THE University of York is the leading university in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to a new guide published today.

The university is placed 12th in the UK in The Complete University Guide – but has slipped two places in the national table compared with last year.

The guide has also listed York in the top ten for 12 of the 26 subjects it offers.

However, it is still comfortably ahead of one of its nearest rivals in the region, the University of Sheffield, which is 26th in the UK, down one place from last year.

A University of York spokesman said: “With 12 subjects in the top ten nationally, we are one of the UK’s leading universities. While a slight fall in our overall ranking in the guide is disappointing, teaching and research at York remain of the highest calibre and the development of our campus continues to enhance the student experience.”

York St John University was placed ninth in Yorkshire and the Humber and 102nd in the UK.

Many of the changes to universities’ positions can be attributed to the impact of the economic downturn on graduate employment prospects.

Dr Bernard Kingston, principal author of The Complete University Guide, said: “The employment market for graduates over the past year or so has been challenging and this is reflected in the rankings.

“Some universities have been able to maintain their domination of so-called graduate jobs, either because of their strong reputation among employers, or through the efforts they have made to overcome the effects of the recession. In other cases, graduates are clearly trading down to find work in areas that are not defined as graduate employment.”