The University of Sheffield tops the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2014.
By excelling in categories like quality of staff, lectures, social life and accommodation, Sheffield University toppled the University of East Anglia (UEA) from the No.1 position.
"We've always believed that as a place to live and study, Sheffield is impossible to beat. The extraordinary people, teaching, opportunities and city make your experience at Sheffield unrivalled anywhere in the UK," Sheffield University said in a statement.
Stephanie Morton, an aerospace engineering undergraduate, said that the university features remarkable facilities like flight simulator and the wind tunnels among others. The school officials allow students to use lab apparatus that might not be generally permitted at other higher educational universities.
The 2013 ranking on student experience was based on full-time undergraduates' scores of their universities in a total of 21 categories.
"Universities are spending even more time and money trying to get the 'student experience' right, as they face up to competition for students not just locally and nationally, but also internationally," said editor John Gill, Independent reports.
The University of Bath that was listed 6th in 2012 ranking rose to the second position in the recently released list. It is then followed by University of East Anglia, Dundee, Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, Durham, Leeds and Nottingham.
Dundee performed equally to Oxford University and scored better than Cambridge and Durham universities in the survey.
Professor Pete Downes, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Dundee, welcomed the ranking. Kudos to the staff who work hard to offer best possible student experiences in all aspects of the campus life. The university has spent a lot in providing better facilities over the last few years.
"There is nothing more important to a university than the quality of the experience enjoyed by its students, so to come out top in Scotland and in the UK top five in a major survey like this is very encouraging," Downes said in a statement.
Iain MacKinnon, president of Dundee University Students' Association, said that students are given ample freedom to express their opinions and they are an integral part of all the important decision-making process.
Cambridge university slumped to sixth place in a league table from fourth place in 2013.
Top 10 UK Universities in Student Experience:
Rank 2013 | University name | Overall score |
1 | University of Sheffield | 84.7 |
2 | University of Bath | 84.4 |
3 | University of East Anglia (UEA) | 82.9 |
4 | University of Dundee | 82.8 |
4 | University of Oxford | 82.8 |
6 | University of Cambridge | 82.7 |
7 | University of Exeter | 82.6 |
8 | Durham University | 82.2 |
9 | University of Leeds | 82.0 |
10 | University of Nottingham | 81.7 |
