1. Introduction University Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Committee The Sunday Times University Guide 2013 Post-publication analysis The Sunday Times University Guide 2013 was published on 30 th September 2012. We are ranked in 17 th place, down from 12 th last year. The guide is in its fifteenth year of publication. The Sunday Times institutional ranking is based on 7 key measures using data from the NSS, HEFCE and HESA. Subject tables are included in the guide for the third year running, and are based on 6 key measures. In the subject tables, we are in the top 10 institutions in 8 out of the 32 subjects in which we are included, and are in the top 20% of institutions in 14 subjects. The full guide is available on The Sunday Times website. Out of the other major newspaper league tables published this year, our ranking improved in The Complete and The Times, but worsened in The Guardian: 2011 2012 The Guardian 31 33 The Complete 24 =23 The Times 25 23 The Sunday Times 12 17 2. Changes to the methodology Peer Assessment, previously worth 100 points, is no longer included. Last year we were ranked joint 25 th on this measure. The scoring for the other seven measures remains the same but the weights increased due to the removal of the Peer Assessment measure. This change, and the importance of the National Student Survey in this league table, support the Sunday Times claim that this is a league table which now places greater emphasis on the student experience and graduate outcomes. 3. Scores Comparisons can only be made against last years scores in those areas where the methodology has stayed the same. The table below shows changes between 2012 and 2013 (figures in parentheses are the maximum or range of points available): 2011 2012 Teaching Excellence 172 (250) 177 (250) Student Satisfaction 20 (-55 to +50) 15 (-55 to +50) Peer assessment 68 (100) Research Quality 132 (200) 132 (200) UCAS entry points 205 (250) 213 (250) Employment 154 (200) 155 (200) Firsts/2:1s 75 (100) 75 (100) Dropout 8 (-54 to +57) 6 (-74 to +57) 834 772 Our scores have improved for Teaching Excellence, UCAS entry points and Employment. The methodology and underlying data have not changed for Research Quality and are unlikely to do so until the results of the Research Excellence Framework are published in late 2014. From the University s comparator group of 35 institutions, Birmingham and Queen s Belfast have risen the most in the rankings (from 25 th to =13 th and from 46 th to =26 th respectively). Both institutions improved in most categories but made a significant improvement in teaching excellence. Sussex is the poorest performer from the comparator group, falling from 19 th to 37 th after dropping points in most measures.
Although not a comparator institution, Heriot-Watt moved from 31 st to 9 th, with significant improvements in Teaching excellence and UCAS Entry points. 4. Measures used in The Sunday Times League Institutional Table 2013 Teaching Excellence - 250 points ( ) The results of questions 1 to 12 of the 2012 national student survey (NSS) are scored taking a theoretical minimum and maximum score of 50% and 90% respectively. This meant each percentage point gained above 50% was worth 6.25 points in the league table. Questions 1 to 12 relate to student satisfaction with teaching quality, academic support, assessment and feedback. Universities were awarded points for their overall institutional score. We earned 177/250 points for Teaching Excellence. Our scores have improved since the 2011 NSS in 7 of the 12 questions used by The Sunday Times to measure Teaching Excellence. The biggest increases were for Q10: I have received sufficient advice and support with my studies and Q12: Good advice was available when I needed to make study choices, both up 2% on the previous year. The other improvements showed a 1% increase while in the remaining 5 questions our scores remain the same. Based on Teaching Excellence alone, we ranked 16 th in the comparator group of 35 institutions. Among all 122 institutions in the table, we ranked 47 th. Student Satisfaction range +50 to -55 points ( ) The responses given to Question 22 of the NSS: Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course were compared to a benchmark for the given institution, devised according to a formula based on the social and subject mix. Five bonus points were awarded or five penalty points deducted for every percentage point above or below the benchmark score the University s actual score happened to be. Our overall satisfaction score in the 2012 NSS was 89%, unchanged from 2011. Again, we performed above our benchmark, but as the benchmark increased from 85% to 86%, we earned 15 points this year, compared to 20 points last year. We were joint 10 th (joint with 6 other institutions) among the 35 institutions in the comparator