgan |
Kirkby HS | Isabel |