St Mary’s Ranked 2nd for Education in the 2016 Guardian University Guide

The top five UK universities for Education (out of 77), as recently published by the Guardian in descending order, are as follows:

1. Cambridge
2. St Mary’s University College Belfast
3. Southampton
4. Huddersfield
5. Durham

According to the Principal of St Mary’s University College, Professor Peter Finn, the institution’s success is a result of its focus on high-quality learning and teaching, as well as strong pastoral support for its students:

“St Mary’s is a faith-based institution in the Catholic tradition, which is a specialist provider in the fields of teacher education, as well as the liberal arts. We combine a strong sense of heritage with a modern and dynamic approach to university teaching. We also place great emphasis on values in education, as well as on a commitment to our local community, and we are particularly proactive in helping our students to gain employment.

“The College has had a difficult year in terms of its relationship with the Minister for the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), but we were successful in overcoming a significant threat to our existence, at the same time improving our ranking in the Guardian League Table for Education.

“I wish to commend everyone who works in the College on our second-place ranking in Education and also thank the students, the alumni, the Church, the political parties, the media outlets, the community groups and the individuals who supported us in our campaign for autonomy."

The Guardian’s league tables rank universities according to spending per student, the student/staff ratio, graduate career prospects, grades needed for entry, a value-added score comparing students’ entry qualifications with their final degree results and, finally, the degree of satisfaction final-year students have with their courses based on annual National Student Survey (NSS) results.