London School of Economics claims the top spot in London for another year

The London School of Economics and Political Science has once again solidified its position as the premier institution in London, clinching the top spot in the highly regarded Complete University Guide rankings for the city. In addition to this remarkable achievement, the LSE has secured an impressive 3rd position in the national rankings, reaffirming its status as a leading institution renowned for its exceptional teaching and groundbreaking research. 

Every year the Complete University Guide releases UK university and subject league tables to support prospective students to make informed decisions about their future. The regional league tables help people find the right university for them in their area. 

London boasts a strong higher education landscape, as evidenced by the impressive rankings achieved by its universities in the highly respected and independent Complete University Guide.  

In the overall league tables, universities in London have fared very well. Both Imperial College London (6th) and University College London (9th) joined the London School of Economics in the top 10 universities in the UK. This is a real testament to the quality of universities in the London region that three appear in the top 10 for the UK.  

Elsewhere in London, King’s College London (joint 24th) and City University, London (joint 42nd) have secured places in the top 50.  

It has been a good year for smaller and specialist institutions too, with the University of the Arts, London coming in 29th nationally. The University of the Arts, London is a renowned institution that fosters creativity and innovation, providing students with a rich and immersive environment to explore their artistic talents. Its distinguished lecturers, state-of-the-art facilities, and diverse range of courses make it an exceptional destination for aspiring artists to thrive and realise their artistic potential. The University of the Arts is the highest ranking new ‘post-1992’ university in this year’s UK ranking.  

The Complete University Guide’s league table follows on from last month’s Student Choice Awards, hosted by its sister site Whatuni, building on the information available to prospective students to help them make the right decisions as they consider their higher education options.  

Within the London region there are pockets of subject-level excellence. Despite the following universities performing below 40th in the overall table, all had high-quality subject rankings reinforcing the importance of looking below the overall ranking. Queen Mary University of London (53rd) ranks 4th nationally for Materials Technology as well as 12th nationally for Linguistics. SOAS, University of London, (joint 58th) ranked 8th nationally for Asian Studies.  

Universities in the London region continue to demonstrate their dedication to academic excellence, research innovation, and student satisfaction. These achievements further enhance the region's reputation as a hub for higher education and reinforce its appeal to students seeking a world-class educational experience. 

Professor Amanda Chetwynd, Chair of the Complete University Guide Advisory Board, said:  

Congratulations to LSE for achieving a top position in this year’s Complete University Guide regional rankings and coming 3rd in the whole of the UK. The rankings show just how high the standards are among London’s top universities. 

Many prospective students in London are keen to find the best university in the local area. The Complete University Guide’s regional league tables are a valuable source of information to give local prospective students a greater understanding of what higher education options there are in London.

Simon Emmett, Chief Executive Officer of IDP Connect, said:  

With more and more students thinking about how they can make the most of their university experience, the 2024 Complete University Guide league tables will serve as an important guide. We know these rankings help them to make the right decisions about where and what to study as they take their first steps into higher education.

What makes the Complete University Guide special is its independence. Our expert board considers a whole array of information before producing our well-regarded rankings. The tables’ independence from our other operations remains a crucial part of our organisation and ensures that students, parents, and advisors can trust the results and make informed choices based on them.

The Complete University Guide is exactly that. It is complete – as well as academic rankings, our guide covers the issues which parents and students also worry about such as cost of living and local crime rates. We know that when it comes to choosing where to study, the Complete University Guide has it all.

ENDS 

Notes to editors:  

• https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings 
• The team behind thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk has compiled university league tables for more than 25 years. Since 2007, these have been freely available online. The Guide is an autonomous division of IDP Education, global leader in education services and technology, from which, by mutual agreement, it retains its complete editorial independence.  
• thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk attracts over ten million visitors each year.  
• The main league table is based on ten measures: Entry Standards, Student Satisfaction, Research Quality, Research Intensity, Graduate Prospects – outcomes, Graduate Prospects – on track, Student-Staff Ratio, Spending on Academic Services, Spending on Student Facilities, and Continuation. It includes 130 institutions. 
• The Arts, Drama & Music League Table, published since 2016, lists 12 specialist institutions offering too small a subject range to appear in the main table. 
• The subject tables are based on six measures (Entry Standards, Student Satisfaction, Research Quality, Continuation, Graduate Prospects – outcomes and Graduate Prospects – on track) and include 151 universities, university colleges and specialist higher education institutions.  
• All university league tables on thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk can be filtered by region and mission group (Cathedrals Group, GuildHE, MillionPlus Group, Russell Group, University Alliance, as well as unaffiliated universities). Tables from the current and previous years can be downloaded. All tables can also be sorted by any of the measures that comprise them.  
• Criteria for inclusion in the main university league table or the subject tables can be seen on our website.