Students at the University of Exeter Medical School

Guardian ranks Medical School best in South West

The University of Exeter Medical School has been ranked best in South West England in the influential Guardian University Guide 2016, which saw the University as a whole ranked at number nine.

All three programmes offered by the Medical School were ranked best in the region, with Medical Imaging maintaining its position as best in the country, Biosciences, which incorporates Medical Sciences, in 3^rd place nationally and Medicine ranked 11^th.

The University of Exeter is now in the top 10 of all the main UK higher education league tables – the first time such an accolade has been achieved - as well as being ranked in the top one per cent of institutions globally.

The latest league table ranks Exeter ninth out of 119 UK higher education institutions. The guide is accompanied by rankings showing how universities perform across the main subject areas. Universities are ranked according to a number of factors, including how happy students are with their courses, based on the National Student Survey.

Professor Steve Thornton, Dean of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “I’m delighted with these results, and I’d like to thank all our staff for the role they have played in this achievement. We are at the forefront of world-leading research in a range of areas, including health services research, diabetes, neuroscience and the links between environment and human health, and this expertise feeds into our education. We don’t just teach medical professionals and researchers, we train graduates who are dedicated to the principles of lifelong learning and have the skills to lead health innovation in new directions.”

University of Exeter Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Sir Steve Smith said: “To be in the top 10 of all the UK higher education league tables is an extraordinary achievement, and one that we can all be truly proud of. It is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of all our staff and students, and cements Exeter’s position as one of the very best universities in the country.”

The Guardian ranking comes just days after Exeter was placed sixth in the UK, eighth in Europe and top 40 in the world in the CWTS Leiden Ranking, which offers key insights into the scientific performance of 750 major universities worldwide.

Date: 27 May 2015