WREXHAM'S Glyndwr University has been ranked bottom in Wales in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.

However, the university has topped the rankings for social inclusion in England and Wales for another year.

The list shows that the Wrexham university has the lowest completion rate in Wales, with 74.1 percent of students making it to the end of their course. This compares to 91.8 per cent at Cardiff University, the top ranked Welsh university.

But Glyndwr has risen in the rankings for England and Wales from 130 last year to 124.

The rise follows a trend throughout 2020, where Wrexham Glyndwr University has risen in the Complete University Guide, Guardian University Guide, and WhatUni Student Choice rankings – and shown a strong performance in both the National Student Survey and the Graduate Outcomes survey.

Wrexham Glyndwr University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar, said: “We are pleased to see the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide show we are making steady progress in yet another set of rankings – something we have been pleased to see happen throughout the year.

“In the National Student Survey we saw promising feedback which showed us ahead of the sector in both the UK and Wales – and for a university which puts our students first, it has been heartening to see how happy our students are with their teaching and how well we support them.

“We’ve worked hard to improve our facilities, services, and resources too - including new investment to our campuses which students will experience for the first time this academic year.

“We intend to keep driving that improvement – and to keep our students at the forefront of everything we do.”

Glyndwr has held the top ranking for social inclusion in England and Wales for another year, and is joint first in the UK for social inclusion alongside Abertay University in Scotland.

Professor Hinfelaar added: “We’re delighted that this year’s Good University Guide has continued to recognise the work we are doing in for social mobility.

“This year has been challenging for higher education as we have had to shift to remote delivery, and it has also been disruptive for individual students.

“In times like these, the value of a university which creates a real community - both on and off campus - really shines through.

“It’s an attitude which saw staff in our Inclusion team choose to work on their Bank Holidays during the coronavirus pandemic, supporting students whose NHS jobs meant that was the only time they could access help.

“It’s that attitude which has seen a student told science wasn’t for them be supported through their studies and secure a first – and then gain national recognition for their award-winning research.

“It’s that attitude which is at the heart of what we do at Glyndwr.”

The Leader:

Wrexham's Glyndwr University

The social inclusion ranking rates universities in England and Wales (with a separate Scottish ranking) on key measures to reflect the diversity of their intake and subsequent success when attending university. The league table is made up of eight indicators covering the proportions of entrants recruited from non-selective state schools, ethnic minorities, and areas of low participation in higher education; those who are first generation students, mature or disabled; the black attainment gap; and in England and Wales, the gap between the dropout rate of students from the areas of the country with the lowest participation rates in higher education, compared to the rate for students from the rest of the country.  

The top Welsh university of the Year, Cardiff Metropolitan University, has risen 33 places in this year’s UK rankings, an improvement bettered by just two other universities nationwide.

Alastair McCall, editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “Cardiff Met’s performance in this year’s academic ranking is exceptional. It is the biggest riser in Wales, and the third biggest in the UK, ranking in the UK top 40 now for student satisfaction with teaching quality and the wider student experience.

“Known for providing hands-on higher education, Cardiff Met performed strongly in our new employment measure with nearly three-quarters of graduates in high-skilled jobs or postgraduate study within 15 months of leaving. Add to this the exceptional contribution the university has made in the sporting arena over several decades - honing the talents of 300 international-standard athletes competing across 30 sports using sector-leading training facilities combined with top-class coaching - and the university made a compelling case to win this year’s award as Welsh University of the Year.”

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 provides students and their parents with an invaluable first reference point on the path to finding a university place. It contains full profiles of all universities.

The academic league table is made up of nine indicators including student satisfaction with teaching quality and their wider student experience, research quality, graduate prospects, entrance qualifications held by new students, degree results achieved, student/staff ratios, service and facilities spend, and degree completion rates.

  • Expanded coverage with 67 subject tables and full interactive tables on all the league table components, and additional features are available to Times and Sunday Times subscribers here .