Birmingham’s universities have condemned a study which branded them as the worst in the Midlands for students' safety from crime.
Birmingham City University, Aston University, the University of Birmingham and University College Birmingham (UCB) filled the bottom four places in a safety league table compiled by the Complete University Guide.
Compilers of the study said they used official police data to compile the list, based on “student-relevant crimes” – burglary, robbery and violent crime.
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BCU came bottom of the list, followed by Aston, Birmingham and UCB.
Harper Adams University, in rural Shropshire, was rated the safest, followed by Keele and Worcester.
But, in a joint statement, BCU and the University of Birmingham called the guide “completely misleading” as the study included statistics from up to three miles from each campus.
The universities’ spokesman said: “Working in partnership with agencies such as the police, community partners and students’ unions, campus managers across the city are fully confident they provide very safe environments for students and staff.”
The spokesman said the two universities were confident they spoke for all four Birmingham institutions included in the guide.
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But study founder Bernard Kingston defended the research, saying it was the “best available guide” in the absence of specific data about crime affecting students.
He said: “All prospective students should be able to assess the risks for individual institutions with much greater precision.
“It would be reassuring for university applicants and their parents if such information was readily available from the universities.
“It is clearly a matter of considerable concern when considering where to study as an undergraduate.”
The guide said it was estimated that a third of students fell victim to crime, mainly theft and burglary.