How to Search and Compare Undergraduate Courses on Discover Uni

Discover Uni is the UK's official higher education data site. To search, enter a course name and/or an institution in the search box on the homepage, then open the results to compare official data for each undergraduate course. You can save courses as you go and view them together later. This works best if you already have a shortlist of subjects or universities in mind and want to check official figures rather than rely on marketing pages.

Before You Start

• Know what you're comparing. A course name (for example, a subject like "history" or "nursing") and/or an institution name are the two inputs the search accepts.
• Expect official data, not rankings. The site describes itself as the official source of data, information and guidance about higher education across the UK, and it publishes data for each course. It is a research tool, not an advice service that tells you which course to pick.
• Plan for saving. The homepage shows a saved-courses area ("You have courses saved" / "View your courses"), so you can collect options and return to them.

Step 1: Search by Course Name and/or Institution

1. Go to the Discover Uni homepage.
2. Find the search area under the heading "Thinking about your uni choices?" — the prompt reads "Search and compare undergraduate courses in the UK."
3. Enter a course name, an institution, or both. The field is labelled "Search by course name and/or institution."
4. Submit the search and open the results.

Expected result: a list of undergraduate courses matching your terms, each linking to its own data page.

Practical tip: if your first search returns too many results, add the institution; if it returns too few, drop the institution and search by subject alone.

Step 2: Read the Course Data Pages

Each course page carries the official data Discover Uni publishes for that course. The site's "About our data" section explains what is published for each course — read that page first so you know what each figure means and how it is collected before you draw conclusions.

When comparing, hold the same measures side by side for every course. Comparing one course's student satisfaction figure against another course's graduate outcome figure tells you nothing useful.

Step 3: Save Courses and Compare Them Together

Use the save function as you browse, then open "View your courses" to see your saved list in one place. This is the practical way to compare: build a shortlist of, say, three to five courses, then work through the same data points for each.

A simple comparison table you can fill in yourself:

Fill each row from the course's own page, not from memory or third-party sites.

Step 4: Use the Guidance Sections Alongside the Data

The homepage links to three support areas that answer the questions data alone can't:

• How to use Discover Uni — the site's own guidance on getting the most out of the information available. Start here if the data pages feel dense.
• How to apply — guidance on the application process.
• How will I pay for it? — information on applying for student finance and the cost of living while at university.

Use these when a data point raises a question (for example, what a figure means for your situation) rather than as a substitute for checking the course pages.

Common Sticking Points

• Searching too broadly. A subject-only search across the whole UK returns a long list; narrow with an institution once you have a shortlist.
• Comparing mismatched measures. Decide which data points matter to you first, then check the same ones for every saved course.
• Skipping "About our data." The published figures have specific definitions; reading that section prevents misreading them.
• Forgetting to save. Saved courses are the mechanism for side-by-side comparison — save as you search rather than trying to remember pages.

What This Site Is and Isn't

Discover Uni is the official source of data, information and guidance about higher education across the UK, aimed at undergraduate course research. It lets you search and compare official course data and read guidance on applying and funding. It does not replace checking an institution's own course pages for entry requirements and course content, and the site's materials do not state that its data covers postgraduate study — treat it as an undergraduate research tool.