Durham tops list of universities
Durham University has been named as the Best UK University in a recent guide compiled by The Sunday Times, fending off competition from the likes of Bath, Hull, Loughborough and East Anglia who were also shortlisted for the coveted title. The Guide makes interesting reading for potential students considering study after top-up fees are introduced in September, making it 'an invaluable first reference point on the path to a university place'.
Durham's 'consistent excellence' coupled with its teaching and research has enabled 66% of its subjects to earn top ratings in research exercises. The acquisition of its Queen's campus has been seen as Durham's attempt to reach out to the working class in Stockton-on-Tees whilst also helping it to shed its image as a second class Oxbridge.
Overall, Durham came ninth in the paper's league table of UK universities with Cambridge taking the top spot yet again. Manchester, Lancaster and Liverpool are seen as the best northwest universities alongside Warwick, Nottingham and Loughborough which are the top three institutions in the Midlands. Regional variation plays a major part in the Guide this year, with findings also suggesting that Teesside and Northampton are the cheapest places to live, with an average £33 per week spent on accommodation.
Changes in the way the league tables are compiled were also enforced this year, the Sunday Times now taking into account subjective data from the National Student Survey and the opinions of head teachers. Statistics from the survey show those students most satisfied with their higher education institutions can be found at the Open University, whilst Luton and Brunel students were amongst those least satisfied with their place of study.
Durham is also noted for its sporting achievements, with some 95% of its students taking part in some kind of inter-collegiate activities, although it's clearly Loughborough who takes the spotlight for sporting excellence. With outstanding sporting facilities including a 50m swimming pool and all-weather athletics stadium, it's no surprise that the university comes first in athletics, swimming, hockey and a whole host of other sporting activities.
Those starting with the highest graduate salaries are likely to be students from Imperial College or LSE, with statistics indicating they could be on as much as £25,780 in their first job. Graduates from Aberystwyth may be less keen to learn that their degrees could see them earning £13,913 when they enter employment as graduates.
More information about The University Guide can be found on the Sundays Times website.
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