THE University of Central Lancashire has failed miserably in a new national league table, coming 84th out of 96 institutions tested.

But bosses at the UCLa have slammed the tables as unfair and based on 'inaccurate and out-of-date statistics'.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Alan Roff said the Times newspaper League Tables failed to account for the recent successes of the UCLa.

He said: "It's difficult to see how some of this information has been calculated. For example, the staff student ratio used for the university is 24:1 whereas the actual figure is 17:1."

But Times Education Supplement editor John O'Leary disagreed, saying the statistics had come directly from the university via the Higher Education Statistics Agency. He said: "It could be that their ratio is better this year than it was when the tables were completed. But that's something each establishment has to deal with."

UCLa chiefs also claimed that changes in categories used meant they scored less than in previous years, and that some important variables where UCLa scored highly, such as completion rates, had been missed out.

Mr Roff said: "These tables are driven by the bizarre variables chosen in its compilation.

"The UCLa has a record of providing high quality education to students leading to high success rates both in terms of academic awards gained and employment secured after study."

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