Faculty of Science and Technology

The Guardian University Guide 2011 published on June 8th 2010 ranks Lancaster 6th out of 118 universities, and top university in the North.

The tables are designed to help students who are trying to pick a course for 2011. It concentrates on teaching quality and includes a new measure of overall satisfaction by students.

This latest ranking comes after high scores for student satisfaction and graduate prospects saw Lancaster break into the Times Good University Guide top 10 for the first time (a rise of 13 places), and also rise to 8th in the Independent's Complete University Guide.

The Guardian says: " An impressive performance this year from Lancaster sees it leap 10 places to take the number 6 slot. Its own students must think that it is doing something right."

Professor Paul Wellings, Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University said:

"Achieving a top ten position in all the major UK league tables is an outstanding result for Lancaster. Students should be confident that they will get the very best academic experience here, through a combination of world-class research and the highest levels of student satisfaction - areas where Lancaster performs particularly well."

The 2009 National Student Survey ranks Lancaster 11th overall, or in the top 10 of comparable institutions and top in the North.

Lancaster University has also emerged in the top band of UK Universities with a high proportion of its research rated 'world leading' in the latest Research Assessment Exercise published in 2008.

The RAE measures the quality of research conducted in universities and other higher education institutions in the UK against international standards of excellence.

Overall, 92% of research at Lancaster is recognised as being of an international standard and all units of assessment included world leading research.

More than £300m has been invested into the estate over the last few years, transforming the campus. Current projects include the construction of a new £20m sports centre due to open in 2011 and a new £10m building which will provide performance space for the Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Arts (LICA) which will be finished for September 2010.

Earlier this year the credit ratings agency Standard and Poor's, announced an upgrade to Lancaster University's credit rating to 'A+' from 'A'.

The upgrade reflects Lancaster's increased research status among UK universities, its rising enrolments of overseas and postgraduate students and its track record of strong financial management. Lancaster is one of only a few UK Universities to have a public credit rating.

Thu 10 June 2010

Associated Links

• The Guardian University League Table