Russell Group unis that got worse this year, as per the Complete University Guide for 2026

Wake up, babe, the Complete University Guide for 2026 just dropped. Loads of prestigious Russell Group unis really plummeted in the rankings this year.

The Complete University Guide is based on a bunch of data, including how much research a uni does, how many grads get jobs, and how happy the students really are. You can read more about the logic behind the Complete University Guide here.

Not every Russell Group uni flopped in the Complete University Guide for 2026. One went up a whole nine places. Slay. Here’s a list of where all the Russell Group unis came, if you’re interested.

So, here’s a rundown of all the Russell Group unis that got worse this year according to the Complete University Guide for 2026.

Imperial College London – down one place, from 5th to 6th

Sozzles, London students. Durham University climbed up two spots in the Complete University Guide for 2026, and bumped Imperial College London down one spot. Durham students were more satisfied with their teaching than Imperial students, plus the uni spent more money on facilities.

University of Birmingham – down one place, from 13th to 14th

Er, did the Uni of Brum jinx itself by walking under that silly clocktower or something?

University of Edinburgh – down three places, from 15th to 18th

Edinburgh students on what I can only assume is a warm sunny day for Scotland

Edinburgh has a pretty low student satisfaction score of just 2.91 out of five. The uni also spent less money on academic services than other Russell Group unis did.

University of Glasgow – down three places, from 28th to joint 31st

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Just 74.4 per cent of Glasgow grads felt their careers were on track, which is pretty low for a Russell Group uni.

University College London (UCL) – down four places, from 9th to 13th

Um, so the University of Warwick, the University of York and the University of Exeter are now all ranked higher than UCL. This is so surprising to me, because UCL has such a great international reputation.

University of Liverpool – down four places, from 19th to 23rd

Liverpool looking pretty

King’s College London, the University of Leeds and Cardiff University bumped Liverpool down in the rankings. Apparently the students at Liverpool felt less good about their career prospects.

University of Newcastle – down five places from 26th to joint 31st

Honestly, Newcastle didn’t score particularly abysmally in any one area. The scores are just all-round mediocre. Other unis just happened to do better in the rankings this year.

University of Manchester – down six places, from 22nd to 28th

Yikes. The University of Manchester is the Russell Group uni that got worse by the most dramatic amount in the Complete University Guide this year. The low student satisfaction score of 2.95 out of five seems to have dragged the uni down.

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Featured image of the University of Manchester by  Mike Peel .