What’s all the hype about?
There are many reasons why Oxbridge is often considered preferable to other UK Universities but ultimately, it should be a personal pragmatic decision on what’s best for you. However, a key feature that sets these institutions apart is often due to the rigour of a course and the tutorial system which are delivered by some of the best academics within a given field.
Just wanted to also add that for most courses, three years at Oxbridge is a much more intense learning experience than many other UK universities. The years are divided into 3 terms of 8 weeks, with extensive reading expected over the holidays, compared with 32-week years at others. The experiences of friends at Oxbridge compared to mine at Manchester are that they have more contact time, smaller tutorials, smaller lectures and more assessments. I think often, many employers are looking for people who work well under that kind of intensity.