The University of Birmingham has been shortlisted as University of the Year in The Sunday Times University Guide 2013 and ranked at 13th overall in the UK, a rise of 12 places.
The University was particularly recognised for its impressive graduate employment, with 86.5% of its students in graduate level work within 6 months of graduating, higher than both Oxford (80.8%) and Durham (84.5). In addition the University’s student satisfaction score in the 2012 National Student Survey increased by 3% overall to 88%, placing it significantly above the national average.
University of Birmingham Vice-Chancellor Professor David Eastwood said: “I am delighted with our performance. We have clear plans and an unwavering ambition to be an exceptional university in which to study, and we can be confident that we have the high calibre university staff and students who can make this possible. This latest league table performance builds on a number of successes over the last 12 months, from increasing our research grant income by over 50% and achieving our best ever results in the National Student Survey, to receiving the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education. We now need to maintain the same determination and continue to build on our successes in 2012 and ensure we continue to offer students the very best experience.”
In its 15th year, the 64 page Sunday Times University Guide is published in the Sunday Times this Sunday, September 30th. Alastair McCall, Editor of The Sunday Times University Guide, said: “Our league table rewards those universities which have placed great focus on providing top quality teaching, with prompt and useful feedback on students’ work and assessment.
“With most institutions now charging £9,000 a year for tuition, students have every right to expect this as a given. If a university provides a great student experience, can offer good graduate job prospects, plus a strong track record for degree completion and outcomes, good rankings and students will follow.”
The Sunday Times University Guide 2013 #uniguide2013 provides students and their parents with an invaluable first reference point on the path leading colleges of higher education. The league table is drawn up from criteria including student satisfaction, teaching and research quality, entrance qualifications held by new students, degree results achieved, student/staff ratios, graduate unemployment levels and university dropout rates.