The 25 best UK universities for work experience in 2026, according to student reviews

A league table based on students’ reviews reveals the best universities in the UK for work experience in 2026.

Higherin (which is RateMyPlacement and RateMyApprenticeship, rebranded) has compiled a league table of the top universities for work experience. The ranking is based on how much students who had done work experience or internships felt their university supported them with this. The universities featured in the ranking all received a minimum of 30 reviews.

The best UK university for work experience, according to students, is the University of Bath. Although Bath is not part of the coveted Russell Group, stats show it is a really good uni for getting grad jobs. In The Times‘s UK University Rankings 2027, the University of Bath is the fifth best university in the UK for graduate prospects. 83.6 per cent of grads are in high-skilled employment or further study within 15 months of leaving university.

The University of Bath
(Credit: Si Chun LAM)

The highest-ranking Russell Group universities for work experience are the University of Nottingham, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of Sheffield. Oxbridge students do not seem to have submitted hugely favourable reviews to Higherin about how they were supported with finding work experience placements. The University of Oxford ranked 21st, and the University of Cambridge ranked 24th.

Here are the 25 best UK universities for getting work experience in 2026/2027 academic year:

25. University of Liverpool

24. University of Cambridge

23. Swansea University

22. University of Portsmouth

21. University of Oxford

20. University of Exeter

19. University of Manchester

18. University of Southampton

17. Heriot-Watt University

 

 

 

 

 

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16. University of East Anglia (UEA)

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15. Imperial College London

14. University of Leeds

13. University of Warwick

12. University of Birmingham

11. University of Surrey

10. Nottingham Trent University

9. University of Reading

8. Aston University

7. University of Sheffield

University of Sheffield students living their best lives

6. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

5. De Montfort University

4. Loughborough University

3. University of Nottingham

2. Manchester Metropolitan University

1. University of Bath