Wolverhampton University opts to stay out of rankings

Wolverhampton University today defended its decision not to appear in a national rankings guide that gave its competitors in the region much to celebrate.

The list marks everything from academic strengths and research through to facilities, student support and satisfaction.

The table rates 115 UK universities in order of achievement but Wolverhampton is not among them. Aston University was ranked 17th in the UK and topped the section including 76 other universities for the best degrees related to Subjects Allied to Medicine.

Birmingham University came 22nd, five places above its position in the same rankings last year. The improvement was attributed to better scores for student satisfaction and increased spending on academic services such as IT and libraries.

Others from the region in the list included Keele (43rd), Birmingham City University (58th), Staffordshire (80th) and Worcester (102nd).

Wolverhampton University spokeswoman Vickie Warren said today: "From this year we will not be appearing in any league tables produced for newspapers because they disadvantage universities such as Wolverhampton and do not represent a fair picture.

"There are many published assessments of our performance. The quality of our teaching and learning is assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency, which reviews all UK higher education institutions.

"The most recent National Student Survey rated Wolverhampton as one of the best in the country for the quality of its learning resources and access to specialist equipment."

Birmingham University vice-chancellor, Professor David Eastwood, said: "No one league table tells the whole truth, but this result demonstrates Birmingham's growing status as an outstanding university.

Professor Graham Hooley, senior pro vice-chancellor at Aston University added: "This guide highlights to our existing and potential new students that they can expect a high quality experience at Aston."