Understanding university league tables

League tables are usually one of the first things that your students will look at when comparing different universities. Their individual rankings are usually displayed in their prospectuses, on their campuses, or shared with students at events or higher education fairs. But are they truly reflective of a university’s standing?

Typically, the three main university league tables that students look at as part of their research are:

• The Complete University Guide
• The Guardian University Guide
• The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.

As well as these UK-focused tables, there are global ones for students who are thinking of studying overseas. This includes the QS World University Rankings and The Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Each of the three main league tables places a different weighting to its criteria. This is why there is a need for all three. It's important to help your students understand which criteria are most important to them, then compare those criteria across each league table.

The areas typically common across all three include:

• student satisfaction
• entry standards (the percentage of students who achieved level 3 results)
• career prospects and graduate outcomes.

There are many other league tables that focus on different areas and source their responses from other locations. One of these is the National Student Survey (NSS), which gathers feedback from final-year students on their time at university. The survey provides feedback on areas such as teaching, support, access to resources, and student engagement.

League tables are a fantastic way of comparing universities against each other, but it shouldn’t be the only thing to consider. Encourage your students to attend open days and visit taster sessions at their selected universities to help them understand what is most important to them.

Different universities will have different teaching styles, as well as different facilities. Visiting in-person will help your students get the full picture, rather than just looking at a ranking on a league table website.

My top tip for league tables would be to ask your students to consider this question: “Is it better to attend a university ranked 5th for the 55th best course, or attend a university ranked 55th for the 5th best course?”

Of course, the answer will depend on each student's personal priorities, motivations, and circumstances. However, this question will at least prompt an open-minded approach to league tables. In doing so, your students will be able to wade their way through the murky world of statistics to hopefully make the best and most informed choice.