May 12, 2014 06:59 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Cambridge University grabs the first spot in the list of top 10 UK universities.

The annual list compiled by the Complete University Guide ranks Oxford in the second place, London School of Economics and Political Science in the third, St Andrews in Fife, Scotland ranked fourth and Durham bagged the fifth position.

"This ranking, like all the others, reflects the fact that the University of Cambridge is one of the most respected and influential higher education institutions in the UK," said a Cambridge University spokesman, Cambridge News reports.

Principal author Dr Bernard Kingston said that the ranking offers an accurate guide to UK higher education. The authors ranked the universities after looking into academic qualifications of freshmen (Entry Standards), student satisfaction, research assessment and graduate prospects in 123 universities, overall. Plus, expenditures on academic services, staff-to-student ratios, graduate prospects and completion rates were also taken into consideration.

The authors observed improvements in student-to-staff ratios (probably due to the presence of more staffers and spike in student dropouts), 6.4 percent drop in undergraduate admissions in 2012-13 academic season, more funds devoted on student facilities and better academic standards of freshmen.

"It is that fall in some institutions and program areas coupled with the opportunity taken by some institutions, of which the University for the Creative Arts and the Arts University Bournemouth are good examples, to reclassify technical staff as academic staff, thus improving the student-staff ratio," said David Jobbins, a spokesman for the Guide, Daily Mail UK reports.

The fifth-placed Durham University is then followed by Imperial College London, Warwick, Bath, University College London and Exeter.

This is the second time in a row that University of Exeter has earned a berth in the top 10. The West England University is also ranked the second best university in the South West, second only to the University of Bath.

 "The university is an integral part of the city and the local economy. It's a big employer and a great centre for research at the forefront of many fields. And it has got such a lovely setting - who wouldn't want to come here to study?" said Exeter Councillor Percy Prowse, Express and Echo reports.

Sophie Roe, a former student and graduate project officer at Exeter, said that she is not at all surprised to spot Exeter in the top 10 list as the staff is committed to the students.

Top 10 UK Universities

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