简介:Until this year, French at degree level had avoided the decline in the teaching of modern languages seen in secondary schools, but the arrival of higher fees coincided with a 14 per cent drop in applications. French is still in a better position than other European (or world) languages but, with the decline continuing at A level, there is not a lot of leeway for many departments. Only 688 students started degrees in French in 2011, with another 2,700 taking broader modern language courses. Nevertheless, entry to the top courses in particular remains competitive and there were nearly six applications to the place in 2011. Almost half of the 49 universities in the table averaged more than 400 points and none had an average of less than 250 points. Perhaps not surprisingly, nine out of ten undergraduates enter with A levels or their equivalents. Oxford retains the slim lead over Cambridge that it established three years ago, thanks to the best performance in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, when 30 per cent of its submission was rated world-leading. Cambridge is ahead on all the other indicators and has the highest entry grades in the table, as well as sharing the best employment score. East Anglia, in 27th place, has the other top employment score, while Leicester, in 15th, boasts the most satisfied students in the ranking. Southampton takes third place, but Newcastle has made the most progress in the upper reaches of the table, rising ten places to share eighth place. St Andrews remains the top university in Scotland, while Cardiff has little competition in Wales. Northumbria has overtaken Portsmouth to become the leading post-1992 university and the only one in the top 30. French is in the top 20 subjects for employment, with seven out of ten graduates going on to graduate jobs or further study within six months. The 6 per cent unemployment rate is among the best for any subject. For the first time in recent years, not a single university dipped below the 50 per cent success mark for graduate destinations. Graduate starting salaries had improved a little in the latest survey, but remain below the average for all subjects. 以下是2013年times英国大学排名法语专业排名。