Two of county’s universities top rankings for best student social life

UNIVERSITIES IN two Yorkshire cities have both been ranked in the nation’s top five and rated as having the best student social life in the country, a survey has revealed today.

The University of Sheffield retained its spot in third, while Leeds has climbed two places to fourth nationally in the latest Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey.

Both were the among the highest ranked institutions for social life, along with Newcastle University.

York was the third highest ranked university in Yorkshire and 23rd out of 122 institutions nationally, while York St John has broken into the top 40 for the first time, ranking 31st.

Harper Adams University, in Shropshire, is ranked top for student experience and Loughborough University dropped from first place to second.

The survey polled almost 16,000 undergraduates on 22 areas of student life including social life, community atmosphere, extracurricular activities, campus environment and high-quality facilities.

Sheffield University’s Students’ Union has now been voted the best in the UK for the ninth year in a row.

As well as being Yorkshire’s highest ranked university in the survey, Sheffield was also rated joint top for its library services and was ranked third for both good community atmosphere and good social life.

Prof Wyn Morgan, the university’s vice president for education, said: “We take great pride in offering a student experience that is both enriching and inspiring as we know making the choice as to where to study is about more than simply an investment in your career.”