Generalities How accurate are league tables in newspapers?
Our position in league tables seems to fluctuate significantly from year to year. We have fluctuated between 3 and 20 in the Guardian and 9 and 23 in the Times. These league tables are based on scant and ill-researched data and should be taken with an enormous pinch of salt. There’s no such thing as a `best` department really – only what’s best for you. The location, course content, friendliness, number of bars nearby and many many other factors which the newspapers can’t really gauge will all help you decide where you want to study. At UCL, for example, we can’t escape from the fact that we are in central London. For some people this is a very exciting and positive thing, for others it is the last place they would want to study! Ultimately there is no substitute for visiting the departments you like the look of to see what they are really like.
