The Times Good Uni Guide is here! These are officially the best universities in the UK

Oxford isn’t actually top for once!

8 months ago

The Times Good University Guide is officially here! Millions of university rankings get released each year but The Times’ is definitely one of the most reputable.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide ranks 132 different universities across the country on factors like: Quality of teaching, student satisfaction, the number of grads who get jobs or do post-grads and the number of students who make it through their degrees.

The Times uni rankings 2024 also show how unis compare on their social inclusion (how many private school students they admit compared to state school) as well as the best unis for each subject. You can find the full list and university ranking 2024 here.

So, based on The Times Uni Ranking, here are officially the best universities in the UK:

20. University of Strathclyde

Just squeezing into the top 20, The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow is the 20th-best university in the UK. Moving down two places from last year, nine out of ten students at Strathclyde are state-school-educated and 13.4 per cent of students come from an ethnic minority background. According to UCAS points, it is also the fourth hardest UK university to get into.

19. University of Aberdeen

Another Scottish uni, The University of Aberdeen is 19th. The UK’s fifth-oldest university, Aberdeen ranked seventh for anthropology and is in the top 20 for the third year in a row due to its “emphasis on active learning and community-building supplemented by virtual learning services”.

18. University of Sheffield

Rising up from 20th last year, The University of Sheffield is at 18th place. According to The Times, its rise is caused by improved graduate prospects and by its eight-place rise in the research quality index.

17. University of Southampton

Slipping down one place from last year’s Times uni rankings, The University of Southampton is the 17th best university in the UK. Although its rate of student satisfaction is higher than most other Russell Groups, Southampton has fallen 14 places in social inclusion this year and is now at 110th.

16. University of Bristol

The University of Bristol is at 16th, moving down one place from last year. It is the fifth best university for first year students carrying on into their second year and ranked at number six for its research quality.

15. University of York

At number 15, The University of York has risen two places up the league table this year. This is its highest position since 2015. York is third in social inclusion out of all the Russell Group universities and ninth for research quality. It is top 10 for a number of subjects including fifth for natural sciences.

14. Lancaster University

Just beating its rival York, Lancaster University is the 14th best in the UK. It might have slipped down two places from last year but it is in the top 10 for lots of subjects including art and design.

13. University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh has moved down three places and out of the top 10 this year at 13th. It ranks eighth for social policy but has scored extremely low in student satisfaction, ranking at 112th.

12. University of Glasgow

At 12th, Glasgow has moved up two places in The Times uni rankings from last year. It is also ranked number one for nursing and veterinary medicine as well as second for medicine in the UK. At number two for entry standards based on UCAS points, Glasgow is the second hardest university to get into in the UK.

11. University of Exeter

At 13th last year, The University of Exeter has moved up two spaces in The Times uni ranking 2024. Ranking third for theology and religious studies, Exeter is eighth for the number of freshers staying on for their second year at the uni.

10. Loughborough University

Moving up one spot from last year, Loughborough University is the 10th best university in the UK. Ranking fifth for sports science as well as student experience, The Times said it was “arguably the best facilities in one square mile anywhere in the world.”

9. University of Warwick

Staying in the same place as last year, The University of Warwick is at ninth. Top for a number of subjects including creative writing and second for politics and business management, Warwick is 94th in the social inclusion ranking, accepting more private school students than state school.

8. University of Bath

Another one staying in the same spot as last year, The University of Bath is the eighth in The times uni ranking 2024. Steadily rising in the rankings over the last decade, Bath was also named the Sunday Times University of the Year in 2022. It ranks fourth for student experience and continuation rate as well as sixth for graduate prospects.

7. University of Durham

Number seven in the UK, Durham has slipped down a place from last year’s rankings. The University of Durham is also the worst university in the UK for social inclusion and has the second-highest percentage of private school students in the UK. It is top for a number of subjects including archeology and forensic science, though.

6. University College London

Also nominated the Times University of the Year, University College London is the sixth best university in the UK. It has the second best staff-to-student ratio and is fifth for research quality. UCL topped the rankings for a number of subjects and The Times called it a “powerhouse of British higher education”.

5. Imperial College London

Moving down one spot from last year, Imperial College London is the fifth best university in the UK. It is also ranked number one for research quality and graduate prospects with a score of 94.3 per cent.

4. London School of Economics

Topping the Times Uni ranking for a number of subjects including psychology, LSE is the UK’s fourth best UK university. Staying at the same overall spot as last year, LSE is also the third best uni for research quality and continuation rate.

3. University of Cambridge

In the same place for the third year on the trot, The University of Cambridge is the UK’s third best university. It tops the league table for many subjects such as chemistry and computer science. Neither Oxford or Cambridge release data on student satisfaction but Cambridge also tops the list for the amount of first years carrying on for second year.

2. University of Oxford

Just missing out on the top spot, The University of Oxford is officially the second best university in the UK. Moving down one spot from last year, Oxford is number one for a number of subjects including medicine, classics and biological sciences. Although it ranks poorly in social inclusion at 109th, it has risen nine places from last year’s rankings.

1. University of St Andrews

Moving up one place from last year, St Andrews has come out on top for being the best university in the UK. Also ranked number one in the Guardian’s rankings, St Andrews has improved its graduate prospects and student-to-staff ratio which, according to The Times, is what pushed it to the top spot.

St Andrews also has one of the most international student populations of any UK university. It has the most ethnically diverse student population but also as the lowest proportion of students from non-selective students in Scotland.