Top Ranking GuildHE institutions are "Hidden Gems" of the Higher Education Sector

30 April 2009

Some of the best performing higher education institutions are hidden from view in the latest university league tables published by The Independent today.

University colleges and specialist higher education colleges are excluded from the main league table because they do not have university status.

Yet many of these institutions, represented by GuildHE, are among the best in the country for certain subject areas, and are growing in popularity faster than any traditional university.

The Independent's own subject league tables, which can only be accessed online, show that GuildHE institutions feature among the top 20 across a range of areas including art and design, sports science, agriculture and forestry, land and property management, and theology and religious studies.

Harper Adams University College is listed as the best in the country for Agriculture and Forestry, while the Royal Agricultural College is 12th both in this area and land and property management, and University College Falmouth is 15th for Art and Design.

Alice Hynes, GuildHE's chief executive, said: "The subject tables show that many GuildHE institutions are outperforming traditional universities in certain disciplines. The latest Research Assessment Exercise has also highlighted islands of research excellence among our members, while the National Student Survey demonstrated a high level of student satisfaction in most of our institutions.

"Although we are pleased to see GuildHE institutions listed in the subject tables, we believe it is time that these hidden gems of the higher education sector are given greater recognition and allowed to shine, by being included in the main league tables produced by The Independent and other publications."

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