THE ‘Table of Tables’ 2018: Glasgow makes biggest gains

The University of Glasgow is the biggest riser in this year’s Times Higher Education “Table of Tables”.

The institution is 21st in the latest table, which is based on the combined results of the UK’s three main domestic university rankings, up from 30th last year.

It overtakes its Scottish neighbour, the University of Edinburgh, which drops two places to joint 24th, and King’s College London, which falls three places to 28th.

University College London and the University of Bristol have also made strong gains, each rising four places to joint seventh and 19th, respectively.

The top six places are unchanged from last year. The University of Cambridge takes first position for the seventh consecutive year, with the institution claiming maximum points after topping the latest editions of The Complete University Guide, the rankings published by The Guardian, and the combined Times and Sunday Times’ Good University Guide.

The University of Oxford and the University of St Andrews hold on to second and third place, respectively, while Durham University and Imperial College London are still both in joint fourth, and Loughborough remains in sixth place for the second year in a row.

The rest of the top 10 is filled by Lancaster University at joint seventh, up two places on last year; the University of Warwick at ninth, down one place; and the University of Bath at 10th, up two places.

The University of Kent is the biggest faller, dropping five places to 26th, while the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Surrey each dropped four places to 11th and 14th, respectively.

There are three new entrants in the table this year: the University of Manchester re-enters the list, where it last appeared in 2013, at 23rd place; the University of Dundee is now at joint 24th; and the University for the Creative Arts joins at joint 29th place.

Meanwhile, the University of Southampton falls out of the table, while City, University of London and Falmouth University, both new entrants last year, fail to remain in the ranking for a second year.

The University of Essex and Heriot-Watt University just missed out on entering the table.

Times Higher Education Table of Tables 2018: top 30 results

Each year since 2008, THE has compiled a “Table of Tables” to offer a snapshot of how universities are viewed by national newspapers. It is calculated by giving the 30 top-ranked institutions in league tables compiled by The Good University Guide (published by The Times and The Sunday Times), The Guardian and The Complete University Guide points corresponding to their position (30 for first place, 29 for second, and so on). The total scores determined the positions. We make no claims for statistical rigour and acknowledge the methodological limitations.

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com