So we really can say we are a super star institution, but what does this actually mean?

The QS Stars rating system is an opt-in rating system for higher education institutions and unlike other ranking systems which compares the performance of different institutions, the QS Stars system rates a university entirely on its own performance. Institutions receive a rating between 0 and 5+ stars overall, with 5+ being the highest and most desirable rating as well as a rating of between 0 and 5 stars in a number of sub-categories: teaching, employability, internationalization, research, facilities, innovation, and inclusiveness.

Teaching

The rating for teaching is calculated by looking at student satisfaction, the faculty-student ratio and the rate of study. Student satisfaction totalled 90% contributing to the 5 stars awarded for the great teaching delivered at Loughborough University.

Employability

At 5 stars, employability is not just about academic strength but focuses on students’ actual readiness for work. This not only takes into account the university’s reputation among employers, (we garnered a massive 157 nominations from the 2019 QS global employer survey), but also skills such as: the ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural team, deliver presentations and to manage people and projects. With on-campus careers fairs, interview training and career advice sessions, it’s not surprising that we were awarded 5 stars for employability!

Internationalisation

At Loughborough University we realise the importance of our global reputation. This category considers international research collaborations, partnerships with international institutions, international exchange students and international diversity on campus. With 998 international partners it’s not surprising that we were awarded 5 stars in the internationalization category.

Research

As a core component of many universities, research is a key area for us at Loughborough University. The research category considers research productivity and the impact of that research, the amount of funds dedicated to research as well as the university’s reputation for research among academics. We received a colossal 966 nominations from the 2019 QS global academic survey, contributing to our 5-star rating.

Facilities

We are proud of our 5-star facilities! This category may be of great importance when selecting a university as it provides students an insight into the environment they can expect for their university experience. At Loughborough, we have a strong library expenditure, approximately $272.4 per student. Did you know students at our London campus can request books to be sent from Loughborough’s Pilkington Library for free?

Innovation

The advanced criteria of the QS Stars system also includes innovation – a characteristic we at Loughborough value and stimulate. Innovation and knowledge transfer are becoming more and more important for modern, progressive institutions, . Our 5-star rating was achieved through various innovations at Loughborough University including 25 patents, 3 spin-off companies established in the last five years and 69 distinct industrial research collaborations in scopus in the last five years.

Inclusiveness

For an institution to be world class it must value and implement inclusiveness. Loughborough University has received a further 5 star rating for this advanced criteria, which takes into account: provision of access and support for a variety of disabilities, the amount of funds available for student support and the number of students from low-income backgrounds.

Overall

Taking into account the solid 5 stars given to each area it is not surprising that Loughborough University was given a 5+ star overall rating. Proud as we are, we will strive to maintain and improve all areas of university life, so come to our 5+ star institution and become an all-star graduate!