It is the biggest riser in the 2017 table, cementing its place in the upper echelons of the UK rankings.

The ‘Table of Tables’ ranks the UK’s top 30 universities based on the combined results of the three main domestic university league tables – the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, The Guardian University Guide, and the Complete University Guide – to provide a snapshot of how universities are viewed by national newspapers.

Loughborough is ranked ahead of 80% of the 24 universities that comprise the Russell Group, placing it firmly among the UK’s higher education elite.

 Loughborough University has risen in each of the national league tables published this year. It leapt to 4th place out of the UK’s 119 universities in the 2017 Guardian University Guide – its highest ever league table ranking – and climbed to 7^th in the Complete University Guide 2017. In The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017, the University rose to 11^th place and was named University of the Year for Sport. It was also shortlisted for the paper’s coveted University of the Year title.

Loughborough is the East Midlands’ top university according to all three national university rankings.

“Our performance in this year’s league tables is recognition of the breadth of Loughborough’s strengths and our excellence right across the board,” said Professor Robert Allison, Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University.

“It reflects the quality of education we offer, our world-class research and innovation, and the exceptional all-round student experience we provide at the University.”

This year Loughborough also topped the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey and has been shortlisted for the THE University of the Year Award, the results of which are announced next month.

The full ‘Table of Tables’ is as follows:

2017 ranking	Institution
1	University of Cambridge
2	University of Oxford
3	University of St Andrews
=4	Imperial College London
=4	Durham University
6	Loughborough University
7	London School of Economics
8	University of Warwick
9	Lancaster University
10	University of Surrey
11	University College London
=12	University of Exeter
=12	University of Bath
14	University of Birmingham
15	University of Leeds
16	University of East Anglia
17	University of Southampton
=18	University of Sussex
=18	University of York
20	University of Nottingham
21	University of Kent
22	University of Edinburgh
23	University of Bristol
24	Coventry University
=25	King’s College London
=25	Newcastle University
27	City, University of London
28	University of Sheffield
29	Falmouth University
30	University of Glasgow