Study in the UK: The best universities for students

The Times Higher Education has ranked over 100 educational institutions in the United Kingdom based on responses from students.

Read on to find out which university tops the list this year.

Every year, the Times Higher Education releases a list of the best universities after considering a range of factors including student experience, facilities offered, quality of faculty and more.

This year too, they have released a list of the best universities in the United Kingdom based on 'student experience'.

To arrive at the rankings, Times Higher Education (THE) conducted a survey that was taken by 14,700 undergraduate students across the UK.

Based on the responses, universities were ranked for 21 parameters, including high quality staff/lectures, helpful interested staff, well-structured courses, good social life, good community atmosphere, good environment on campus and high quality facilities.

Only institutions with more than 50 responses were included in the final rankings.

The final rankings comprise a total of 113 institutions.

We bring you the Top 10 universities based on student experience.

Newcastle University

Rank: 10

Overall score: 81.6/100

Number of respondents: 170

In tenth place is the Newcastle University.

When it was established in 1834, it had just 26 students.

Today it caters to more than 22,000 students across its undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes.

As per THE rankings, the University is positioned third for high-quality staff. 

Photograph: Sarah Cossom / Wikimedia Commons

University of Leeds 

Rank: 9

Overall score: 81.9

Number of respondents: 248

The University of Leeds is ranked ninth for student experience.

Established in 1904, it has an annual enrolment of 33,500 students.

Spread across 1200 acres of land, the university offers just the right environment for students to study, explore and implement.

Five Nobel laureates have graduated from the university. 

Photograph: Tim Green/Wikimedia Commons

University of Exeter 

Rank: 8

Overall score: 82

Number of respondents: 193

Started in 1855, the University of Exeter is ranked at number eight.

In 2013, Sunday Times had named it the 'University of the year'.

It has three campuses and has an annual student enrolment of over 18,000.

Photograph: Derek Harper / Wikimedia Commons

University of East Anglia

Rank: 6

Overall score: 82.3

Number of respondents: 157

In sixth place is University of East Anglia.

It has an annual student enrolment of more than 14,000 and a staff strength of 3700.

Among the state-of-the-art facilities it offers includes a swimming pool that hosts international sporting events.

Photograph: George Littleboy / Wikimedia Commons

University of Surrey 

Rank: 6

Overall score: 82.3

Number of respondents: 131

The University of Surrey also shares the sixth place in the rankings.

It was established in 1891 as a polytechnic institute and has since then come a long way to offer multiple programmes in arts, engineering, finance and pure sciences.

According to a report by the Higher Education Statistics Agency released in 2014, students who have graduated from the university stand a higher chance of employment.

Photograph: Mark Boyce/Wikimedia Commons

The University of Oxford 

Rank: 5

Overall score: 82.7

Number of respondents: 219

One of the oldest institutes of higher learning is ranked fifth for student experience.

With an annual enrolment of over 22,000 students, Oxford offers a range of courses across interests at the undergraduate and post graduate level.

For the year 2015-16, it announced over 900 fully funded scholarships across courses.

Among its notable alumni include Albert Einstein, Bill Clinton, Stephen Hawking and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Photograph: Peter Trimming/Wikimedia Commons

University of Cambridge 

Rank: 4

Overall score: 82.9

Number of respondents: 219

In fourth place is University of Cambridge.

It was founded in the year 1209 and in 1284, its first college Peterhouse started functioning.

Today, it has more than 18,000 students across 31 colleges and a staff strength of 9,000.

Currently, it offers a range of courses in arts and humanities, biological sciences, clinical medicine, social sciences, physical sciences, and technology.

Photograph: Andrew Dunn / Wikimedia Commons

University of Sheffield 

Rank: 3

Overall score: 83.1

Number of respondents: 272

Rounding off the Top 3 is University of Sheffield.

Established in 1828, it has a student enrolment of over 25,000 across its undergraduate and post graduate programmes.

The university has an impressive list of successful alumni who are leaders in medicine, creative professions and running businesses.

Photograph: Pomdu/Wikimedia Commons

Loughborough University 

Rank 2

Overall score: 83.3

Number of respondents: 155

The Loughborough University emerged runner up in the rankings this year.

The university had its humble beginnings in 1909 when it was started as a technical institute.

Spread across 438 acres of land, it has 21 academic schools and over 40 research centres and institutes that enhance the student experience.

The Loughborough Students' Union which has close to 100 clubs and societies for various activities, is one of the few unions in the country to be fully managed by the students.

Photograph: Wikimedia Commons

University of Bath

Rank 1

Overall score: 83.6

Number of respondents: 180

The University of Bath tops the list for best student experience.

Established in 1856 as a technical school, the institute has since committed to offer a student-friendly environment.

According to the National Student Survey published in August 2014, it has a student satisfaction rate of 93 per cent.

Some of the parameters the university scored on was excellent academic, sports and social facilities, good community atmosphere, safe campus and strong connections with industry.

Photograph: Steff / Wikimedia Commons

Lead image courtesy: Bath University/Facebook

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