Some of the most prestigious educational institutions in Britain have been dealt with an unexpected blow in their rankings. In a radical shake-up of the UK university rating system, the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) declared its results awarding 295 colleges and universities gold, silver and bronze according to the quality of their teaching. A few of them are ranked ‘provisional’ which indicates that there is insufficient data to make a full assessment.
London School of Economics (LSE) and Studies of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) that have long been considered as the gold standard for British higher education are among the 56 that have received the lowest rank of a bronze. Some others in the category include London Metropolitan University, Goldsmiths and Southampton.
Learn about TEF Ranking in details:
- What is The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Ranking System?
- How does TEF Ranking work?
- Full list of TEF University rankings
- List of TEF Gold ranking universities
What is The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Ranking System?
TEF, established by the previous government, set out to overhaul the ranking system in order to allow students to make an informed choice in higher education. League table rankings traditionally focus heavily on research and to redress the balance the government decided to evaluate universities based on the quality of their teaching.
The TEF UK university ranking system tries to address the issue raised by a growing number of students concerned about the quality of education dispensed by degree providers, with courses often costing as much as £9000.
How does TEF Ranking work?
The statistics that were used to arrive at the current results are:
- Students’ views on the quality of teaching; assessment and feedback; and how much academic support they receive from staff will be taken from the National Student Survey (NSS)
- Dropout rates from data supplied by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
- The annual destinations of leavers from the higher education survey supplies the last two metrics: one on whether graduates have moved on to jobs or further study six months after graduation, and the other on whether they are doing graduate-level – that is, highly skilled – work.
Institutions that provided “consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students” make up the top of the list those are awarded Gold, while the silver award was given for consistently exceeding “rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education” and bronze was awarded to those that met these national requirements.
Most significantly for students, all institutions that participated in the ranking can now raise their tuition fees in line with the rate of inflation in the academic year 2018-2019.
Critics point out that although the awards could help students decide the best institution suitable for their needs, it should also be read with a note of caution. Firstly, one should bear in mind that the awards are based on data and not inspection of actual lectures. Secondly, it can be fairly difficult to quantify a field as intangible as education in a neat numerical order, not least because the true value gained by students in a course can be highly subjective. In addition to this, the range of courses offered by a university can vary considerably in its structure and employability, for instance a vocational course such as nursing could differ considerably from a course in literature; the ranking system considers the university as a whole and does not have the provision to take into account the diversity within each university.
Full List of TEF University Rankings
All Gold, Silver, Bronze & Provisional Ranking Universities
Higher Education Institution | TEF Ranking |
---|---|
ABI College Limited | Provisional |
Abingdon and Witney College | Silver |
Access to Music Limited | Provisional |
Accrington and Rossendale College | Bronze |
Activate Learning | Silver |
ALRA | Provisional |
Amersham & Wycombe College | Bronze |
Anglia Ruskin University | Silver |
Anglo-European College of Chiropractic | Silver |
Architectural Association (Incorporated) | Provisional |
Askham Bryan College | Bronze |
Assemblies of God Incorporated | Provisional |
Aston University | Gold |
Aylesbury College | Bronze |
Bangor University | Gold |
Bath Spa University | Silver |
BIMM Limited | Provisional |
Birkbeck College | Silver |
Birmingham City University | Silver |
Bishop Burton College | Bronze |
Bishop Grosseteste University | Gold |
Blackburn College | Bronze |
Blackpool and the Fylde College | Gold |
BMC (Brooksby Melton College) | Bronze |
Bournemouth University | Silver |
Bournville College | Provisional |
BPP University Limited | Bronze |
Bradford College | Bronze |
Bristol Baptist College | Provisional |
Brit College Limited | Provisional |
Brunel University London | Silver |
Buckinghamshire New University | Bronze |
Calderdale College | Silver |
Cambridge Regional College | Bronze |
Canterbury Christ Church University | Silver |
Canterbury College | Silver |
Cardiff Metropolitan University | Silver |
Cardiff University | Silver |
Cardinal Newman College | Provisional |
Chichester College | Silver |
Cirencester College | Provisional |
City and Guilds of London Art School Limited | Provisional |
City College Plymouth | Gold |
City of Bristol College | Silver |
City, University of London | Silver |
Cleveland College of Art and Design | Gold |
Colchester Institute | Silver |
Cornwall College | Silver |
Courtauld Institute of Art | Silver |
Coventry University | Gold |
Croydon College | Provisional |
CWR | Provisional |
Darlington College | Silver |
De Montfort University | Gold |
