Plymouth named as world-class university

The prestigious Times Higher World Universities Rankings are an annual ‘who’s who’ of the most elite institutions in the world including the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Stanford.

As one of only 45 UK universities to make the top 350, it is the first time Plymouth has been included on the list.

This year’s rankings are based on 13 performance indicators, grouped into five areas including; teaching, research, citations, international outlook and innovation.

Plymouth University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wendy Purcell said: “I am very proud of our university and our people - this is a massive achievement and puts Plymouth well and truly on the map as a serious global player in Higher Education. It is testament to our ever growing international reputation for teaching, learning and research excellence as we continually strive to deliver the best possible student experience. It demonstrates universities really can be ‘elite’ and socially inclusive – with nearly 94%* of Plymouth intake coming from state schools.

"My sincere thanks go to the talented and dedicated staff across the University who have helped make Plymouth an officially ‘world-class’ University.”

This success builds on Plymouth’s performance in two other national league tables this year, the Guardian Good University Guide in which it was ranked in the top 20 across ten subject areas, and the Independent Complete University Guide where Plymouth enjoyed a 12 place rise.

* According to the recent Office for Fair Access (OFFA) report, 93.5% of Plymouth University students come from state schools/colleges and 31.8% are from lower socio economic groups (09/10).

ENDS