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Cardiff University has strengthened its position as Wales’ leading higher education institution by moving up in two respected league tables.

Wales’ only Russell Group university has risen one place to 35th in The Complete University Guide to the UK’s 124 universities, which is published today.

Cardiff has also performed well in the Times Higher Education (THE) Student Experience Survey – rising eight places to 14th.

The poll asked students to rate their university, using a seven-point scale, on the 21 aspects of university life that their peers said were most important.

The “social life” at Cardiff University was considered a major plus for students, who also praised the institution’s extra-curricular activities and general environment.

The rankings will come as a welcome boost to the university’s new vice-chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan, corr who has targeted a place in the world’s top 100 higher education institutions.

Elsewhere in Wales, Bangor and Swansea universities have moved up The Complete University Guide, to 48th and 64th respectively, though others have fallen sharply.

Across the UK, 15 universities fell by more than 10 places, including Aberystwyth (down to 70th from 58th), Cardiff Metropolitan (down to 96th from 79th) and Glyndwr (which falls from 100th to 115th).

Newport, Swansea Metropolitan and Trinity Saint David universities declined to release their data and therefore do not appear in the table.

Trinity vice-chancellor Prof Medwin Hughes said that, following the university’s recent merger and an ongoing “process of transition”, it was “deemed inappropriate” to participate in The Complete University Guide.

Nationally, Cambridge again tops the table ahead of Oxford, which regains second spot from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Prof Patricia Price, Cardiff University’s pro vice-chancellor for student experience, welcomed the “very positive feedback” from students in this year’s THE study.

“Our ambition is to become the university of choice for students from Wales, the UK and internationally,” she said.

“We will continue to invest in our student experience and work in partnership with our students to deliver graduates who are well-rounded, flexible, mobile and highly employable.”

Stephanie Lloyd, president of student body NUS Wales, said: “Our students’ unions are empowering students be more than passive learners in a classroom. They are helping to shape and create their university experiences.

“We’re certainly seeing evidence of this in both these rankings – and I’m keen for our universities and students’ unions to continue to improve. But we must remember that education is about students – not statistical analysis of surveys and data.”

Dr David Blaney, chief executive of higher education funders Hefcw, said universities in Wales are always mindful of providing an excellent experience for students.

“Universities and colleges in Wales are leading the way in working closely with students to ensure institutions can further develop quality courses suitable for a diverse student population,” he said.

“In fact, all universities in Wales have now developed student charters, which outline what students, staff and institutions expect from one another, and where to find information about courses, costs, and regulations.”