Sunderland has been named the best new university in England, in one of the most thorough league tables yet to be published.
The Guardian says that Sunderland has some of the best degree courses in Britain, and has placed it 26th out of the UK's 122 universities and higher education colleges.
Strong teaching, internationally renowned research, a higher than average graduate employment rate and the University's outstanding track record in widening participation have led to Sunderland rising above many well established universities.
The University appears in nearly 50pc of The Guardian's tables showing the best universities in the UK for different degree courses. Sunderland is shown to be strong in several sciences - pharmacy, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry and biosciences - highlighting its international reputation for teaching and research.
Computer science, media studies, nursing and midwifery and sociology degrees were also shown to be among the best in Britain.
The Guardian guide to good university teaching says it covers around 60,000 official statistics for 2,500 departments in 150 universities and colleges across 43 academic subjects, and is the most comprehensive guide ever produced on the academic sector.
The guide has been put together to help students make informed choices when applying for university places. It has been endorsed by Education Secretary David Blunkett as well as lecturers' union Natfhe.
Sunderland's continued growth, highlighted in the guide, follows on from positive assessments in two other recent league tables, in The Financial Times and The Times.
University of Sunderland vice-chancellor Professor Peter Fidler said: "The table shows that the University has made significant progress in recent years through its commitment to providing quality, both in teaching and resources. Our outstanding track record in widening participation is now allied to excellence in teaching, research and, as underlined by the Government's recent performance indicators, our graduates' success in gaining jobs.
"The Financial Times and The Sunday Times tables have also recognised our progress recently. But the Guardian table is the first to highlight the link between our real strengths - good teaching, good research, coupled with supporting students from backgrounds with little or no history in higher education and giving them a higher than average chance of securing jobs after graduating."