The first 2026 UK uni ranking is here, but Oxbridge and Russell Group unis aren’t top

The first big UK university league table for 2026 is out, but Oxbridge and Russell Group unis aren’t at the top of the ranking. This is so surprising.

Most university league tables are based on data such as the number of students who get jobs, or the amount of research the university does. University Compare’s league tables are based on students’ reviews. People rated their unis on the courses, the accommodation, the social life they had at the unis, and how much they thought the uni helped them with their careers. So, these league tables reflect what students actually think about their unis, and not what data other people think should be important to students. And it turns out, UK students at Oxbridge and several Russell Group unis aren’t all that happy with their university experiences.

The highest Russell Group uni on the list is Newcastle University, which came in an extremely respectable fourth place. The University of Liverpool wasn’t too far behind it. But the University of Cambridge is all the way down on 34th place, and Oxford is even lower. The uni ranked 73rd out of 100. Ouch. Only six Russell group unis made it into the top 25.

So, here are the top 25 UK unis, according to University Compare’s new ranking for 2026. I’ve starred the Russell Group unis, in case you’re interested x.

1. Middlesex University (4.23 stars)

2. Liverpool John Moores University (4.22 stars)

3. Nottingham Trent University (4.21 stars)

4. Newcastle University* (4.16 stars)

5. Edge Hill University (4.16 stars)

6. University of Liverpool* (4.15 stars)

7. University of Derby (4.15 stars)

8. Leeds Beckett University (4.08 stars)

9. University of Salford (4.05 stars)

10. University of Sheffield* (4.03 stars)

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An average evening at the University of Leeds

11. University of Leeds* (4.02 stars)

12. Canterbury Christ Church University (4.01 stars)

13. University of Chester (4.00 stars)

14. University of Nottingham* (4.00 stars)

15. Bangor University (4.00 stars)

16. Cardiff Metropolitan University (3.99 stars)

17. University of Lincoln (3.99 stars)

18. Manchester Metropolitan University (3.98 stars)

19. University of Exeter* (3.98 stars)

20. University of Huddersfield (3.98 stars)

21. Birmingham City University (3.97 stars)

22. Ulster University (3.96 stars)

23. Bournemouth University (3.95 stars)

24. University of Plymouth (3.95 stars)

25. University of Westminster (3.94 stars)

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