University of Wolverhampton named as one of the best in the country - find out why
University of Wolverhampton has today been named among the top three in England for opening up opportunities to students from all backgrounds.
It has been praised for its work in giving the chance for higher education to many teenagers who would otherwise not consider studying for a degree or apprenticeship.
It has been named third in a list provided by the Higher Education Policy Institute.
Birmingham’s Aston University, which has a large proportion of students from the Black Country, ranked second on the list, which was headed by the University of Bradford.
The prominence of Wolverhampton provides a powerful endorsement for its work in helping students who may be the first in their family to take on the opportunity for a university education.
Four universities in the West Midlands were ranked in the top 10 in the analysis, which takes into account how many socio-economically disadvantaged graduates an institution takes in, as well as their outcomes afterwards.
Birmingham Newman University came fourth and Birmingham City University seventh. Staffordshire University was placed in 15th position.
The comprehensive annual ranking is compiled each year by London South Bank University (LSBU). It uses data on access, continuation and outcomes for undergraduates.
The West Midland universities come well ahead of highly respected Russell Group universities, including Imperial College London, London School of Economics and King's College London, who came eighth, 10th and 11th, respectively.
The index combines data on the proportion of a university's intake that are from the two most deprived groups, whether they continue their studies or not, how they progress once graduating and median salaries of graduates once they embark on a career. Salaries are weighted to account for differences across the country.
