[vineel]

What is a "red brick"?

[pudquick]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_brick_university

One of 6 particular universities.

A similar term in the USA would be something like Ivy League:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League

[daven11]

We call them brownstones in australia - because they are all made of sandstone

[gaius]

The analogy to the Ivy League is the Russell Group.

[madaxe]

Erm, no. Red Bricks are ex-polytechnics or newbuild universities, generally specialising in quality degrees like urban forestry and golf course management. Oxford BROOKES is an example of a red brick. But not Oxford.

[billforsternz]

In common usage the term "red brick university" is at least a little bit disparaging . It tends to be used to emphasise that we are not talking about the entrenched, traditional universities of proven excellence - Oxford and Cambridge. So likening the term to "ivy league" is very confusing. Better to say "red brick university" (UK) = "not ivy league" (USA). Note that I don't buy into this judgmental attitude myself.

[Torn]

It used to be disparaging (compared to Oxbridge) I don't think it has those connotations any more - the few red brick universities in the uk place highly in rankings.