There is not long to go until this year’s university-bound school leavers leave behind the peace and freedom of the summer, and depart for their new lives on campus.
Some 400 thousand students found out that they had landed a spot in a UK university on the respective A Level and Scottish Qualification Authority results days last month, with four out of five immediately getting into their first choice university. Others have managed to make their university match via the Clearing process, connecting them up to tertiary institutions with open places across the country.
Many of these students are currently navigating moving away from home for what is likely the first time, with orientation weeks - sometimes fondly known as ‘Freshers’ week’ - at most UK universities set to kick off in late September. But not all universities are made equal, and many might be wondering how their school of choice stacks up with others they might have chosen this year.
Luckily, the Complete University Guide has created an in-depth league table for UK universities to shine some light on this, taking into account a wide range of factors. These include student satisfaction scores, average grades of students they have allowed in, and the quality of research and studies published by the university. They also consider some more practical features, like the ratio of students to staff, how much the university invests in support services like healthcare and sports facilities, and even graduate’s job prospects.
Here were the 21 universities from across the UK that came out on top:
9. University College London
With campuses across East and Central London, ‘UCL’ was one of the first universities to allow women to enrol and study alongside men - just part of its colourful and storied history. UCL has an overall score of 86%, and the second best staff-to-student ratio in the UK. It has 35 top-ten subjects, including French, anthropology, law, and business and management studies. | Photo: Ian Waldie/Getty Images
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10. University of Warwick
The University of Warwick sits on the outskirts of Coventry in the West Midlands. Unlike many of the UK’s centuries-old institutions, Warwick was only established in the 1960s. But the relative newcomer is punching above its weight when it comes to performance, with an overall score of 84%. It has 17 top ten subjects, including creative writing, economics, and Iberian languages. | English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
11. Lancaster University
Lancaster University is based in its namesake city, in England’s North West. It has an overall score of 84% - equal to the University of Warwick. Lancaster has a very high proportion of its staff involved in high-quality research projects (one of the highest ratios in the UK), and has 15 subjects in the top 10; including drama, dance and cinematics; sport science; and art and design. As of the time of writing, some places are still available via Clearing. | Rail Photo/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images
12. University of Surrey
Based in Guildford in the South East, not too far from London, the University of Surrey has an overall score of 81%. Surrey has nine top-ten subjects, including veterinary medicine, food science, paramedic science, and tourism studies. As of the time of writing, some places are still available via Clearing. | Adobe Stock