The complete university guide - A new concept for league table practices in the United Kingdom

University league tables in their present form have been around for two decades. One of their objectives has been to help would-be university students (and their parents) make an informed choice of university and course. In the United Kingdom, historically, they have taken the form of a numerical hierarchy topped (predictably) by Oxford and Cambridge universities. This approach has been discussed, criticised and defended both in political and media fora. A project that started five years ago, supported by Mayfield University Consultants,is now online, proposing an alternative flexible ranking approach, The Complete University Guide, which enables prospective students, parents, and other stakeholders to customise a ranking according to their preferences and specific needs. Specifically, it allows users much more flexibility in the way they utilize the tables to decide on their university of choice.