League table advice

[CardigansOfTheGalaxy]

We are starting to think about uni, and I'm looking for tips on how to compare places and courses. I know about The Student Room, but in terms of league tables, is one better than another? I've come across CUG and the Guardian one.

Presumably student satisfaction scores are important, what else should we look for? Amount of student contact time?

Some of the metrics are very dodgy, relying on small numbers of self selected participants. ‘student satisfaction’ is particularly suspect IMO - it may indicate a cohort who are more easily satisfied and don’t expect the highest of standards.
look at subject-specific listings from a few sources and discount outliers (the guardian is often very much at odds with the others).
one of the most important things to look at, obvioisly, is employment prospects.

Can you say what the 'few sources' would be? Other than the two I already mentioned? Sorry, I'm very much a beginner on this topic!

One thing I wondered, about employment figures, are alumni asked, "Are you employed in a job related to your degree?" Or does 'employment' mean that they have any job at all?

The tables all vary in what categories they use for overall ranking, as well as how they are measured. However most have the same unis in the same areas if the table - it's unusual to see a uni at the very top of one and at the bottom of another.
Also remember that a lower ranking uni can be rated much higher when looking at a specific course.
I think it's generally known which are considered 'better' unis, but much will depend on what a student's predicted grades are as to how 'high' a uni they can apply to.

And thanks, noted about student satisfaction stats.

Look at course content and ensure it piques their interest first and foremost as it can vary wildly from uni to uni. You tend to see the same names in the top 10 but then will have other unis that are particularly strong and reputable in certain subjects. Narrow down areas and whether they prefer city or campus Unis then put the leg work in and visit. My DD dismissed Durham almost instantly as she didn’t get the feel but on paper she should have loved it.

We never looked at student satisfaction as it’s so subjective nothing beats visiting and chatting to tutors.

I’m not entirely up to date but in addition to CUG, i’d look at the Times
https://www.thetimes.com/uk-university-rankings/league-table

For an international perspective there’s QS - it uses different metrics, I’m not sure how useful it is unless your DC is in a field where international status may be relevant.

I found the Discover Uni course profiles helpful which gives things like employment, earnings and what people are doing after university and drop out rates. With a joint course you need to click on the tabs for both subjects and sometimes the figures are for groups of courses at that university (Economics at Oxford will be PPE, E&M and E&History and Management figures will be E&M alone).
https://discoveruni.gov.uk/course-details/10007774/LN12/Full-time/

League tables I had a quick look and used CUG but they can change year on year and table to table but normally some consistency for those at the very top. I would also look at course content and consider if you would enjoy that and if applicable would it help you to get relevant jobs or not. I would not put much weight on student satisfaction - a number of students would ideally like no work and to just party / do hobbies. I would also be wary of biases in league tables - the international ones are biased to larger universities especially in capital cities. Its worth doing lots of research online - universities own websites will have a lot including often virtual tours, course content, entry grade, contextual factors.

Contact time is discipline specific. If you’re studying a literature subject, or history, you read a lot. Now, I suppose the tutors could timetable an 8 hour contact session, when the whole seminar group sits and reads silently in unison, but it’s actually a bit silly.

Whereas in a practical subject, such as medicine or engineering, an 8 hour lab session might be sensible.

During visits (or via email) ask who actually teaches the modules? Is it permanently employed staff or precarious workers such as associate lecturers paid by the hour / course? Ask about module attendance for in-person courses - do the current cohort actually turn up to lectures? Agree with a PP that league table positions aren’t always indicators of the best courses.

DS is doing a degree apprenticeship, his university is awful but scores high on student satisfaction. No idea why.

This is all very helpful, thanks.

@UncertainPerson , I would never have thought to ask about attendance figures, that's interesting.

@SilkiePenguin , thanks for the link to that website, lots of info there.

@TwinkelSyar I'll DM you if you don't mind.

Re employability - this is based on the HESA graduate outcomes survey. As a PP states, lots of these stats are not hugely reliable as they depend upon the number of (graduated) students who complete the survey. They are not compelled to. You can have a handful of students who complete the survey who happen to be in work, and this can lead to a 100% employability rating when 80% of the graduated cohort didn't respond!

Also, well rated universities are sometimes not happy places to study, so I'd advise attending some open days and getting a feel of the place. Talk to staff, talk to students. Good advice above to ask who teaches the modules and about attendance. The most important thing is whether your child thinks the uni and course will be a good fit for them. [I'm an academic in HE].

So it wouldn't be considered rude to ask about attendance? And I'd presumed that maybe parents don't ask questions and instead the DC do, is that wrong?

Give the kids a chance to ask questions first, but absolutely parents can ask questions too.

What subject is your YP interested in?
Have they got any idea of their predicted grades yet as that will be the main indicator of which unis they could be applying to with a chance of getting offers.

I don't think it would be rude to ask about attendance at all. You could ask what the university's policy on attendance is, and what is expected of students, and how any concerns about attendance are addressed. It's always preferable if the applicant is asking questions about the course, as it shows they are motivated, but we understand parents have questions too!

In terms of credibility :
CUG/Sunday Times/QS
Daily Mail

The Guardian

The Guardian rankings are truly bizarre and should generally be ignored. Southampton Solent and South Wales are apparently in the top 10 for law and Brighton is apparently in the top 10 for economics.

Pay attention to the subject rankings. There are discrepancies; so for example, University of Coventry, #76 overall but #1 in Radiography

Also decide if academic reputation or graduate prospects are more important to you so University of Leicester #1 in Classics and Ancient History overall and for research papers, but University of Manchester outstrips for graduate prospects. (You can assume a n/a means they did badly BTW).

This year the Guardian have Brighton at 108 for economics and the top 10 looks reasonably accurate of who you would include in top 10 apart from University of the Arts London at number 9 which doesn't even appear to offer economics. 🤔

https://www.universityguru.com/rankings-explained/the-guardian-league-table

I would also ask about hybrid vs in person learning. Some kids like on line, which they can fit round stuff. Others need the discipline of in person. I was shocked when doing open days about how many unis have not returned to in person lectures.

That's the 2025 table.
In the 2026 table Brighton is at 8 with Essex at 9.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2025/sep/13/best-uk-universities-for-economics-league-table?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Nothing beats going to an open day and really getting a feel for the place. I also place some emphasis upon how well organised an open day is. Are the staff enthusiastic? And yes to the point above about asking who teaches classes.

I would place very little emphasis upon student satisfaction surveys. They can be twisted in all directions.

National Student Survey student satisfaction is more reliable as a certain threshold of respondents from each course has to be reached for the stats to count.

Some of the employability and graduate prospects data is dependent on area and the kinds of careers students want to go into (so universities in some parts of the country do badly through no fault of their own). It often evens out after 5 years.

I agree with general worries about league tables, but do take notice if one subject is rock bottom compared to the other subjects in their institution (or the same subject in other institutions). There might be a good reason for that.