How to use the league tables
Use our university league tables to narrow down what’s important to you. Compare university criteria to find your perfect match.
CONTENTS
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Using the league tables
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Searching universities and subjects
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Comparing universities
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Where the data comes from
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Measures
Using the league tables
League tables, when used effectively, can play a part in choosing a university. Your ideal university won’t necessarily be the one at the top of the table, with the highest-grade offer, or where you’ve been told to go by friends or family. By comparing and contrasting each university alongside our carefully chosen methods and measures, you can find the right university for you.
Searching universities and subjects
There are several approaches you can take to search and compare.
Filter
Filter the league table by subject, year, region or group to omit any data you aren’t interested in.
Sort/order
Click on any of the measures listed in the header to reorder the table by category. You can also use the 'order by' drop-down menu to do this. This can be used at any time during your search.
See all categories
Click on ‘full table’ in the top right to see a table with every category (instead of the ‘quick view’).
Subject table
Filter the table (as above) by subject, to see a league table dedicated to your chosen subject of study.
Once on this page, you can sort the filtered table in the same way as the league table – by clicking on any of the five measures along the top. This will reorder the results according to the individual score.
Historical performance
You can see the historical league table performance of any institution by viewing a university profile and opening League table performance. The graph and statistics show historical performance in the overall ranking table and by subject.
Where a university stands in the league tables is relevant, but the quality of the course is an important factor, as well as location, accommodation and the structure of the course.
Comparing universities
When using the table to compare universities, always remember:
Context
A league table position mainly reflects a university's performance from year to year. However, many have built a reputation over time, while some lower down are still carving out a niche. It’s also worth being aware that some universities are mid-table due to excelling in certain areas while performing less well in others. If the area they excel in is important to you, then their position in the table becomes less relevant.
Reputation
Newer universities often demonstrate strengths in comparison to older universities. Modest institutions may have centres of specialist excellence, and even famous universities can have mediocre departments.
Bunching
Be aware of bunching – in some tables the rankings are separated by very small differences. Small differences in scores can result in apparently dramatic rank changes, so it’s wise to read them in context. Year-on-year changes by a few places are nothing to be worried about, especially in areas of the table where the scores are very close.
Where the data comes from
All the data comes from public sources such as:
- The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the official agency for collecting, analysing and publishing of measurable information about the universities
- The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the National Student Survey (NSS) – controlled by the Office for Students (OfS) in England, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in Scotland, and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) in Wales
In a few cases, source data isn’t available and is collected directly from individual universities.
Measures
The table below explains each measure we use and why they’re important. This can help you understand how to best use them to your advantage. Think about what matters to you when learning. For example, if you prefer a more personal approach, the student-staff ratio may be more relevant than other factors.
The subject tables use the same five measures as the ‘quick view’ university league table: entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, research intensity and graduate prospects.
The donut charts represent percentage score by each measure of how well each university fares in that measure.
|
Measure |
Definition |
Data source |
Maximum score |
|---|---|---|---|
|
This shows the average UCAS tariff students have when entering the university. These aren’t the entry requirements, but instead give an idea of what level the average student achieved in their A Levels or equivalent. |
HESA |
N/A |
|
|
This displays how satisfied students are overall with their courses. Remember that satisfaction is subjective – you might have high expectations and feel let down, whereas others may come with low expectations and be more impressed. |
NSS |
5.00 |
|
|
A university with a high score implies students are more likely to be taught by – or be in a department staffed by – leading experts in their field, so what you learn should be of high quality. |
REF |
4.00 |
|
|
This rates the volume or amount of research happening in a university rather than the quality of it. Use this alongside the research quality measure. |
HESA |
1.00 |
|
|
This shows how employable a student is after graduating with their first degree, based on the graduate destinations of former students from that subject area at that university. |
HESA |
100.00 |
|
|
This is how much a university spends per student on all academic services. The higher the spend, the more likely you'll have more and better-quality academic services to use for your educational benefit. |
HESA |
N/A |
|
|
This signifies how much a university spends per student on all student and staff facilities, such as sports, careers services, health and counselling. |
HESA |
N/A |
|
|
This shows what percentage of first-degree graduates achieve a first or upper second-class honours degree. |
HESA |
100.00 |
|
|
This shows the rate of completion of first-degree undergraduates at a university, e.g. how many students successfully complete their degree or transfer to another university. |
HESA |
100.00 |
|
| Student-staff ratio | The student-staff ratio shows the average number of students to each academic staff member. This doesn't guarantee the quality of teaching, but is useful to know whether a personal tutor will have to spread their time between numerous students or just a few. | HESA | N/A |
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