THE university of Worcester is the highest climber in a national league table - jumping 37 places to 55th spot.

The Guardian's annual university guide assesses the teaching quality and graduate job prospects among its ratings criteria, of a total 118 higher education institutions.

It means Worcester, which achieved full university status in 2005, is now rated by the Guardian above a host of longer established universities including Swansea, Ulster, Brighton, Nottingham Trent, Aberystwyth, Coventry, Gloucestershire, Westminster, Leeds Metropolitan, Hertfordshire, Portsmouth and UWE Bristol.

In the Guardian's individual subject guides, the university's education courses rated highly at 13th in the country ahead of leading universities including Warwick and Leeds.

And it pipped Prince William's former university, St Andrew's, to the most improved UK university title.

It is another success story for the University of Worcester, which this year enjoyed the second highest UK university application increase, at 41 per cent, and the largest grant increase from the Higher Education Funding Council of £2.4 million, to £14.25 million.

University of Worcester vice-chancellor Professor David Green said he was delighted by the performance.

He said: "This Guardian rating recognises the high quality and hard work of the university's staff and students.

"It reflects the emphasis we give to providing excellent, inclusive higher education and the positive student experience we strive for here at Worcester. All of us at the University are determined to sustain and further improve our performance.

"With applications to study already up by more than a third on last year's all time record, we are aiming for continued success."

Top of the table was Oxford, which was given a rating of 95.29 points out of 100.

Bottom of the table was Middlesex with 37.87. Worcester gained 58.05 points.