Bath and Warwick universities lead regional rankings

Recognition for performance in the South West and Midlands

Author: Sam RhodesPublished 18th Sep 2026

Universities in the South West have earned standout recognition in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027, with Bath, Bristol, and Exeter leading the region’s performance.

University of Warwick also features prominently in the wider regional picture, officially named the best university in the West Midlands and placing seventh nationally, just ahead of the University of Birmingham.

University of Bath tops the South West rankings and sits eighth in the UK overall. It also receives the title University of the Year in the South West, reinforcing its long-established reputation for academic strength and student satisfaction.

University of Bristol follows closely behind, ranked tenth nationally, while University of Exeter maintains a strong presence within the top 20.

Across the Midlands, University of Birmingham secures several major accolades — named Runner-up University of the Year 2027, Sports University of the Year 2027, and Runner-up University of the Year for Student Experience 2027.

The full Good University Guide goes live today with a detailed supplement published in The Sunday Times on 20th September, offering insight into teaching quality, graduate employment, sustainability and student satisfaction. Full rankings and analysis are available here.

Alongside Bath, Bristol and Exeter, the rankings also highlight strong performances from universities across the wider South West and Midlands

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