THE UNIVERSITY of Reading is the fourth best university in the South East, according to the Good University Guide for 2024.
The Times and The Sunday Times released its list on Friday, September 15, which saw Reading rank equal 34th nationally.
Standings take into account teaching quality, student experience, graduate prospects and completion rate.
A University of Reading spokesperson said: “We are pleased to see the University of Reading holding a consistent position in these latest university rankings. We are widely regarded not only in the UK but across the world for the high quality of our teaching and research, across a wide range of subject areas.
“League tables can be a helpful tool to prospective students deciding where to study, although it can be difficult to make comparisons. Every university is unique and has its own strengths. Our advice to those looking to decide where to study is always to do your own research, find out about open days, and pay a visit the universities you like in person.”
In the South East, the University of Oxford secured the top spot, followed by the University of Southampton and the University of Surrey.
Oxford also placed second nationally, continuing Oxbridge’s dominance at the top of the rankings – neither university had finished outside of the top three in the past three decades.
The two universities have seen a rising proportion from non-selective state schools, according to the latest data. Cambridge has 49.5%, up from 40.1% in 2018, and Oxford has 53.5%, up from 39.4%.
Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “The higher education landscape has never been tougher. It is more competitive to get a place at many of our top institutions; the cost of attending university has soared, leaving graduates with extraordinary debt; and in many cases campus life still bears the scars of the pandemic. Meanwhile lecturers are on strike and the marking crisis is a running scandal.
“It means any prospective student, parent or carer needs to think hard about whether university is the right choice, and then where to study and what subject. It’s where this guide — our 30th edition — is here to help. Our online version has so much more on how the universities compare subject by subject, a guide on campus life, and what scholarships and bursaries may be on offer.
“We are here to champion the ambitious work of our first-class universities, and the aspirations of any student of any age who wants to keep on learning.”
For more information, visit: www.thetimes.co.uk/uk-university-rankings
