Highlights
- Ranked 7th best university in the UK by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026
- Ranked 8th best university in the UK, and joint 5th for career after 15 months, by the Guardian University Guide 2026
- Ranked 8th best university in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2026
- Ranked 9th best university in the UK, in the Daily Mail University Guide 2026
- Named Sport University of the Year 2026 by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide
- Awarded triple Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023
- Ranked in the top 150 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2026
Guides and rankings
| Guide | Year | Ranking | Institutions ranked | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide | 2026 | 7 | 130 | National |
| The Guardian University Guide | 2026 | 8 | 123 | National |
| The Complete University Guide | 2026 | 8 | 130 | National |
| The Daily Mail University Guide | 2026 | 9 | 128 | National |
| Whatuni Student Choice Awards | 2025 | 46 | 93 | National |
| QS World University Rankings | 2026 | =132 | 1,501 | International |
| Times Higher Education World University Rankings | 2025 | 251-300 | over 2,000 | International |
| Leiden Ranking | 2024 | 218 | Over 1,500 | International |
National rankings
The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide
We've been named Sport University of the Year 2026 by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026.
We're also ranked 7th in the UK out of 130 institutions by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026. We're the highest-ranked university in the South West of England and have been named University of the Year in the Southwest 2026.
As well as the overall ranking, we're highly ranked in several individual subject rankings, including:
- 1st for Sports Science
- 3rd for Accounting and Finance
- 3rd for Criminology
- 5th for Mechanical Engineering
- joint 5th for Chemical Engineering
- joint 5th for Social Work
The Guardian University Guide
We're 8th in the Guardian University Guide 2026 with eight subjects in the top five, including ranking 1st for Sports Science and 3rd for Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
The Guardian places us joint 5th for career, with 92% of graduates in graduate-level jobs or further study at professional or HE level within 15 months of graduating.
The Guide ranks universities in key areas, including course satisfaction, student-to-staff ratio, how effectively they've been taught, and graduate prospects.
Complete University Guide
We are ranked 8th out of 130 UK universities in the Complete University Guide 2026.
We are ranked 6th for graduate prospects.
We've also ranked the number one university in the South West for 10 years in a row.
The guide uses ten factors to score each university. It also publishes individual subject rankings based on:
- student satisfaction
- research quality
- entry standards
- graduate prospects
Bath was ranked the 3rd safest university town or city in England and Wales in 2024 by the Complete University Guide.
Daily Mail University Guide
We are ranked 9th out of 128 UK universities in the Daily Mail University Guide 2026.
We were also shortlisted for the 2026 University of the Year award, in recognition of our strengths in graduate employability, reputation in science, technology and engineering, and student experience.
Whatuni Student Choice Awards
We're ranked 46th in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025.
We're also ranked:
- 11th for University halls
- 15th for Career prospects
These awards are based on reviews submitted by more than 36,000 students across the UK.
People & Planet University League
We're in the 2:1 award class in the People & Planet University League 2024/25. We're ranked 41st out of 149 UK universities.
International rankings
QS World University Rankings
In the QS World University Rankings 2026, we are ranked joint 132nd out of 1,501 universities worldwide.
QS ranks institutions by assessing them across critical areas like research and discovery, employability, global engagement, and sustainability.
We're ranked:
- 100th for employer reputation
- 56th for sustainability
- 156th for international student diversity
- 173rd for citations per faculty
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
We're in the top 100 for six subject areas in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025:
- Sports (12)
- Psychology (74)
- Architecture (51-100)
- Development Studies (51-100)
- Marketing (51-100)
- Social Policy & Administration (51-100)
Twenty-seven subjects at Bath were ranked in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, up from 25 in 2024, with Marketing a new entrant and Linguistics returning to the rankings.
QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026
We are in the Top 100 of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026. The University ranked 56th out of 2,002 institutions globally, 32nd out of 621 European institutions, and 19th out of 109 UK institutions.
We are also ranked joint 3rd for Governance, 30th for Social Impact, and 100th for Environmental Impact, globally.
Times Higher Education
In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 we have an overall ranking of 251-300 out of over 2,000 institutions across 108 countries and territories.
Leiden Ranking
In the 2024 Leiden Ranking, we are 218th in the world for the proportion of our publications that were in the top 10% most frequently cited, compared with other publications in the same field and year.
The Leiden Ranking measures the scientific performance of over 1,500 major universities worldwide. Using a sophisticated set of bibliometric indicators, the ranking aims to provide highly accurate measurements of the scientific impact of universities and their involvement in scientific collaboration.
The ranking is based on over 25 years' bibliometric experience at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) of Leiden University.
Awards and ratings
National Student Survey (NSS)
Our students continue to be among the most satisfied in the UK, according to the 2025 National Student Survey.
We scored above the UK Higher Education sector benchmarks in 23 of 27 questions and in six out of seven survey themes.
Times Higher Education National Student Experience Survey
We are ranked joint 53rd in the UK in Times Higher Education National Student Experience Survey 2025.
Survey questions covered all areas of academic life, including the quality of teaching, feedback on work, and learning resources.
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Run by the Office for Students (OfS), the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assesses higher education institutions in England on the quality of experience and outcomes for their undergraduate courses and subjects.
TEF 2023 awarded us Gold for the overall assessment as well as the two underpinning assessments of student experience and student outcomes. This rating, the highest possible, lasts for four years from September 2023.
Research Excellence Framework (REF)
The results of the REF 2021 confirm the excellence of the research carried out at Bath.
92% of University of Bath research submitted to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 achieved the two highest classifications of ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent'.
Find out about the research behind our REF 2021 submission.
Queen’s Anniversary Prizes
We have been awarded two Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education. This is the country's most prestigious national recognition for a UK academic or vocational institution.
In 2011, we received the Queen's award for our Department of Social & Policy Sciences' 'Influential research into child poverty and support for vulnerable people'.
We were also awarded the prize in 2000 to recognise the 'invaluable services to industrial and scientific communities' of the Centre for Power Transmission & Motion Control.