How do we compare?
Government statistics and independent rankings confirm that we are one of the premier Computer Science departments in the UK. We reproduce some of this data below, because if you are considering applying to Sheffield we are sure that you will want to see it. What the statistics won't tell you, though, is that the Department of Computer Science is a friendly, exciting and stimulating place to study. We encourage you to come and meet us at an open day, so that you can see for yourself.
Graduate employment
Our close links with industry and innovative project-based teaching pay off; our graduates have the best possible preparation for working life and secure excellent jobs with big-name employers such as Google, IBM and Accenture. Data collected by our Careers Office found that 95% of our 2011-12 graduates seeking work entered employment or further study within six months of graduation; and 95% of these were in graduate jobs, putting Sheffield Computer Science in the top 7 for graduate employment.
Student satisfaction
The Department of Computer Science receives consistently high scores for student satisfaction. The current National Student Survey (NSS) data at unistats.direct.gov.uk confirms that our staff teach to a very high standard; 94% of respondents agreed that "staff are good at explaining things". We are also well resourced; in the same survey, 92% of students agreed that there was excellent provision of library and computing resources. Finally, we compare very favourably against our competitors in the NSS; based on a number of key indicators such as clear marking criteria, prompt feedback and access to staff, our NSS score is 7% above the national average.
Starting salary
According to unistats.direct.gov.uk, the median salary of Sheffield graduates six months after graduation is £22,000, which is well above the national average of £19,000. Many of our students from the Department of Computer Science do even better; it is not unusual for the top graduates from our four-year programmes to command starting salaries of £35,000 or more.
Independent league tables and guides
The Guardian University Guide for 2013 ranks us 10th out of 103 Computer Science departments in the UK, with a particularly high score (92%) for career prospects; only Cambridge and Imperial College have higher employment figures.
A world-class university
Sheffield University is rated 13th in the UK, 32nd in Europe and 101st in the world according to the 2011-12 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The highly regarded annual analysis of the top 500 universities worldwide published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks Sheffield as 11th in the UK and 120th in the world.
We are the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2011-2012. The judges found the Univeristy to be a quality, research-led university, and a community with values, confidence, flair and its sleeves rolled-up.