Country
UK
Short Summary
With students returning to university after the summer break, the second annual University Quality of Student Life Survey by Lloyds Bank has found that students at Loughborough University have the best quality of student life. The survey aims to quantify where student satisfaction and living standards are highest by ranking individual institutions' performance across a range of indicators. Last year Loughborough University finished as runner-up to Durham University, which has slipped two places to third.
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Lloyds Banking Group
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http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com
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careers@lloydsbanking.com
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http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/Media/Press-Releases/2014/lloyds-bank/loughborough-university-races-to-the-top-of-the-lloyds-bank-quality-of-student-life-survey/
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Loughborough University comes top by scoring consistently high in several categories:
Nine out of ten students (89%) are satisfied with their course, higher than the national average (86%)
94% of final year graduates find employment (or carry on studying), with an annual full time median salary of £22,000
Loughborough has some of the best sporting facilities amongst British universities all within one campus
Loughborough students rate their social life as one of the best in Britain, with Leicester and Nottingham on their doorstep
However, Loughborough has some of most expensive accommodation amongst British universities
In second place is Bath University, with a significant improvement on its sixth position from last year’s survey. A total of 93% of students are satisfied with their course – the highest amongst all universities. Over 94% find employment or another course after graduating and students report high levels of satisfaction with their social life. Bath students also live in an area with a relatively low crime rate and on a night out, they have over 100 bars and pubs to choose from.
Nitesh Patel, economist at Lloyds Bank, comments:
“Loughborough has raced to the top of the Lloyds Bank Quality of Student Life Survey. The University scored consistently high scores across most indicators. Loughborough students are happy with the quality of their course, which provides them with excellent employment prospects, while also benefitting from a strong social life. This has helped them clinch the top spot as students of Loughborough enjoy the best quality of life amongst UK universities for 2014.”
Top ten
The top ten institutions with the best quality of life are a mix of the ancient universities of Cambridge (6th place) and Oxford (8th)) and the relatively new, such as Loughborough and Bath; as well as Glasgow and Dundee from the north of the Border. (See Table 1)
Most of these universities score strongly with final year undergraduates being satisfied with the quality of their course and an average of 93% finding employment (or another course) on completion, with a median annual starting salary of around £22,600. Many of these institutions have excellent sporting facilities as measured by their position in the BUCS Overall Championship.
Students of University of Northumbria (7th in the ranking) not only have an excellent quality of life but living does not come at a high cost with the least expensive university owned or sponsored accommodation in Britain.
Key facts
Universities of Bath and Keele were rated as providing the most satisfactory university experience with 93% of final year students satisfied with the quality of the course1; significantly above the national average of 86%.
Students at the University of Northumbria have the cheapest institution owned or sponsored accommodation2, paying an average £1,550 per academic year; followed by the universities of Swansea (£2,500), Teeside (£2,800) and Staffordshire (£2,900).
The five universities with the most expensive university owned or sponsored accommodation are all in London; with the average annual cost ranging from £5,900 at University College to £8,250 at City University.
Undergraduates at Swansea University had the least expensive rooms in private rentals3 with an average annual cost of £2,250. The most expensive private rooms are occupied by students at the London School of Economics (£7,000).
The highest full time salaries are earned by students from the London School of Economics (LSE) where graduates reported a median salary (after 6 months in employment) of £27,3885 in 2012. The earning power of LSE students is followed by those from London South Bank (£26,491), Cambridge (£25,797), King’s College, London (£25,770), Glasgow (£25,111) and Oxford (£24,718).
The University of Sheffield came out top for the best social life7 in a survey on student experience. Followed by the universities of Leeds, Newcastle, Durham, Manchester, Dundee and Swansea. Also in the same survey, students at Dundee University and University of Durham had access to the cheapest shops, bars and other amenities8.
The area around Robert Gordon University and University of Aberdeen have a crime rate (burglary, robbery and violence) of 4.7 per 1,000 residents10 – the lowest amongst university towns. They are followed by the University of Dundee (5.5 per 1,000 residents).
Table 1: Lloyds Bank University Quality of Life Rankings – the top 30 Universities 2014:
University
Town/City
Ranking 2014
Loughborough University
Loughborough
1
University of Bath
Bath
2
University of Durham
Durham
3
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle
4
University of Glasgow
Glasgow
5
University of Cambridge
Cambridge
6
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
Newcastle
7
University of Oxford
Oxford
8
University of Dundee
Dundee
9
University of Exeter
Exeter
10
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
11
Keele University
Keele
12
University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
13
Swansea University
Swansea
14
University of Nottingham
Nottingham
15
University of Sheffield
Sheffield
16
Lancaster University
Lancaster
17
University of Leeds
Leeds
18
University of East Anglia
Norwich
19
University of Birmingham
Birmingham
20
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield
21
University of Surrey
Guildford
22
University of Warwick
Coventry
23
Robert Gordon University
Aberdeen
24
University of Southampton
Southampton
25
University of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
26
Bangor University
Bangor
27
University of Reading
Reading
28
University of Manchester
Manchester
29
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham
30
Source: Lloyds Bank
Table 2: Lloyds Bank University Quality of Life Rankings – the top 10 2013 and 2014:
University
2014 Ranking
2013 Ranking
Loughborough University
1
2
University of Bath
2
6
University of Durham
3
1
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
4
4
University of Glasgow
5
-
University of Cambridge
6
3
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
7
11
University of Oxford
8
5
University of Dundee
9
-
University of Exeter
10
14
Source: Lloyds Bank
Table 3: University with the Best Quality of Life in each category:
Variable
University
Town/City
% of students satisfied with their course (93%)
Bath and Keele
Bath and Keele
Least expensive institution owned or sponsored accommodation (average £1,550 per academic year)
Northumbria
Newcastle
Least expensive private rental rooms (average £2,250 per academic year)
Swansea
Swansea
% of students indicating they are working (or in further studies) 97.7%
Robert Gordon
Edinburgh
Median full time earnings £27,388 (after six months)
London School of Economics
London
Sports facilities – BUCS score (5,329 points)
Loughborough
Loughborough
Good social life (survey score 6.4 out of 7)
Sheffield
Sheffield
Cheap shops, bars and other amenities (survey score 6.0 out of 7)
Dundee
Dundee
Number of pubs/bars in the city – 245
Manchester
Manchester
Crime rate per 1,000 residents – 4.7
Aberdeen and Robert Gordon
Aberdeen and Edinburgh
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