University league table: Loughborough races into top five

Loughborough University, famous because of its athletic prowess, has leapfrogged to the top five within the new Guardian University Guide.

While the most notable three places were retained by Cambridge, Oxford and St Andrews, Loughborough jumped seven places to participate Surrey in fourth. The university – that was Team GB’s preparation HQ inside the run-up to your London Olympics – was particularly boosted through the success of the engineering department. It ranked highly because of its fashion and textiles, and also design and crafts courses.

Cambridge, which held on to the most notable spot from the Guardian’s main league table for that sixth year repeatedly, increased its dominance along the specialist tables, coming top in 12 subject areas.

Other universities rising from the rankings include Leeds (moved from 23 to 16), Falmouth (31 to 21) and City – which jumped from 37 to 18, turning it into the fastest climber on this year’s top 20.

The Guardian’s league tables rank universities in accordance with: spending per student; the student/staff ratio; graduate career prospects; what grades applicants should get a place; a value-added score that compares students’ entry qualifications using their final degree results; and the way satisfied final-year students are using their courses, according to results from the annual National Student Survey (NSS). Specialist tables also rank universities by subject area.

It was obviously a rise in satisfaction ratings – especially among journalism and accounting and finance students – that helped drive City University’s climb with the tables.

Professor Sir Paul Curran, vice-chancellor, says the university has centered on investing in staff and much better facilities.

“It’s about hearing just what the students say, ensuring that we support our staff to offer high quality education, and also ensuring that the routine everything is done – like students obtain work back punctually,” he states.

Bob Allison, vice-chancellor of Loughborough University, puts Loughborough’s success to having a clear focus.

“Many university strategies are unbelievably long and incredibly complex. My view is there’s little part of doing that. Most people won’t make out the print and they cannot then know what we are wanting to achieve. You can put our university strategy somewhere of paper. I said, make it really quite simple. Focus on no greater than three or four items that will make an important difference.”

Those the situation is supporting staff, improving the university’s international reach, raising standards – and “recognising that most students who come listed below are making an important commitment so we have to invest in them”.

Had Loughborough been a commonwealth country, its athletes would've put it 11th inside the medals table in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Its alumni include sports stars Sebastian Coe, Paula Radcliffe and Tanni Grey-Thompson. Now it is emphasizing stepping up the pace academically too.

The university moved to the top area for fashion and textiles within the Guardian league tables, is second for design and crafts, third in chemistry and fifth in journalism. Increased entry tariffs in nearly all subject be noticeable as one reason behind this impressive performance.

Allison says it's not because the university includes a burning need to compete with the elite Russell Group of top research universities. “I want Loughborough to get known for Loughborough,” according to him. “Not because were part of some group.” But countless students want to now go there how the university can afford to become choosy.

Particularly striking would be the strong showing of the engineering schools, which offer nearly 40% from the university’s student body and together recruit more undergraduate engineers than another UK institution. Loughborough’s mechanical engineering is third inside the Guardian’s tables. Its materials engineering is second. Allison says the volume of engineers “sets a bit of an ethos for that place. There’s a work ethic that rubs off on all from the students”.

Rachel Thomson, professor of materials engineering and dean on the school of aeronautical, automotive, chemical and materials engineering, says engineering has took advantage of strong partnerships between students, staff, professional bodies and employers. “We are building on the long established good name for engineering education,” she says. “I think perform a lot of things to provide opportunities for students.”

More than 1,220 Loughborough students used work placements this past year – around 400 of which engineering students. The placements help boost student employability: 94% of Loughborough’s graduates enter into employment or further study, in addition to those in full-time employment, 90% undertake professional or managerial roles.

Allison also sees the placements so that you can achieve a diverse student body: the promise of a paid placement really helps to encourage applications from students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The main challenge now, says Allison, is usually to maintain Loughborough’s position on the list of pace setters.

“Everyone discusses it on the surface and sees sport,” says Bryn Wilkes, vice-president, media, at Loughborough’s students’ union. “But in my opinion, why are the place great could be the other things sport brings – friendly competition underpins it. Everyone wants being as good as they could be.”