Top marks for Bolton Uni (From The Bolton News)

Top marks for Bolton Uni

4:55pm Wednesday 15th August 2007 in

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THE University of Bolton is top in the North-west when it comes to student satisfaction according to a national guide.

And a second survey revealed its students also get the benefit of some of the cheapest rent in the country.

The university made the top 15 of the Sunday Times Good University Guide, which rates the UK's 113 higher education institutions, when it came to satisfaction after being scored at 3.9 out of five.

However, it was placed just 93rd out of 113 establishments overall in the guide, which ranks UK universities according to eight criteria, including research quality and degree results.

With 52 per cent of students getting a first or 2:1, the University of Bolton's degree results placed it within the North-west's top five.

Prospects are also better than for those students leaving Manchester Metropolitan and Salford Universities, with 65 per cent of people finding "graduate level" jobs after graduation.

Pro Vice Chancellor, Karyn Brinkley said: "This is very pleasing news. As a university we are focused on preparing our students for the professions they seek to pursue, ready to hit the ground running when they move into the workplace.

"This guide suggests we have a student body who are happy with us, who are achieving and who are going out to get graduate level jobs quickly."Oxford topped the table, followed by Cambridge. Manchester was 29th, Salford was 83rd and Manchester Metropolitan was 90th.

Meanwhile, Bolton was ranked 13th cheapest of 60 UK towns when it came to student digs.

Its average weekly rent price of £50.15 is well below the national average. More than 3,000 students were asked to submit the cost of their weekly rent by website accommodationforstudents.com, which says the cost of living will be a major factor for students when they select where to study.

Bolton was among a clutch of northern towns and cities which were found to be below the national average of £60.58 for student accommodation.

The most expensive place for students to live was London, with weekly rental prices of £102.33, followed by Cambridge at £84.15 and St Andrews, where Prince William studied, where students can expect to pay £82.56.