Trying to decide where to apply? A survey, published today, reveals which universities offer students the best quality of life. The survey ranks institutions by analysing a range of other surveys and data including surveys on living costs, employment and salary on graduation, and student satisfaction. Check out which universities made the top ten.
1. Loughborough University
Position in 2013: 2
Climbing from second place last year, Loughborough University comes top by scoring highly in several categories. Nine out of ten students are satisfied with their course – higher than the national average of 86 per cent – and students at the university rate their social life as one of the best in Britain.
2. University of Bath
Position in 2013: 6
Improving four places on last year, Bath University ranks second for quality of student life. It actually scores highest overall for satisfaction, with 93 per cent of students satisfied with their course. Furthermore, over 94 per cent of students find employment or another course after graduating, and students report high levels of satisfaction with their social life.
3. Durham University
Position in 2013: 1
While the University of Sheffield came out top for the best social life in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey, Durham University also scored highly in this category – despite slipping from top spot overall in this survey. Students at the university reportedly have access to some of the cheapest shops, bars and other amenities.
4. Newcastle University
Position in 2013: 4
According to the Complete University Guide, Newcastle University has continued to climb up the ranks of its league table since 2011, climbing from 29 to 20. According to this survey, the university has managed to maintain its position in fourth for quality of student life.
5. University of Glasgow
Position in 2013: –
While the highest full time salaries on graduation are earned by students from the London School of Economics (LSE) – probably because the university produces so many investment bankers – students at the University of Glasgow also earn good salaries following graduation – on average £25,111.
6. University of Cambridge
Position in 2013: 3
Similar to the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge dropped three places this year, from third in 2013 to sixth this year. According to the THE world rankings, the university ranks fifth, behind Oxford but ahead of Imperial College London, which is the only other university in the UK to make the top 20.
7. Northumbria University
Position in 2013: 11
According to accommodation costs from HEFCE, students at Northumbria University have the cheapest available; helping the university climb from 11th place last year into the top 10 this year. It is the largest University in the North East of England and has 33,000 students from more than 100 countries.
8. University of Oxford
Position in 2013: 5
While the University of Oxford ranked highly in yesterday's Times Higher Education world university league tables – coming in third behind the California Institute of Technology and Harvard – in terms of quality of student life, the university comes in in eighth place (falling three places on last year).
9. University of Dundee
Position in 2013: –
Along with Durham University, the University of Dundee has access to some of the cheapest shops, bars and amenities. The area around the university also has the third lowest crime rate – 5.5 per 1,000 residents.
10. University of Exeter
Position in 2013: 14
Climbing four places on last year, the University of Exeter secures its position in the top ten. Furthermore, out of 267 universities ranked by student satisfaction in the National Student Survey in August this year, Exeter came 28th.
