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.
This free newsletter will include information on university events added to UniTasterDays, as well as details about new webinars and blog releases for you and your students.