The University Subject Tables 2010
To view the latest University Subject Tables published 30 April 2009 click here >
To view the latest University League Table published 30 April 2009 click here >
Introduction and Notes on Subject Table Page
Here you can view the subject-specific tables to see the ranking of particular universities (and also university colleges) in the subjects they teach. Note that these tables are not yet interactive because there are insufficient data in some areas, which would result in certain institutions being placed at the bottom of the rankings.
Introduction
Knowing where a university stands in the pecking order of higher education is a vital piece of information for any prospective student, but the quality of the course is what matters most. The most modest institution may have a centre of specialist excellence and even famous universities have mediocre departments. The following tables offer some pointers to the leading universities in a wide range of subjects.
The National Student Survey provides an indication of student views of the university they attend. Expert assessors have produced official ratings for research quality and, for the Education table, teaching quality. HESA provided information about students' entry qualifications as a guide to the calibre of undergraduates on different courses, and also about the destinations of undergraduates. The destination information draws a distinction between different types of employment: graduate employment, where a degree is normally required, and non-graduate employment. The tables give the percentage of 'positive destinations' by adding those undertaking further study to the total in graduate employment.
To qualify for inclusion in a subject table, a university had to have data for at least two of the four measures. The figure 0 in the entry standards and graduate prospects columns is NOT a zero score but rather denotes that no valid data were available. Where no data were available, the final score was calculated on the data we have.
Cambridge is again by far the most successful university, with 46 top ten placings including 33 top placings. Oxford has the next highest number of top places with eight followed by the London School of Economics with four. The subject rankings demonstrate that there are 'horses for courses' in higher education. Thus, the London School of Economics is more than a match for its rivals in the social sciences, while Imperial College London confirms its reputation in engineering. In their own fields, table-toppers such as Bath (Architecture) and Harper Adams (Agriculture & Forestry) are equally well-known.
In all the Tables, the following information is provided where it is available.
Student Satisfaction
This provides a measure of satisfaction with the learning experience and is taken from the National Student Survey carried out in 2008. It is the average score of the first 15 questions of that survey.
The Education Table uses teaching quality, as measured by the outcomes of Ofsted inspections of teacher training courses, in place of the National Student Survey.
Research Quality
This provides a measure of the average quality of research undertaken in the subject area. Each university department entered in the 2008 assessment exercise achieved a quality profile which gave the proportion of research in each of four categories from 4* to 1* (with any remaining activity being unclassified). The categories 4* to 1* were given a numerical value of 4 to 1 which allowed a grade point average to be calculated. An overall average was then calculated weighted according to the number of staff in each department.
Entry Standards (Tariff)
This is the average UCAS tariff score for new first degree students under the age of 21, taken from HESA data for 2007–08. Each student's examination grades were converted to a numerical score (A level A=120, B=100, etc; Scottish Highers A=72, B=60, etc) and added up to give a total score. HESA then calculated an average score for each university.
Graduate Prospects (Destinations)
This is the percentage of graduates undertaking further study or graduate employment in the annual survey by HESA six months after graduation. Two years of data are aggregated to make the data more reliable and scores are withheld where the number of students is too small to calculate a reliable percentage. A low number on this measure does not necessarily mean that many graduates were unemployed – some could have obtained jobs that are not usually considered graduate jobs.
