University of Bedfordshire finishes third from bottom in the country - according to The Times league table

The University of Bedfordshire has finished third from bottom in the country, according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

The ranking is an improvement on last year when it slipped one place to finish in bottom place - with a 66.2 per cent chance of graduates getting a professional job or graduate-level study.

The number of graduates getting a professional job or graduate-level study goes up to 68.5 per cent against 91.6 per cent for graduates attending the top ranked University of Oxford.

The new ranking places The University of Bedfordshire 18th in the South East, below the University of Buckingham, Northampton and Buckinghamshire New University, but overall in 132nd place out of a total of 135.

Last year there was a 53.1 per cent chance of course completion, teaching quality scored 74 per cent and student satisfaction 67.6 per cent. The figures have seen an improvement this year with 56.2 per cent chance of course completion, teaching quality scored 76.4 per cent and student satisfaction 71.5 per cent.

A spokesman for The University of Bedfordshire said: “While we are disappointed at our position, we are aware that league tables tend to use data which is not reflective of our student body and ambitions.

“The University proudly provides opportunities for students from a wide range of backgrounds – including those who are the first in their family to go to university – allowing them to gain invaluable degrees and go on to have successful careers.”

This is the first time in 12 years that Oxford has returned to the top spot. The university dominates this year’s league table, following the global recognition of its groundbreaking work on the Covid-19 vaccine.

On top of this, the university has received a gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework and achieved outstanding results in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), claiming fourth place overall.

Full details of all rankings will be available in a 96-page supplement to be published with The Sunday Times this weekend (September 18).

See the full list at The Times.