The University of Chester has been named the Best Modern University in the North West in a prestigious annual guide.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2014, published last week, ranked the institution joint 52nd in the UK, making it the not only the Best Modern University in the region and third best in the country, but also the top Cathedrals’ Group institution in the country.

This new position marks a seven-place rise from its position last year and comes a month after the institution ranked second in the region after scoring an 88% overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey.

This is its highest rating to date and is 2% above the national sector average, with Chester Students’ Union named the best in the North West.

Professor Tim Wheeler, the university’s vice-chancellor, said: “This fantastic news comes just weeks after our best ever performance in the National Student Survey.

“These accolades are not only the result of our priority in putting our students first – which is at the heart of everything that we do – they are also a tribute to the university’s staff, who always aspire and deliver to the very highest standards.

“As the university evolves, in particular with the creation of a new Faculty of Engineering and Technology at Thornton Science Park, we will strive to ensure that our students continue to have the best possible all-round experience,” he added.

This is the first year that The Times and The Sunday Times have produced a combined Good University Guide. 

It provides students and their parents with a first reference point on the path to finding a university place and contains full profiles of all universities.

The league table is drawn up from criteria that includes student satisfaction, research quality, graduate prospects, entrance qualifications held by new students, degree results achieved, student/staff ratios, service and facilities spend, and university dropout rates.