簡介：Politics has been enjoying a boom as a degree subject, applications growing by almost a quarter in the first two years of the decade. The trend was reversed in 2012, with the prospect of higher fees, although even after a decline of almost 9 per cent, there were still more than 30,000 applications. With six applications for every place, entry scores have been rising. Almost 30 universities, six more than last year and twice as many as in the 2009 Guide, average over 400 points and only three less than 250 points. Oxford holds onto top place with the highest entry grades, but Cambridge has overtaken Sheffield to secure second place. Cambridge ties with Leicester, in 25th place, for the most satisfied students. Sheffield shares the best score from the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise with Essex, in equal seventh place. Both had three quarters of their research rated world-leading or internationally excellent. Aberystwyth is the top university in Wales, while St Andrews is the leader in Scotland. Brighton is the highest-placed post-1992 university and is joined by Huddersfield in the top 40. Satisfaction scores in politics were generally high in the 2011 National Student Survey: only two of the 71 universities failed to satisfy at least 70 per cent of their final-year undergraduates. The best employment prospects are at Bath, in sixth place. Scores elsewhere are variable, with ten universities failing to see half of their politics graduates go straight into graduate-level jobs or continue their studies. The subject is now in the top 20 in the earnings league, with average starting salaries of more than ￡21,500, but has yet to make the same progress in the employment of graduates. Unemployment is on the average for all subjects, at 9 per cent, but 30 per cent of graduates start off in lower-level jobs.以下是2013年Times政治排名。