Doncaster College | Bronze |
Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College | Provisional |
East Durham College | Silver |
East End Computing & Business College Limited | Provisional |
East Kent College | Provisional |
East Riding College | Bronze |
Edge Hill University | Gold |
Exeter College | Gold |
Fairfield School of Business Ltd | Provisional |
Falmouth University | Gold |
Fareham College | Provisional |
Farnborough College of Technology | Bronze |
Furness College | Silver |
Futureworks Training Limited | Provisional |
Gateshead College | Silver |
Goldsmiths College | Bronze |
Grafton College Limited | Provisional |
Greater Brighton Metropolitan College | Silver |
Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education | Bronze |
Guildhall School of Music & Drama | Silver |
Hadlow College | Bronze |
Halesowen College | Silver |
Harper Adams University | Gold |
Hartlepool College of Further Education | Silver |
Hartpury College | Gold |
Heart of Worcestershire College | Silver |
Hereford College of Arts | Silver |
Heriot-Watt University | Silver |
Hertford Regional College | Silver |
Highbury College Portsmouth | Bronze |
Holy Cross College | Provisional |
Hopwood Hall College | Bronze |
Hugh Baird College | Gold |
Hull College | Bronze |
Hy Education Limited | Provisional |
ICMP Management Limited | Provisional |
Imperial College London | Gold |
Kaplan Open Learning (Essex) Limited | Silver |
Kensington Education Foundation Limited | Provisional |
King’s College London | Silver |
Kingston College | Silver |
Kingston Maurward College | Bronze |
Kingston University | Bronze |
Kirklees College | Silver |
KLC Limited | Provisional |
Leeds Beckett University | Silver |
Leeds City College | Bronze |
Leeds College of Art | Silver |
Leeds Trinity University | Silver |
Leicester College | Gold |
Lincoln College | Silver |
Liverpool Hope University | Gold |
Liverpool John Moores University | Silver |
London Bridge Business Academy Limited | Provisional |
London College of Creative Media Limited | Provisional |
London Metropolitan University | Bronze |
London School of Business and Management Limited | Provisional |
London School of Management Education Limited | Provisional |
London School of Science & Technology Limited | Provisional |
London School of Theology | Provisional |
London South Bank University | Silver |
London Studio Centre Limited | Silver |
Loughborough College | Silver |
Loughborough University | Gold |
LTE Group | Silver |
Luther King House Educational Trust | Provisional |
Macclesfield College | Provisional |
Manchester Metropolitan University | Silver |
Met Film School Limited | Provisional |
Middlesbrough College | Gold |
Middlesex University | Silver |
Milton Keynes College | Bronze |
Moorlands College | Provisional |
Myerscough College | Silver |
Nazarene Theological College | Provisional |
NCG | Silver |
Neath Port Talbot College | Silver |
Nelson College London Limited | Provisional |
New College Durham | Bronze |
New College Stamford | Silver |
Newbury College | Provisional |
Newham College of Further Education | Provisional |
Newman University | Silver |
Norland College Limited | Provisional |
North East Surrey College of Technology | Bronze |
North Hertfordshire College | Silver |
North Lindsey College | Silver |
North West Regional College | Provisional |
Northampton College | Silver |
Northern College of Acupuncture | Provisional |
Northumberland College | Bronze |
Norwich University of the Arts | Gold |
Nottingham Trent University | Gold |
Oaklands College | Silver |
Oxford Brookes University | Silver |
Oxford Business College UK Limited | Provisional |
Pearson College Limited | Provisional |
Petroc | Silver |
Plumpton College | Bronze |
Plymouth College of Art | Bronze |
Point Blank Limited | Provisional |
Preston College | Bronze |
Queen Mary University of London | Silver |
Ravensbourne | Silver |
Reaseheath College | Bronze |
Redcar & Cleveland College | Silver |
RNN Group | Silver |
Roehampton University | Bronze |
Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance | Gold |
Royal College of Music | Gold |
Royal Holloway, University of London | Silver |
Royal Northern College of Music | Gold |
RTC Education Ltd | Provisional |
SAE Education Limited | Provisional |
Salford City College | Bronze |
Selby College | Silver |
Sheffield Hallam University | Silver |
Solihull College and University Centre | Gold |
South & City College Birmingham | Silver |
South Devon College | Gold |
South Tyneside College | Silver |
South West College | Provisional |
Southampton Solent University | Bronze |
Southport College | Bronze |
Sparsholt College | Silver |
Spurgeon’s College | Provisional |
St Mary’s University, Twickenham | Silver |
St. George’s, University of London | Bronze |
Staffordshire University | Silver |
Stockton Riverside College | Silver |
Stratford College London Limited | Provisional |
Strode College | Silver |
Sunderland College | Silver |
Sussex Coast College Hastings | Provisional |
Sussex Downs College | Silver |
Swansea University | Silver |
Teesside University | Silver |
Tertiary Education Services Limited | Provisional |
The Academy of Contemporary Music Limited | Provisional |
The Arts University Bournemouth | Gold |
The British School of Osteopathy | Bronze |
The Chicken Shed Theatre Trust | Silver |
The City of Liverpool College | Gold |
The Conservatoire for Dance and Drama | Gold |
The Edward James Foundation Limited | Provisional |
The Kingham Hill Trust | Provisional |
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts | Gold |
The London Institute of Banking & Finance | Provisional |
The London School of Economics and Political Science | Bronze |
The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education | Provisional |
