Ranked: All 24 Russell Group unis by NSS teaching score – Newcastle scores lowest

Newcastle has the lowest teaching score of any Russell Group university in the National Student Survey 2026, with 85.6 per cent of students responding positively – while Oxford tops the ranking at 94.4 per cent.

The National Student Survey 2026, commissioned by the Office for Students, asks students about teaching quality, including how clearly staff explain concepts and how engaging their teaching methods are.

Among the other top Russell Group universities were the University of Cambridge with a positivity measure of 93.2 per cent, the University of Durham with 92.1 per cent, and Imperial College London also scoring 92.1 per cent.

Here are all 24 Russell Group universities ranked by NSS teaching score, from highest to lowest, according to the National Student Survey 2026

1. University of Oxford – 94.4 per cent

2. University of Cambridge – 93.2 per cent

=3. University of Durham – 92.1 per cent

=3. Imperial College London – 92.1 per cent

5. London School of Economics – 91.6 per cent

6. University of Warwick –  91.1 per cent

7.  University of Birmingham – 90.0 per cent

8. University of Sheffield – 89.9 per cent

=9. University of Bristol – 88.9 per cent

=9. University of Glasgow– 88.9 per cent

11. University of Liverpool – 88.4 per cent

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12. University of York – 88.1 per cent

13. University of Nottingham – 88.0 per cent

14. University of Southampton –  87.9 per cent

15. University of Exeter – 87.7 per cent

16. University College London – 87.6 per cent

17. University of Edinburgh – 87.4 per cent

=18. University of Leeds –  87.2 per cent

=18. King’s College London – 87.2 per cent

20. Queen Mary University of London – 86.6 per cent

21. Cardiff University – 86.5 per cent

22. Queen’s University Belfast –  86.2 per cent

23. University of Manchester –  86.1 per cent

24. Newcastle University – 85.6 per cent

Newcastle University was contacted for comment.

Featured image via Unsplash