The Sunday Times University Guide Best University College

Posted 24 September 2007

WINNER
BEST UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
SHORTLISTED
UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR AWARD
BEST NEWCOMER
HIGHEST POSITION IN LEAGUE TABLE FOR A NEWLY PARTICIPATING INSTITUTION

Harper Adams University College is celebrating triple success in the Sunday Times University Guide, this week. As well as debuting in the top 50 of the UK league table, Harper Adams was named Best University College in the UK and was short-listed for the prestigious Sunday Times University of the Year Award.

Other accolades include being ranked
Best for Jobs (1st in the UK with only 1.4% unemployment rates)
Best Marks for Teaching (1st in the UK, with 100%)
Most Satisfied Students (4th in the UK)
Head Teachers’ Verdict (11th in the UK).

Professor Wynne Jones said “We are delighted to learn of our success in this national guide. The University College takes great pride in ensuring that our teaching quality, student support and partnership working with businesses and networks are first class. These impressive achievements demonstrate that Harper Adams is not only the leading institution serving the rural and land-based industries but also takes a leading position nationally across all aspects of higher education.”

Harper Adams, the top-ranking University College in the UK, was placed 44= in this years guide above all ‘modern’ universities. The University College specialises in rural and land-based courses and in this specialism enjoys one of the best reputations in the UK. Recently the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education expressed “broad confidence” (the best possible result) in Harper Adams’ academic programmes, particularly praising its teaching methods and curriculum, together with its extensive programme of work placements and employer engagement. The latter no doubt contributes to the University College having one of the highest graduate employment rates in the UK, with 98.3% of graduates in work within six months after leaving. All subjects offered at Harper Adams achieved excellent ratings for teaching quality.

The Sunday Times University Guide 2007, which was published with The Sunday Times on 23rd September, provides students and their parents with an invaluable first reference point on the path to finding a university place. It contains full profiles of all universities and the leading colleges of higher education. The league table is drawn up from criteria including student satisfaction, teaching and research quality, ratings from head teachers’ and academic peer review, entrance qualifications held by new students, degree results achieved, student/staff ratios, graduate unemployment levels and university dropout rates.