STUDENTS and staff at Bournemouth University are celebrating after being ranked “first class” in the Green League 2011.

The uni was ranked fifth out of 142 in the table, compiled by People & Planet and the Guardian.

It leapt 15 places, beating nearby universities and establishments more accustomed to sitting at the top of league tables.

Southampton University was ranked 60th, down three places on last year, with Southampton Solent at 73, compared with 111 last year and the Arts University College Bournemouth at 89.

Oxford University could only manage 103rd place with Cambridge at 68th.

Newer, teaching-focused universities came out better than the research-intensive Russell Group institutions – their highest placed university was the London School of Economics at 22nd.

Universities were ranked by 13 measures including environmental policy, carbon management, sustainable food, energy sources and waste and recycling. A total of 70 points were available with the top scoring university – Nottingham Trent – scoring 53.5 and Bournemouth scoring 47. The lowest scoring university, Ravensbourne in London, scored just eight-and-a-half points.

David Willey, Bournemouth University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the Environmental Strategy Group, said: “We are delighted that our strong environmental performance and practice has been recognised.”

And Environment and Energy Manager Amanda Williams added: “We are extremely pleased to see the great strides that we have made in environmental management reflected in both the Green League and our recent EcoCampus Gold Award.”