The pioneering ranking draws from data that includes teaching reputation, graduation rate and the development of students’ skills for 242 institutions across the UK, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland.

Half of universities’ overall scores are based on the results of the THE European Student Survey – a student engagement survey of more than 30,000 university students, which includes questions on whether teaching supports critical thinking, whether classes challenge students and whether students have the opportunity to interact with staff.

The University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Karen Cox, said: ‘Our teaching is regularly acknowledged as being amongst the best in the UK, so I am delighted to see that Kent features so prominently in this new European table. I would like to thank all those who, through their hard work and dedication, contribute to not only our ongoing success and reputation but also to the teaching and learning experience enjoyed by so many students each year.’

In 2017, Kent was awarded a gold rating, the highest, in the UK Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The TEF Panel judged that Kent delivers consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students. It is of the highest quality found in the UK.

Further information on THE European Teaching Rankings can be found here.