With the UCAS deadline of 25 January drawing near and Google searches for 'how to choose a university' increasing by 69% in the last month, young people all across the country are preparing to face their biggest decision yet.
To help provide a sense of direction, the online student job board, RateMyPlacement, reveals the top universities in the UK by ranking The Times' Top 100 universities based on a multitude of criteria including student satisfaction, graduate prospects, accommodation costs, costs of food and drink, local transport costs as well as the local nightlife.
- Upcoming students have until 25th January 2023 to complete their UCAS application
- A new data index reveals the top UK universities based on a range of factors including student satisfaction, graduate prospects, accommodation costs and more
- St Andrews University in Scotland is revealed as the top UK university overall, scoring full points across the board
- The index reveals the best universities ranked according to a range of priorities to suit all applicants so that they can make the most informed decision
Top 10 Universities in the UK
The insightful new data index reveals St Andrews in Scotland is the best UK university, scoring full marks across the board. This was followed by the University of Exeter and the University of Leeds. Across the individual categories, St Andrews also scored the best for student satisfaction and the general level of crime.
Ranking
|
University
|
1
|
University of St Andrews
|
2
|
University of Exeter
|
3
|
University of Leeds
|
4
|
University of Sheffield
|
5
|
Loughborough University
|
6
|
Newcastle University
|
7
|
Imperial College London
|
8
|
University of Aberdeen
|
9
|
Cardiff University
|
10
|
University of Cambridge
|
London proved the best location for graduate prospects, the top university for such being St George's University which scored full points. This was followed by Imperial College London (96.84) and the London School of Economics (94.74).
Staffordshire University, in Stoke-on-Trent, has the most affordable accommodation - costing an average of £80 per week. This is followed by the University of Huddersfield (£81 per week) and Teesside University (£88 per week).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top two most expensive universities for accommodation were based in London. LSE was the most expensive at £261 per week, followed by the University of Greenwich (£238 per week) and then Edinburgh (£222 per week).
Co-founder of RateMyPlacement, Oliver Sidwell, comments, "The looming UCAS deadline on the 25th of January adds extra pressure to young people as their new year comes with big, new decisions. With contradicting articles and advice, it can be difficult for students to find the university that best suits them.
This index helps take all factors into account to help inform applicants' decisions impartially whether they're prioritising their studies, budgets or their extracurricular activities, there's a university to meet their needs in this list. It's crucial applicants take all factors into account to consider where they're choosing to relocate to and think about what's best for them, personally."
For more information on the best UK universities based on differing priorities view the full table here.