Universities racing up the league tables

Various tomes and websites use their own assessment criteria to compile league tables and guides. Lancaster University tops the league as the region’s best.

According to The Complete University Guide which has more entries than last year, Lancaster rose one place to eighth in the country and also appears in the top 10 for 18 of the 31 subjects taught.

Lancaster is currently the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide University of the Year and is in the top 10 in all three major national tables.

Vice chancellor Professor Mark E Smith (inset)said: “Lancaster continues to build on a solid platform of success, which is entirely down to the commitment, excellence and hard work of our staff and students.”

“It is wonderful to see this quality reflected time and time again in our league table success.”

Both Lancaster and the University of Central Lancashire are in the QS World Rankings.

The latest Complete Guide saw UCLan fall from 95th to 102 but it was first in five areas, including student satisfaction and graduate prospects in dentistry and fourth for job prospects in pharmacology and pharmacy. Overall graduate prospects are up 24 places .

A spokesman said: “We are pleased to see our commitment to producing highly skilled graduates who thrive in the workplace has been recognised and are encouraged by our improving position in many subject areas.

“The most recent government statistics reveal that more than nine out of 10 UCLan graduates enter employment or further study within six months of graduating – the best figures we have ever achieved.

“As Lancashire’s largest provider of graduate level qualifications and one of the leading UK universities for the incubation of start-up businesses, we will continue to strengthen our position as a major economic anchor for the region.”