Universities fall down rankings in national table
THE MAJORITY of Yorkshire’s universities have fallen in a new higher education league table published today.
The Complete University Guide’s rankings have shown Leeds climbing for the fifth year in a row, beating York for a second time after ending its nine-year stint as the top-ranked university in the region last year.
However, most universities in Yorkshire have dropped in this year’s rankings with York St John taking the biggest hit, going down 14 places to 121st; Leeds Trinity (111th) is down eight, Leeds Beckett (121st) down seven, Hull (74th) down six, Bradford (58th) down five and Sheffield (31st) down four.
The guide measures universities on a range of areas including student satisfaction, the quality of a university’s research, its degree results and graduate job prospects.
Leeds has climbed two places to 14th, whereas York remains in 20th – both remain the only two from the region to appear in the guide’s top 20, which this year rates 129 UK universities.
Only two other universities in the county have risen this year: Huddersfield (72nd) and Sheffield Hallam (69th), which have climbed nine and three places respectively.
A spokesperson for York St John University said: “We look at the various results across different performance tables and data to challenge ourselves and continuously improve. For example, over the past year, we have invested significantly in enhancing student facilities and developing our approach to research.
“We have actually seen a big increase in applications to study at York St John this year, indicating that the changes we are making are both attractive and responsive to student feedback.”
The tables are compiled using 10 measures: student satisfaction, research quality, research intensity, entry standards, student: staff ratio, spending on academic services, spending on student facilities, good honours degrees achieved, graduate prospects and degree completion.
Its authors say the consistency of its results year-on-year show that it is a “robust and credible” guide for students considering which university to apply for.
Sir Alan Langlands, vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: “League tables only give a brief insight into what universities can offer, but this reflects the commitment and hard work of our staff and students to provide an outstanding student experience. We are making unparalleled investments in our campus, which along with everything the city has to offer plays a vital role in making Leeds an exceptional place to live and learn.
“Our research-based education and emphasis on extra-curricular activities means we are supporting independent, critical thinkers, who are sought after by employers and who can make a real impact on the world.”
In separate listings covering 70 subjects, Leeds appears in the top 10 for 22 of the 52 subjects it offers, coming top in accounting and finance for the first time.
York and Sheffield both appear in eight top 10s apiece, with Bradford in four, Hull in three, Sheffield Hallam in two and Huddersfield in one.