The Complete University Guide was first published in 2007, when it was called The Good University Guide,and is compiled by Mayfield University Consultants.
Ten criteria are used by this ranking, with a statistical technique called the Z-transformation applied to the results of each. The ten Z-scores are then weighted (by 1.5 for student satisfaction, 0.5 for research intensity, academic services spend and facilities spend, and 1.0 for the rest) and summed to give a total score for each university. These total scores are then transformed to a scale where the top score is set at 1,000, with the remainder being a proportion of the top score. The ten criteria are:
• Academic services spend – the expenditure per student on all academic services;
•Degree completion – a measure of the completion rate of students;
•Entry standards – the average UCAS tariff score of new students under the age of 21;
•Facilities spend – the expenditure per student on staff and student facilities;
•Good honours – the proportion of firsts and upper seconds;
•Graduate prospects – a measure of the employability of graduates;
•Research assessment – a measure of the average quality of research;
•Research intensity – a measure of the fraction of staff who are research-active;
•Student satisfaction – a measure of the view of students on the teaching quality; and
•Student:staff ratio – a measure of the average staffing level.