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:
13. University of Birmingham
Like its name suggests, this school is based in Birmingham, in the West Midlands. It has an overall score of 80%. Of all UK universities, Birmingham comes second when it comes to money invested in support facilities - including careers support, health and counselling services, and sports facilities. It has 19 top-ten subjects, including physiotherapy, nursing and midwifery, pharmacy, chemical engineering, and materials technology. | Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
14. University of Exeter
The University of Exeter, based across Devon and Cornwall, also has an overall score of 80%. Exeter has 21 top-ten subjects, including African and Middle Eastern studies, electrical engineering, geology, medical technology and bioengineering, and marketing. | English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images
15. University of Edinburgh
The second Scottish university on the list, this one is based in the capital. The University of Edinburgh also has particularly high standards for new incoming students - but also boasts a good staff-to-student ratio and a high proportion of staff conducting high quality research. It has an overall score of 80% and 30 top-ten subjects, including social policy; art, architecture and design history; linguistics; politics; and geography and environmental science. | Adobe Stock
16. University of Bristol
This popular university sits in the heart of Bristol, in the South West of England. It has an overall score of 79%, as well as a particularly high ranking for the quality of research by its staff and students. It also has 28 top-ten subjects from diverse fields, including general engineering, dentistry, medicine, law, and Eastern European languages. | Photo: Geoff Caddick/AFP via Getty Images.