Uk University Rankings

UK: Reforms make universities compete harder

Universities in England will have to compete harder with each other to attract students under higher education reforms outlined in the government's long-awaited white paper last week. Top-ranking universities and institutions charging low fees are most likely to benefit.

Proposals include the freeing up of 85,000 student places from government control and allowing unrestrained competition for top-grade A-level students - those achieving AAB. The primary aim is to ensure that universities are held accountable for an improved student experience. In addition to freeing up controls on student numbers, the proposals will ensure better information for students before they apply, better teaching while at university, greater transparency in areas such as feedback on their work and better preparation for the job market. UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt, referring to the fact that many more universities have indicated they will opt to charge the maximum fee than the government intended, said: "Trying to force down the cost of a degree after the government got its sums wrong will not solve the funding crisis it created. The only thing the government is likely to force down is quality.

Cambridge tops league tables | The Cambridge Student Newspaper

Cambridge University has topped Times Higher Education's 2011/12 'Table of tables', stealing the number one spot from Oxford after three years of dark blue domination.

This is the fourth year that Times Higher Education has compiled its own league table by averaging the results of three major university league tables: Guardian's university league table, The Complete University Guide and the Times Good University Guide.

The 'Table of tables' rankings are formulated by scoring a university out of thirty, according to its place in each league table. The total of these three scores provides the university's overall position on the 'Table of tables'.

Although Cambridge did not place first in all three tables -- coming second to Oxford in the Times Good University Guide -- it still achieved the overall highest score in the 'Table of tables' and beat Oxford by just one point. 

The table ranked the top five UK universities as: Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, St Andrews, Imperial and UCL (tied in fifth place), Durham, Warwick, Lancaster, Bath and Exeter (tied in tenth place.)

It was a good year for Exeter, which climbed in all three tables and jumped an impressive five spots to place tenth in the 'Table of tables'. City of London and Kent also triumphed, breaking into the top 30 in the 'Table of tables' for the first time.

This was at the expense of York, however, which fell from the top 10 in all the tables, and Aston, Dundee and Leeds which dropped below the top 30 in the 'Table of tables'.

Cambridge's Office of External Affairs and Communications commented:

"It's noted that we came top of two league tables and Oxford top of one this year.

Cambridge is consistently ranked the leading university in Europe by a majority of UK-based and international rankings, and it's gratifying to see that the excellence of our academics and students is recognised in this way."

The 2011/12 QS World University Rankings, which last year placed Cambridge as the world's best performing Higher Education Institution, have not yet been released.

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