ONE of York's universities has been shortlisted for the highest award in a national league of the best places to study.

The University of York has been shortlisted for The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year award and has moved up one place to 19th in their Good University Guide 2022.

Cementing its place among the elite top 20 universities, York scores well for social inclusion and is the first Russell Group university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge.

Last year it became a 'university of sanctuary' to demonstrate its commitment to offering a safe place for refugees, asylum seekers and other forced migrants.

Leeds came top in the north and 15th nationally, commended for being well-positioned for the shift to remote learning at the outbreak of Covid-19, having had a digital education service in place since 2013.

As a result Leeds has suffered a less severe drop in student satisfaction scores than many other institutions in this year’s guide.

Alastair McCall, editor of the guide, said: “York is everything an outstanding university should be.

"A key player regionally, nationally and internationally, York has cemented its place in our elite top 20 in this toughest of years.

"It is among the most socially inclusive institutions in the highly-selective Russell Group and was the first among them to sign the Social Mobility Pledge, which should bring about even greater diversity on campus.

“Our shortlisting for University of the Year recognises York’s consistent excellence and also the contribution it makes to the wider cultural life of Yorkshire and the North through the its annual Festival of Ideas, bringing together great minds in a fortnight of engaging – and free – public events, spanning the arts and science.”

The guide provides rankings for UK universities, offering a comprehensive overview of higher education in Britain with profiles on 135 universities, using the latest data published in the past two months.

After a year of closed campuses and a move to online learning, the new edition reveals most universities have seen a dramatic drop in student satisfaction and teaching quality scores in the latest National Student Survey.

The student satisfaction score for the University of York was 72.1 per cent, and 76.7 for teaching.

The results also showed that 78.1 per cent of its graduates were in professional jobs or graduate level studies while the completion rate 93.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, York St John University held its previous national ranking of 83rd place, with student satisfaction score of 71.3 per cent, and for teaching, 77.5 per cent while 64.7 per cent of its graduates are in professional jobs or doing graduate studies, with a completion rate of 84.5 per cent.

A fully searchable website with 70 subject tables, full interactive tables and additional features goes online on The Times and The Sunday Times today, Friday, September 17 here.

A 96-page supplement will be published with The Sunday Times on September 19.

The guide provides prospective students and their families with the right information to make an informed choice about their higher education, evaluating everything from satisfaction with teaching quality and the student experience through to degree completion rates and graduate employment prospects.

For further details, visit the website.