THE University of York has come second top in a guide ranking Northern institutions.

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 has the University of Leeds top of the Northern university rankings, and 15th nationally, with York second and 20th in the country.

York St John meanwhile is eighth regionally and 83rd nationally. York has risen up the rankings from 22nd nationally last year while St John has dropped back a bit as it was 81st in 2019.

The guide published today (September 18) aims to provide students and parents with a reference point on the path to finding a university place.

It contains full profiles of all universities and rates Sheffield, Leeds Arts University and the University of Hull as third, fourth and fifth in the region respectively .

The 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.

At the University of York in the national student survey teaching quality got 80.7 per cent and student experience 78.7 per cent, while at St John the same percentages were 84.4 and 80.7.

For the University of York 81.7 per cent of students landed professional or graduate jobs and 94.3 per cent completed their course. At York St John those percentages were 66.9 per cent and 86. 4 per cent respectively.

Professor Tracy Lightfoot, incoming Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students at the University fo York, said: “We are pleased to be ranked in the top 20 universities in the UK in the Sunday Times Guide. This result is reflective of the University’s continuing focus on ensuring excellent teaching and a brilliant wider experience for our students.”

Matt Johnstone, Academic Officer at University of York Students' Union (YUSU), added: "It's really great to get recognition of the ongoing partnership between staff, students, YUSU, and the University to provide excellent teaching, learning and an unrivalled student experience. I'm proud that York is leading the way with senior University management seeing students as equals in decision making, and I can't wait to see what the future holds!"

Click here for the full guide.