REF 2014 confirms Bangor Psychology’s global reputation

UoA 4 Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience

Bangor’s School of Psychology has performed exceptionally well in the latest research rankings, with 89% of its research output ranked as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ and an overall ranking of 17th (out of 82 universities). It is not possible to make direct comparisons with the last RAE in 2008 as the Unit of Assessment has changed considerably, so much so that the Times Ranking puts n/a in the column which details the 2008 results. What is beyond doubt is that the changes have made this UoA both bigger and much more competitive and, as can be seen from the list of the top 25 below, our ranking position places us in excellent company. Overall, this performance extends our record of outstanding results in research assessment exercises stretching back for more than 20 years. If you want to see how we compare to the National average or other Psychology departments FindaPhD have a useful tool here (UoA Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience).

Another key element of this success is our efforts to create Impact outside of the academic world. In this category our entire submission was ranked as ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ in terms of its reach and significance. Our high impact score, relates to activities such as Mindfulness, Dementia, and Healthy Eating and shows that we make a real difference to peoples’ lives in the real world. Click here for more information on our impact.

Head of School Dr. John Parkinson expressed his satisfaction at the latest results: “I am very pleased with the School’s performance in one of the largest and most competitive units of assessment in the 2014 REF. I have always been aware of the strength of our school which has drawn staff and students from across the globe to Bangor and the fact that 40% of our research output is ranked as ‘world leading’ is testament to that strength. I think it is also worth reiterating that this excellent REF performance follows hard on the heels of an exceptional NSS 2014 performance where we were ranked in the top 10 in the UK for ‘student satisfaction’."

2014 REF Rank by GPA

Top 20 in REF 2014 and NSS 2014

We are one of only 2 psychology departments to be ranked in the top 10 for teaching excellence (NSS 2014) and top 20 for research excellence (REF 2014). The table below is a list of departments who are in the top 20 for both measures.

The Times Good University Guide 2015 Research Quality Table

College of Health & Behavioural Sciences REF 2014

The other schools in CoHaBS also performed very well in REF 2014 with Sports Sciences ranked 7th in the UK and Healthcare Sciences ranked 20th, which shows that research strength is embedded across the college.

Bangor University REF 2014

Overall the university is ranked in the top 40 in the UK and has been recognised for world leading research in several domains. Read more here about the performance of the university as a whole.