group. The highest scoring institution in the comparator group for this measure was Surrey who scored 90%, with a benchmark of 84% We ranked joint 19 th (with 14 other institutions that were awarded 15 points) among all 122 institutions on this measure alone. Research quality 200 points ( ) Data from the most recent research assessment exercise, published in December 2008, was used. Five different weightings were awarded for research quality, ranging from 4* to unclassified, from which an average score per member of staff entered was calculated. This average score was converted to a percentage and double weighted to give a score out of 200. To take some account of the number of staff submitted for assessment (and make a judgment based on quantity as well as quality), the maximum institutional score was limited to 150 points, 100 points and 50 points, where the number of staff dropped below 200, 100 and 50 respectively. There have been no changes to the data or methodology used this year. Newcastle, with 132/200 points for research quality, remained level with Birmingham at joint 24 th in the comparator group of 35 institutions, and also joint 24 th in the sector. UCAS Entry points 250 points ( ) Nationally audited data for the 2010/11 academic year were used. All entry points gained under the UCAS tariff system were used to calculate mean scores for all universities. Each grade received a set number of points and a ceiling was set of 500. A percentage of all available points were calculated for each university. Our score for entry points was up from 205 last year to 213 as our mean tariff for 2010/11 increased from 409.1 to 425.3. Points ranged from 250 (at Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Imperial, Durham, St Andrews) down to 98 at the University of East London. In the comparator group of 35 we ranked 21 st and among all institutions, we ranked 22 nd. Employment 200 points ( )
The number of students assumed to be unemployed six months after graduation was calculated as a percentage of the total number of known destinations. For the league table calculation, the percentage was subtracted from 50. Separately, the percentage of full-time, first-degree graduates in full-time, non-graduate jobs as defined by SOC 2000 (Standard Occupational Classification 2000) grouping was subtracted from 50. The two scores out of 50 were added together and then doubled to produce the points score shown in the league table. In the 2013 guide we earned 155/200, a small improvement on last year s score of 154/200. The percentage of full time, first degree leavers assumed to be unemployed was 6.2%, up from 5.5% the previous year. Our percentage in non-graduate jobs outweighed this, down from 17.4% to 16.1%, which explains the small improvement this year. We ranked 10 th in the comparator group of 35 institutions, for this measure alone, and 15 th among all institutions. Firsts/2:1s 100 points ( ) The percentage of students awarded firsts or 2:1 degrees. Unclassified degrees were excluded. Our score for this measure was 75, the same as the previous year. Our actual percentage fell from 75.5% to 74.6%, but the rounding applied by the Sunday Times meant the points total remained unchanged. We were joint 18 th in the comparator group of 35 institutions and joint 19 th among all institutions based on this measure alone. Dropout rate range +57 to -54 ( ) The number of students who drop out before completing their courses was compared with the number expected to drop out based on the HEFCE benchmark. The percentage difference between the projected dropout rate and the benchmark was multiplied by 5 and awarded as a bonus/penalty mark. In the data for this year, our dropout rate has increased, from 5.0% to 5.7%, against only a small increase in the benchmark, from 6.6% to 6.9%. This smaller gap between our rate and the benchmark has earned us a lower bonus score of 6, compared to the score of 8 last year. We were 20 th in the comparator group of 35 institutions and joint 59 th among all institutions based on this measure alone. 5. Ranking based on individual measures used in the league table The table below summarises our ranking both in the sector as a whole (122 institutions) and the comparator group of 35 institutions. Rank (previous year rank in brackets) Measure Score Change from 2012 Sector Comparator Group of 35 Teaching Excellence 177/250 +5 =47 (=37) 16 (14) Student Satisfaction 15-5 =19 (=14) =10 (=7) Research quality 132/200 - =24 (=24) =24 (=24) Entry points 213/250 +8 22 (21) 21 (20) Employment 155/200 +1 15 (=9) 10 (=7) Firsts/2:1s 75/100 - =19 (=19) =18 (=18) Dropout rate 6-2 =59 (=42) 20 (=10) The comparator group of 35 institutions. Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Dundee, Durham, East Anglia, Edinburgh, Essex, Exeter, Glasgow, Imperial College, King s College, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, LSE, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Queen Mary, Queen s Belfast, Reading, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, Southampton, St Andrews, Surrey, Sussex, UCL, Warwick, York. 6. Other measures reported in The Sunday Times guide In supporting tables in the publication, The Sunday Times noted that out of all institutions, Newcastle was: 16 th most in graduate level jobs 18 th lowest dropout rate
