Highlights
- Ranked 5th best university in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2024
- Ranked 6th best university in the UK, and 5th for career prospects after 15 months, by the Guardian University Guide 2024
- Ranked 8th best university in the UK by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
- Awarded triple Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023
- Ranked 9th in the Times Higher Education 'Table of Tables' 2022
- Named 'University of the Year 2024 for Graduate Jobs', in the Daily Mail University Guide 2024
- Ranked in the top 150 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2024
- Ranked 4th in the UK in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2018
Guides and rankings
| Guide | Year | Ranking | Institutions ranked | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete University Guide | 2024 | 5 | 130 | National |
| The Guardian University Guide | 2024 | 6 | 122 | National |
| The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide | 2024 | 8 | 134 | National |
| The Daily Mail University Guide | 2024 | 10 | 128 | National |
| Whatuni Student Choice Awards | 2020 | 46 | 131 | National |
| QS World University Rankings | 2024 | 148 | 1,499 | International |
| Times Higher Education World University Rankings | 2022 | 201-250 | over 1,600 | International |
| Leiden Ranking | 2021 | 134 | 1,225 | International |
National rankings
The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide
The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 places us 8th in the UK out of 134 institutions. We're the highest-ranked university in the South West of England. This matches our 2023 ranking.
As well as the overall ranking, we have 15 subjects in the top ten by subject ranking, with nine of these in the top five.
The Guardian University Guide
We are 6th in the Guardian University Guide 2024, with ten subjects in the top five, including ranking 1st for Sports science, and 3rd for Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Education.
The Guardian places us 5th for career prospects, 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, and graduate prospects.
Complete University Guide
We are ranked 5th out of 130 UK universities in the Complete University Guide 2024.
We are ranked 4th for graduate prospects.
We've also ranked the number one university in the South West for eight 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
The Complete University guide ranks 27 of our subjects in the top ten. We are ranked as the number one place to study Marketing in the UK.
Bath was ranked the 2nd safest university town or city in England and Wales in 2023 by the Complete University Guide.
The Daily Mail University Guide
We are 'University of the Year 2024 for Graduate Jobs' in the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
We are also ranked 10th best UK university overall out of 128 universities.
Whatuni Student Choice Awards
We're ranked 2nd for Career Prospects and 7th for University Halls, in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2022.
These awards are based on reviews submitted by more than 30,000 students across the UK.
International rankings
QS World University Rankings
In the QS World University Rankings 2024 we have an overall ranking of 148 out of 1,499 universities around the world.
The University of Bath has made QS’ top 100 for six subject areas in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024:
- Sport-related subjects (8)
- Architecture / built environment (51-100)
- Development studies (51-100)
- Social policy & administration (51-100)
- Business & management studies (86)
- Psychology (96)
QS Graduate Employability Rankings
We are placed in the top 100 in the world of the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022. Placing 93rd in the ranking marks us out as one of the best places to study globally in terms of students’ onward prospects.
The University of Bath was rated particularly strongly in terms of its partnerships and its reputation among employers, with a graduate employment rate of 95.6% 12 months after graduation.
QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024
We have also placed in the Top 100 of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024. The University ranked 92nd out of 1,403 universities, scoring highly in each of the three performance categories of Environmental Impact, Social Impact and Governance.
Times Higher Education
In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 we have an overall ranking of 201-250 out of over 1,600 universities across 99 countries and territories.
Leiden Ranking
In the 2021 Leiden Ranking, we are 134th 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 1,225 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 2023 National Student Survey.
We scored above the UK Higher Education sector benchmarks in 24 of 27 questions and in six out of seven survey themes.
Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey
We are ranked 4th in the UK in The Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2018.
Around 330,000 students took part in the survey. 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.