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Prestigious league tables confirm Durham University’s position as leading UK university

(15 June 2012)

Professor Chris Higgins

Durham University has confirmed its place as a leading university in three major UK higher education league tables.

The University was ranked fifth in The Times Good University Guide 2013 which is based on a number of criteria including student satisfaction, research quality, entry standards and graduate prospects.

Durham is also ranked third in the country in the prestigious Sunday Times University Guide 2012 and fifth in The Complete University Guide 2013.

Across all three league tables Durham is the third-highest broad-subject university behind Oxford and Cambridge.

In each of the three guides the University is the highest ranked University outside of the “Golden Triangle” of Oxford, Cambridge and London institutions*.

The Times Good University Guide also ranked Durham in the top 10 UK universities most targeted by key employers.

Durham is already ranked among the world's top 100 universities and is in the top 15 globally for employer reputation when it comes to the quality of, and demand for, its graduates.

Durham has 19 subjects in the top five in The Times Good University Guide including Theology and Religion (1st); education; history (both 2nd); chemistry; classics; English; geography; German; Iberian languages; Middle Eastern and African Studies; Russian (all 3rd); archaeology; French; geology (earth sciences); Italian; physics and astronomy (all 4th); anthropology; maths; and sports science (all 5th).

Professor Chris Higgins, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, said: “We offer a distinctive education, combining research-led teaching by some of the world’s finest academic minds with a collegiate student-experience, which allows our students to gain a first-class education while also developing skills that will enable them to flourish and succeed in their future careers.

“Our performance in this and other league tables reflects this commitment to providing students with the very best all-round education and is a credit to the hard work of everyone connected with Durham University.

“The University is continuing to invest in recruiting the finest academics and in facilities for staff and students, and I look forward to us going from strength-to-strength over the coming years as we work towards our aim of becoming a World Top-50 university.”

Full details of The Times Good University Guide 2013 can be found at: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education/gooduniversityguide/ (subscription only).

* The “Golden Triangle” refers to Oxford, Cambridge, and three London institutions (Imperial College, University College London, and London School of Economics).

Durham University “third safest in England and Wales” according to new rankings

Durham University has been named as the third safest university in England and Wales, according to a new league table.

The Complete University Guide said Durham had the third lowest incidence of student-relevant crime within three miles of its campus.

Compiled from official police data, the ranking gives the clearest picture possible of the crime rates for 103 universities in England and Wales.

Durham University is involved in a number of schemes and partnerships to ensure that students enjoy a safe stay at the University including close liaison with police, provision of personal safety advice, and community patrols provided by University Security.

Durham Students’ Union also runs a Nightbus service providing students with a safe and secure way of getting home on an evening.

Professor Graham Towl, Deputy Warden of Durham University, said: “We are a world-leading university and each year we attract thousands of students from the UK and overseas who choose Durham because of the first-class education we offer combined with a unique student experience.

“The welfare of our students is our first priority and we work extremely hard both within the University and with our partners in the local community to ensure that students have an enjoyable and safe stay during their time at Durham.

“These rankings underline that Durham University is a safe place to live, work and study.”

Full details of The Complete University Guide’s rankings can be found at http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/crime-in-university-cities/