A Lancashire university continues to excel as students return - retaining its eleventh place in the University Guide rankings released by The Guardian.  

Lancaster University, which runs courses at Blackburn College, scored 73.5 - which places it on par with Warwick and above Birmingham, Exeter and Edinburgh.

Students will be kickstarting freshers week up and down the country on Monday September 16 and many use the guide as a critical lens to figure out what they can expect from each institution.

When students return to Lancaster on October 2, they can expect a high teaching satisfaction rating with the university ranking 18th nationally with a score of 84.7

The rankings culminate in a total score based on the entry standards, research quality, student satisfaction and graduate prospects – which are all marked out of 100.

It also offers numerous opportunities after finishing university with 86% of students starting a career after completing their degree.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Schofield said: “We are delighted to have been recognised once again among the best in the UK, and to have remained the top university in the North West.

“We have again performed particularly well in the ‘satisfied with teaching’ and ‘continuation’ categories, which is testament to the quality of student experience here, and to the support we provide for students to transition into the next stages of their degree.”

It was also labelled as “one to watch” in a special feature which recognised the support it gives to students after placing consistently high for more than a decade.

The University Table released by the Complete University Guide in June ranked Lancaster at tenth and sub-category regarding research intensity was a particular strength ranking third nationally, falling just behind Cambridge and Oxford.

Sixteen subject areas ranked in the top 10 in the UK, with four in the top five.

Top ten ranking subjects at Lancaster are:

  • Social Work (2)
  • Biomedical Science (3)
  • Physics (4)
  •  Product Design (5)
  • Accounting and Finance (7)
  • Criminology (7=)
  • English (7)
  • Creative Writing (7)
  • Business and Management (9)
  • Chemistry (10), Earth and Marine Sciences (10)
  • Marketing and Public Relations (10)
  • Mathematics (10)
  • Mechanical Engineering (10)
  • Sociology and Social Policy (10)
  • Sports Science (10)

Rising two places the University of Central Lancashire rose to be ranked the 104th best in the UK.

Having already got a campus in Burnley the university has introduced a film and TV hub in Blackburn this week which aims to provide young people with the necessary skills in production and create connections with the wider industry.

The programme will initially focus on Blackburn, supported by the University of Central Lancashire’s facilities in Preston. 

The Blackburn Youth Zone will introduce under-16s to careers in the media industry, while Blackburn College and University of Central Lancashire students will collaborate on joint projects, supported by work placements at Film Buddy and Pixeleyed Pictures.