Swansea University has maintained its position as Wales’ top ranked university in this year’s Guardian University Guide.
Published this month (7 June), the table ranks Swansea 31st – the same position as last year – out of the country’s 121 universities by scoring each institution on a range of aspects, such as course and teaching satisfaction, entry scores, spend per student, student-staff ratios and graduate career prospects.
[aoa id=”1″]The proportion of students satisfied with their course has increased significantly, with Swansea now ranked 4th in the UK. Swansea is also ranked joint 5th alongside Cambridge University for the proportion of students achieving graduate-level employment or further study six months after graduating.[/aoa]
The overall Guardian league table is accompanied by subject rankings, showing how universities perform across 54 areas of study.
Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, said:
“This is a wonderful achievement that reflects the hard work and dedication shown by all of the staff and students across the University. Not only have we maintained our same position as last year despite increasing competition, but we have also made significant improvements in areas that students really care about.
“These latest results reinforce Swansea’s position as a high-performing, global university that delivers top quality teaching, world-leading research, and a student experience that is second to none. Not only is Swansea the best university in Wales, it is among the UK’s top institutions at preparing highly employable graduates that are equipped for work life.”
Whilst Aberystwyth University has some of the most satisfied students in the UK according the latest Guardian university league table.
Aberystwyth tops the table in the UK for student satisfaction with feedback in the 2020 edition of The Guardian university league table. The University is also second in the UK for student satisfaction with teaching and for student satisfaction with the course. Whilst the student satisfaction remains high, the overall position of the university increased to 54 (2020) from 45 (2019).
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has seen its ranking increase by 29 positions in the Guardian 2020 University league table, a joint 3rd highest increase in ranking in the UK.
The University is now positioned joint 57th overall out of the 121 featured institutions from across the UK.
UWTSD scores particularly well for ‘satisfied with feedback’, achieving a joint 5th position in the UK. The University also secured a joint 8th position in the ‘satisfied with teaching’ category. Several subjects rank in the top 10 overall in the UK: ‘Fashion & Textiles’ (1st), ‘Design & Crafts’ (7th), and ‘Art’ (8th).
Professor Ian Walsh, Dean of Swansea College of Art at UWTSD said:
“We are delighted with our three top 10 positions in the Guardian League Table. UWTSD Swansea College of Art is committed to maintaining a strong focus on delivering the very best experience for our students. All our staff are passionate about teaching and providing a supportive studio-based experience to all our students.”
There has also been a signifiant improvement in Cardiff University’s overall ranking, positioning at 38 (2020) from 58 (2019). University of South Wales has risen 12 places to 98 (2020) from 110 (2019).
The Guardian ranks universities according to nine different measures: including how satisfied final-year students are with their courses, spending per student; the student/staff ratio; graduate career prospects; what grades applicants need to get a place; a value-added score that compares students’ entry qualifications with their final degree results.
