Oxbridge misses out on top three place in UK university rankings for first time

The universities of Oxford and Cambridge have slipped out of the top three in prestigious university rankings for the first time.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026 ranked London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) first for the second year in a row, followed by the University of St Andrews in second, and Durham University in third.

The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge were joint fourth - the first time neither have held a place in the top three in the 32 years the Times guide has been running.

Last year Oxford was ranked third, and Cambridge had already been pushed to fourth.

The guide named Durham as University of the Year 2026 after it climbed the rankings from fifth last year.

The Times and The Sunday Times have produced comprehensive university guides since 1993 and 1998 respectively. The list is based on analysis of student satisfaction with teaching quality and experience, entry standards, research quality, sustainability and graduate prospects.

Regional universities of the year were LSE in London, Durham in the North and North East, Cambridge in the East, Warwick in the Midlands, Bath in the South West, Oxford in the South East and Queen's Belfast University in Northern Ireland.

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