Ranked: The 20 UK universities with lowest student satisfaction in 2027 – Edinburgh third worst

Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow and King’s College London are among the UK universities where students report the lowest satisfaction, according to the Complete University Guide’s 2027 rankings – despite all four appearing in the global top 100 in the QS world rankings published this week.

The Royal Agricultural University recorded the lowest student satisfaction score of any UK university, at 73 per cent, making it the only institution to fall below 74 per cent.

All four named universities appeared in this week’s QS 2027 world rankings, with Edinburgh ranked 35th, Manchester 40th, KCL 37th and Glasgow 80th globally.

Student satisfaction measures the proportion of students who report a positive experience at their university, covering teaching quality, academic support and whether their expectations have been met.

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Sheffield was the first Russell Group university to appear among the highest scorers, placing joint 13th nationally for student satisfaction.

Here are the 20 UK universities with the lowest student satisfaction scores, from lowest to highest, according to the Complete University Guide’s 2027 league tables.

1. Royal Agricultural University – 73 per cent
2. SOAS University of London – 74 per cent
3. University of Edinburgh – 75 per cent
4. University of Cumbria – 75 per cent 
5. University of Buckingham – 75 per cent
6. University for the Creative Arts – 76 per cent
7. Bournemouth University – 76 per cent
8. Sheffield Hallam University – 76 per cent
9. University of Glasgow – 76 per cent
10. Goldsmiths, University of London – 76 per cent
11. University of Kent – 76 per cent
12. Newcastle University – 76 per cent
13. Harper Adams University – 76 per cent
14. University of Manchester – 76 per cent
15. University of Bradford – 77 per cent
16. University of Stirling – 77 per cent
17. Heriot-Watt University – 77 per cent
18. King’s College London – 77 per cent
19. Anglia Ruskin University – 77 per cent
20. University of Huddersfield – 77 per cent

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