3 rd top in the north 10 th best for sport 11 th lowest state school intake =14 th fewest unemployed 7. Subject League Tables Subject league tables are available on The Sunday Times website for the third year running. They are not published in full in the newspaper. The subject league tables are based on the six measures shown below, with the maximum points available in brackets: Teaching excellence (250) Entry points (250) Graduate-level jobs (125) Unemployment (125) Firsts / 2:1s (125) Dropout rate (125) The Sunday Times methodology states that: Where there were fewer than 52 students in a subject population, data is suppressed, although an overall ranking may still be achieved. Rankings are derived from the proportion of the maximum possible score (1,000) achieved at each institution. If the total number of points for an institution is below 500, the institution is excluded from that subject table. Newcastle was included in 32 out of 39 subject tables. Newcastle was in the top 10 institutions in 8 subject areas. Sector Rank Institutions Comparator Ranked Rank Media studies 2 87 2 Communications and information studies 3 66 1 Architecture, building and planning 4 61 4 Art and design 4 76 3 Law 5 101 5 Medicine and dentistry 7 30 4 Philosophy, theology and religious-studies 7 60 7 Technology 8 40 6 The 14 subject areas where we are in the top 20% of institutions are: Media studies Communications and information studies Architecture, building and planning Art and design Law Philosophy, theology and religious-studies Technology English-based studies European languages Subjects allied to medicine Finance and accounting Psychology Computer science
Performing arts We are within the top 50% in all the subject areas, except for Physical Science (54 th out of 83), Geography and environmental Science (34 th out of 65) and Mathematical sciences (40 th out of 66). Last year we ranked 1 st for Communications and information studies (now 3 rd ) and 1 st for Law (now 5 th ) Subjects for which we are no longer in the top 10: Subjects allied to medicine (=4 th to 12 th ) Sociology, social policy and anthropology (7 th to 28 th ) Medical science and pharmacy (9 th to 13 th ) European languages (10 th to 11 th ) Finance and accounting (10 th to 13 th ) The table below shows Newcastle s results for each of the measures, by Sunday Times subject: Rank No. Institutions Teaching excellence Entry points Graduate jobs Unemployment (%) Firsts/2:1s (%) Dropout rate Total (%) Media studies 2 87 95.8 404.3 84.7 89.3 Communications and information studies 3 66 388.6 9.2 74.1 3.4 81.9 Architecture, building and planning 4 61 79.3 398 92.9 6.4 70.1 3.6 81.1 Art and design 4 76 84.1 382.4 14 73.6 5.1 80.9 Law 5 101 89.3 441 65.4 3.6 85.8 2.2 86.8 Medicine and dentistry 7 30 80.3 499.5 99.9 0.2 1.6 92.6 Philosophy, theology and religious-studies 7 60 87.7 381.9 15 84.5 5.9 84.6 Technology 8 40 71.6 393.3 7.1 73.6 9.2 73.3 English-based studies 11 106 85.5 450.4 64.2 8.6 85.8 2.9 83.5 European languages 11 67 83.9 420.3 72.9 8.4 82.3 3.9 82.1 Subjects allied to medicine 12 84 79.7 423.8 70.2 6.2 80.1 3.8 79.3 Medical science and pharmacy 13 62 81.8 416.8 5.5 81.3 5.3 84.2 Finance and accounting 13 91 75.9 425.3 92 4.8 74 4.4 80.8 Psychology 13 110 79.9 429.8 64.1 8 79.4 2.5 78.3 Civil, chemical and other engineering 13 54 74.3 396.3 91.6 6.5 64.3 5 76.6 Agriculture 13 31 76.4 322.7 75.8 9.3 54.8 6 69.1 Other languages 14 40 79.3 408.5 10.4 72.5 6.3 79.4 Computer science 15 107 76.7 359.9 92.6 3.7 67.6 6.5 77.1 Economics 16 72 78.1 418.5 86.3 10.5 59.3 3.8 77.8 Performing arts 19 101 77.3 385.9 7.8 79.1 6.3 78.2 History and archaeology 21 95 83.3 409.6 65.1 9.6 85.1 3.2 79.9 Politics 21 75 79.9 396.7 75.8 10.2 79.2 4.2 78.2 Management 21 88 67.7 386 79.8 5.4 75.9 4.1 71.4 Business 23 103 64.2 376.4 85.4 6.5 78.9 3.3 70.2 Mechanical engineering 24 75 72.1 400.2 93.8 6.3 47.1 5.3 73.7 Human and social geography 25 50 78.7 382.5 69.8 8 82.4 0.6 77.1 Sociology, social policy and anthropology 28 97 80.8 354.1 47.2 7.3 63.8 5.2 69.4 Electronic and electrical engineering 32 68 68.1 350 5.3 56.3 5.3 67.1 Geography and environmental science 34 65 78 383.7 60.1 10.1 71.3 2.5 72.6 Biology 40 88 76.3 375.8 57 7.4 65.6 4.8 69.9 Mathematical sciences 40 66 77.9 430.6 72.9 9.8 54.9 4.3 75.1 Physical science 54 83 67 375.3 79.6 8.9 54.6 4 67 Chris Wells Planning Office October 2012