University of Cambridge places second in 2022 university league tables

The University of Cambridge has placed second nationally in the Complete University Guide university league tables for 2022.

They were beaten only by the University of Oxford, which had an overall score of 100 per cent, compared to Cambridge’s 99 per cent. This pushes Cambridge down from their first-place position last year.

The score is based on a range of factors which saw Cambridge score higher than Oxford in entry standards where it achieved 99 per cent compared to Oxford’s 96 per cent. Cambridge’s research quality was rated at 83 per cent, and was judged as the most intense in the country.

Degree completion and graduate prospects were rated the same at both Oxford and Cambridge with Oxford outranking Cambridge in its spending on academic services but being beaten by Cambridge’s spending on facilities.

In the subject league tables, Cambridge ranked first for African & Middle Eastern Studies, Archaeology, Architecture, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Celtic Studies, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Economics, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, French, General Engineering, Geology, German, History, History of Art, Architecture & Design, Iberian Languages, Italian, Land & Property Management, Law, Linguistics, Manufacturing & Production Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Russian & East European Languages, Town & Country Planning and Landscape Design.

Cambridge also ranked first place for Asian Studies, Chemistry, Classics, Education, Materials Technology and Mathematics which rose from their second-place position in the rankings last year. Moving down one place was Anthropology, Computer Science, English, Geography & Environmental Science, Sociology and Theology & Religious Studies, coming in second position.

The university remained in second place for Music, Politics and Psychology and moved up one position for Medicine, ranking in sixth place. Cambridge are down one position for Philosophy, coming in third place, and up one position for Physics & Astronomy, coming in second place. They are up two for Veterinary Medicine, coming in fifth place.

The league tables rank UK universities both nationally and in 74 subject areas. Prospective applicants can see the universities ranking in their chosen subject, order by “the measures important to [them]”, sort by region and compare universities to find the right one for them.

Feature image credit: Sophie Carlin