University applicants who are looking to graduate with either a first or upper second class honours degree should head to an Oxbridge institution, according to a new league table.
The latest Complete University Guide (CUG) rankings have found a staggering 92 per cent of Oxford graduates left with a strong honours degree last year, followed closely by Cambridge (91 per cent).
Using data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) for the academic year 2014/15, CUG has said the class of degree achieved can impact a graduate’s employment prospects.
St Andrews - which was also named the best university in Scotland - has come in at third place (90.7 per cent), while just over 89 per cent of Durham grads left with either a 2:1 or first last summer.
Top 10 universities with a good honours record
(% of 2015 graduates leaving with 2:1 or above):
- Oxford - 92.4
- Cambridge - 91.0
- St Andrews - 90.7
- Durham - 89.4
- University College London - 89.0
- Bristol - 87.9
- London School of Economics - 86.6
- Imperial College London - 86.5
- Aston - 86.2
- Birmingham - 86.1
As Oxbridge universities take the lead, according to the same rankings, it’s St George’s, University of London grads that have the highest chance of getting a job after graduation, followed by those from Imperial College London.
Dr Bernard Kingston, principal author of CUG, described how there is a “considerable degree of stability” at the upper end of the main top universities in the UK league table this year.
He said: “While dramatic changes may be newsworthy, this stability indicates the rankings are robust and credible for young people seeking a university place - our primary purpose.”
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