The Robert Gordon University | Gold |
The Royal Academy of Music | Gold |
The Royal Agricultural University | Silver |
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama | Gold |
The Royal Veterinary College | Gold |
The Salvation Army | Provisional |
The School of Oriental and African Studies | Bronze |
The University of Bath | Gold |
The University of Birmingham | Gold |
The University of Bolton | Silver |
The University of Bradford | Silver |
The University of Buckingham | Gold |
The University of Chichester | Silver |
The University of Cumbria | Bronze |
The University of East Anglia | Silver |
The University of Essex | Gold |
The University of Huddersfield | Gold |
The University of Hull | Silver |
The University of Kent | Gold |
The University of Lancaster | Gold |
The University of Law Limited | Gold |
The University of Leeds | Gold |
The University of Leicester | Silver |
The University of Liverpool | Bronze |
The University of Manchester | Silver |
The University of Northampton | Gold |
The University of Nottingham | Gold |
The University of Reading | Silver |
The University of Salford | Bronze |
The University of Sheffield | Silver |
The University of Surrey | Gold |
The University of Warwick | Silver |
The University of West London | Silver |
The University of Westminster | Bronze |
Tresham College of Further and Higher Education | Provisional |
Trinity College (Bristol) Limited | Provisional |
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance | Bronze |
Truro and Penwith College | Gold |
Tyne Metropolitan College | Bronze |
UCK Limited | Provisional |
UK College of Business and Computing Ltd | Provisional |
University College Birmingham | Silver |
University College London | Silver |
University College of Estate Management | Provisional |
University for the Creative Arts | Silver |
University of Abertay Dundee | Silver |
University of Bedfordshire | Silver |
University of Brighton | Silver |
University of Bristol | Silver |
University of Cambridge | Gold |
University of Central Lancashire | Silver |
University of Chester | Silver |
University of Derby | Gold |
University of Dundee | Gold |
University of Durham | Silver |
University of East London | Bronze |
University of Exeter | Gold |
University of Gloucestershire | Silver |
University of Greenwich | Silver |
University of Hertfordshire | Silver |
University of Keele | Gold |
University of Lincoln | Gold |
University of Newcastle upon Tyne | Gold |
University of Northumbria at Newcastle | Silver |
University of Oxford | Gold |
University of Plymouth | Bronze |
University of Portsmouth | Gold |
University of Southampton | Bronze |
University of St Andrews | Gold |
University of St Mark & St John | Silver |
University of Suffolk | Bronze |
University of Sunderland | Silver |
University of Sussex | Silver |
University of the Arts, London | Silver |
University of the West of England, Bristol | Silver |
University of Wales Trinity Saint David | Bronze |
University of Winchester | Silver |
University of Wolverhampton | Bronze |
University of Worcester | Silver |
University of York | Silver |
Wakefield College | Silver |
Warwickshire College | Bronze |
West Herts College | Gold |
West Kent and Ashford College | Silver |
Weston College of Further and Higher Education | Gold |
Wigan and Leigh College | Silver |
Wiltshire College | Bronze |
Wrexham Glyndwr University | Silver |
Writtle University College | Bronze |
York College | Silver |
York St John University | Bronze |
List of TEF Gold Ranking Universities
Aston University | Gold |
Bangor University | Gold |
Bishop Grosseteste University | Gold |
Blackpool and the Fylde College | Gold |
City College Plymouth | Gold |
Cleveland College of Art and Design | Gold |
Coventry University | Gold |
De Montfort University | Gold |
Edge Hill University | Gold |
Exeter College | Gold |
Falmouth University | Gold |
Harper Adams University | Gold |
Hartpury College | Gold |
Hugh Baird College | Gold |
Imperial College London | Gold |
Leicester College | Gold |
Liverpool Hope University | Gold |
Loughborough University | Gold |
Middlesbrough College | Gold |
Norwich University of the Arts | Gold |
Nottingham Trent University | Gold |
Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance | Gold |
Royal College of Music | Gold |
Royal Northern College of Music | Gold |
Solihull College and University Centre | Gold |
South Devon College | Gold |
The Arts University Bournemouth | Gold |
The City of Liverpool College | Gold |
The Conservatoire for Dance and Drama | Gold |
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts | Gold |
The Robert Gordon University | Gold |
The Royal Academy of Music | Gold |
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama | Gold |
The Royal Veterinary College | Gold |
The University of Bath | Gold |
The University of Birmingham | Gold |
The University of Buckingham | Gold |
The University of Essex | Gold |
The University of Huddersfield | Gold |
The University of Kent | Gold |
The University of Lancaster | Gold |
The University of Law Limited | Gold |
The University of Leeds | Gold |
The University of Northampton | Gold |
The University of Nottingham | Gold |
The University of Surrey | Gold |
Truro and Penwith College | Gold |
University of Cambridge | Gold |
University of Derby | Gold |
University of Dundee | Gold |
University of Exeter | Gold |
University of Keele | Gold |
University of Lincoln | Gold |
University of Newcastle upon Tyne | Gold |
University of Oxford | Gold |
University of Portsmouth | Gold |
University of St Andrews | Gold |
West Herts College | Gold |
Weston College of Further and Higher Education | Gold |
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