A Top 15 University

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High league table rankings

Aston University has strong league table positions across a range of different criteria. 

• 13th out of 113 UK universities - The Independent Complete University Guide 2010

• 19th out of 117 UK universities - The Guardian University Guide 2010

• 25th out of 113 UK universities  The Times Good University Guide 2010

• 12 of our 16 broad subject areas ranked in the UK's top 15 in 2007 - 2010 subject rankings  (Times, Complete and/or Guardian University Guides)   

Satisfied students 

Overall student satisfaction levels are 83% (2010 National Student Survey).

Over 70% of our students are on degrees with teaching quality ratings of 22/24 or higher according to the Quality Assurance Agency. Many of our degrees enjoy professional accreditation from a wide range of UK, European and Global Institutes, Associations and Societies.

Excellent graduate employment record

For over 20 years Aston has been a leading university for graduate employability:

• The 2010-11 High Flyers survey again ranked Aston amongst the top 20 UK Universities most likely to be targeted by the UK’s top graduate recruiters such as KPMG, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
  
• The Sunday Times University Guide ranks Aston 10th out of all UK universities for graduate level employment success over the past three years.
  
• An independent survey of the UK’s top 100 employers has recently ranked Aston 17th in the league table of UK universities they target for graduate recruitment, and Rolls-Royce, GlaxoSmithKline and IBM were amongst the leading businesses surveyed. 
  
• In the 2011 Midlands Business Awards, Aston was recognised for promoting entrepreneurship and for overall outstanding performance. The awards, now in their fifth year, recognise and reward organisations in the region which are adding value to the economy.
  

World class research

The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) is a national exercise which assesses the quality of research across all UK higher education institutions.

The 2008 RAE results confirmed the quality and depth of Aston’s research:

• All research areas submitted ranked in the top 12 in the UK
• 45% of the research submitted evaluated as excellent or world-leading, with 86% classed as internationally significant
• Overall quality has increased since the last RAE in 2001 and all subject areas would have scored a grade 5* or 5 rating under the old system of classification.

Low drop-out rates

Aston's drop-out rate is one of the lowest in the country at just 4% (2008/9 Higher Education Statistics Agency), confirming our reputation for successful students who benefit from our excellent support services. This low figure is in the top 20 of all UK Universities.

Other criteria 

In 2005-2010 league tables, Aston ranked particularly high on specific criteria including:

• strong staff-student ratios

• graduate level employment (DLHE Survey)

• student satisfaction (National Student Survey)

• a high proportion of first and upper second class degrees

• a high level of spending on student facilities (student support, accommodation, sport and teaching facilities)

• a high level of spending on library and computing facilities

• high entry standards and low drop-out rate