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Deciding between Oxford and Harvard for grad school for a one-year masters. Eventually want to work in consulting. Which school carries more weight in corporate America? Would a degree from Oxford be considered equal to a degree from Harvard in the U.S.?

By yeah dude on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 10:48 pm: Edit

Dude, with those two schools, you can't lose either way. Whichever school has the better program and where I would feel more comfortable is where I would go.

By dsh23 on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 09:22 pm: Edit

Hmmm...that's a tough one, 'cause both are excellent. Oxford would give you some exciting travel opportunities in Europe, but it may possibly make your job search in the U.S. more difficult. The Harvard name carries a lot of weight in corporate America, plus you'd be able to take some CS classes at MIT if you want...but I'm not sure how most American companies view Oxford...

Anyone else know how Oxford stands against a school like Harvard?

By hoy-dc on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 10:22 am: Edit

Go to Oxford.

By joe on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 03:26 pm: Edit

Oxford is highly respected around the world, plus it would give you the opportunity to live in another country. ...hmmmmm, but Harvard would give you more job opportunities in the US since more US companies recruit at Harvard...

By oxbridge on Saturday, January 25, 2003 - 01:40 am: Edit

I think that Oxford would carry more weight worldwide including the United States. However take into account the different education system in the United Kingdom. I would expect a Masters degree from Oxford to be much more challenging!

By Cambridge rules Oxford on Sunday, January 26, 2003 - 10:02 pm: Edit

If you are intelligent enough to get into Harvard AND Oxford...you should already know which school is better for your career goals...seriously, if you really don't know where to go, you're NOT going to do very well in consulting. I don't know what master's program you are pursuing but if you are talking about MBA's...Oxford isn't even in the same league as HBS when it comes to reputation in the business world.

By Icex1 (Icex1) on Monday, January 27, 2003 - 12:55 am: Edit

Dude, if you want to work in corporate AMERICA, go to Harvard. You'll have a good job before you get your masters.

By Ancient Scholar on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 10:23 pm: Edit

Oxford is not what it used to be. It does not even begin to compare to Harvard right now. Underfunded and overrated. Harvard is the most comprehensive university in the world by a large margin, and is much more respected in the corporate world (not just America).

And speaking of MBAs, Oxford's program is particularly weak (very weak).

If you like Oxford, go as a Rhodes Scholar. Now THAT is respected in the U.S. (not so much the Oxford part, but being selected for it). Then you'll have a Harvard DEGREE as well as any added prestige of Oxford.

By Goose (Goose) on Monday, March 01, 2004 - 08:22 pm: Edit

Oxford's business school hasn't got a great reputation... yet - this is because it is only a few years old. It is climbing the rankings pretty fast though. Same for the business school at Cambridge.

Corporate America would probably favour Harvard as Oxford may seem a bit of an unknown to many of them.

However, in terms of personal development, you would do best to go to Oxford - you Americans are, on the whole, culturally totally unaware and it'd be good for some of you to make the leap into the real world.

I'm at Oxford and love it. Work very hard, but my room overlooks the front quad of my college (founded in 1278) - beautiful!

As for being "underfunded and overrated". One of those is true - the British government is being pretty meddlesome with tuition fees, but overrated? Oxford has been a bastion of global education for 800 years! The finest British minds, contrary to popular reports, are still here and they are still teaching 1st year undergrads upwards. Don't confuse the overrated and underfunded argument as being a current issue - it is a problem for the future, which Oxford and Cambridge are trying to sort out with the anti-elitist government - they are both still world class. And Oxford is probably the most recognised university globally - I have travelled in five continents and still have not come across someone who has not heard of it.

Good luck either way, but I think Oxford would be a more interesting option.