Warwick University's Ranking, Within the Guardian's University League Table, Falls by One Place

Each year the Guardian formulates a University league table which sets out each university's ranking within the UK. A university's rank is based on a number of factors (outlined below), from course satisfaction to a students satisfaction with work feedback. Each of these categories is given a mark out of 100. The majority of these scores are established from the average of the marks given within a student survey.

The Guardian's University league table - Warwick University 2019.

In 2019, Warwick University received an overall score of 80.9, which placed it within the 8th ranking on the Guardian's league table. Recently, the Guardian has published their new table for 2020, in which Warwick's position has declined to 9th place and a score of 73.9, a 7-point reduction from the previous year.

The Guardian's University league table - Warwick University 2020.

This fall in Warwick's score can be attributed to a set of different factors, from a 2-point fall in the category of those 'Satisfied with course' and a 1-point reduction in both those 'Satisfied with teaching' and 'Satisfied with feedback'.

The Guardian's University league table - Top Ten UK universities 2019.

Initially, this minute variation in score from 2019 to 2020 may seem of little significance. In 2019, several top universities, including Durham, Bath, and Imperial College, received a reduced rating from the previous year (2018). This trend has continued within the Guardian's 2020 table, in which both Oxford and Warwick have been lowered by one place.

The Guardian's University league table - Top Ten UK universities 2020.

Ultimately, this remains consistent within both the Guardian's University league table and many other academic ranking systems. Universities within the top-ten places (especially) will jostle for one position or the next, in which it is common for an establishment to raise its ranking by one or indeed lower it by the same amount from year to year.

So does Warwick University have anything to worry about? Well in many ways... no, it doesn't. These systems are indeed relatively arbitrary and unreliable in gaining a completely accurate and "true" reflection of the overarching standards and achievements of a University. However, they do illuminate a tone, despite it being a rather general one, of how students reflect upon their institution.

In 2019, an alternative university guide, The Complete University Guide, gave Warwick University a ranking of 9th place, one position lower than it had given the institution in 2018. Furthermore, in 2020, it has now shifted the establishment to 11th place, positioning the university outside the top ten for the first time in the past few decades.

Whilst these guides should be taken with a pinch of salt, it is without a doubt that if these scores keep declining that Warwick University might be in some trouble over the next few years.

Many college students look long and hard at these lists in order to decide which university is right for them. Warwick's declining scores, placing it outside the top ten or at its very edge, may indeed be the deciding factor for uni-students-to-be.

Although this is certainly not the only factor that students consider, it is indeed a significant element nonetheless. As university fees have slowly climbed, the importance of a university's ranking has also become more dramatic. Generally speaking, no matter whether you go to the 51st ranked university or the 1st, the student fees for that establishment will remain the same. Although there are of course exceptions to this rule, in most circumstances this is indeed the case. Therefore, many wish to receive the greatest bang for their buck by aiming high in the pursuit of receiving a degree from a reputable university that will pay greater dividends in the future.