Two Russell Group universities drop out of Guardian University Guide 2018 top 20 places to study law

Two Russell Group universities have dropped out of the top 20 places to study law in this year’s Guardian University Guide, but the overall picture reveals a mixed range of results for the group of universities traditionally regarded as the country’s elite.

The universities of Birmingham and Warwick did not make this year’s top 20 institutions at which to study law as ranked by the Guardian University Guide. Meanwhile Durham University, University College London and King’s College London remained in the top 20, but placed lower than last year. However, other Russell Group institutions such as Leeds and York ranked higher than last year, while Queen Mary University of London rose from fifth to third place, behind only Oxford and Cambridge.

Other universities were able to make the top 20 for the first time this year – these included Ulster and Edinburgh Napier, as well as London South Bank which rocketed from 58^th to 13^th place.

However, league tables should not be the only source of information used when choosing where to apply for a university place, and the Russell Group has moved to argue this point quite forcefully in light of the latest rankings. Sarah Stevens, the group’s head of policy, commented: “League tables are a useful tool for applicants and it is no surprise to see Russell Group institutions scoring well here. But it is hard for any university ranking to capture the full student experience that an institution provides. Applicants should look beyond league tables to pick the course that is right for them. The quality of research that academics at Russell Group universities undertake is not measured in this ranking but has real benefits for students, who have the chance to learn from world-leading experts in their fields.”