Sunday Times Good University Guide names University of Bath as South West's best

-Credit: (Image: Bath Chronicle)
-Credit: (Image: Bath Chronicle)


The University of Bath has been named as the number one university in the Southwest, according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.

The University, which has been in the top 10 for a decade and holds its own without being a member of the elite Russell Group, has been named as the eighth best University in the UK.

It has been in the top 10 for a decade and holds its own without being a member of the elite Russell Group, having been named as the eighth best University in the UK.

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Professor Phil Taylor, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath said: “We're delighted to once again be top in the south west in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.“This tremendous achievement follows on from high rankings in the Daily Mail and Guardian university guides last week and completes a clean sweep of top 10s in all the major UK rankings this year.

"These strong performances are down to our focus delivering excellent teaching and research, ensuring that our students receive a high-quality and rounded experience, and the excellent career prospects that University of Bath graduates enjoy.

"I'd like to pay tribute to all our staff, students, alumni and partners who work so hard to make the University such a success.”

Last year saw a record-breaking number of applications: 34,000 with just 3.5 per cent of places achieved through clearing. Bath is also runner up for the Sports University of the Year 2025. The £35 million Sports Training Village is a national training centre for several Olympic and Paralympic sports, and students have free use of most of its facilities.

The University of Bristol has risen by five places to rank 11th, and the University of Exeter has slipped but remains in the top 20. The University of the West of England, Plymouth Marjon, Arts Bournemouth, and the University of Gloucestershire have improved in their national ranking year on year. Falmouth University has slipped from 51st to 73rd.

The Sunday Times said: “The best universities — whether they were founded in the 15th century or 2005 — are local and global powerhouses of intellectual thought and creativity, from the arts to science, that can power economic regeneration and lead the way to a better life. But what and where to study — and how to pay for it — has never been tougher. This is where our comprehensive guide can help.

“This year we have tweaked our methodology to keep up with contemporary concerns around climate change and careers and have added in a sustainability metric, teaming up with People & Planet, and boosted the weighting of graduate prospects.

“The higher education sector is facing unprecedented challenges from debates on free speech to financial stability, but it is important to remember the force for good that going to university can be. See how the universities compare subject by subject, a guide on campus life, and what scholarships and bursaries may be on offer online.”

SOUTHWEST RANKINGS 2025

Southwest Ranking

National Ranking

University

1

8

University of Bath

2

11

University of Bristol

3

13

University of Exeter

4

68

University of the West of England

5

70

University of Plymouth

6

73

Falmouth University

7

75

Plymouth Marjon University

8

76

Bath Spa University

9

78=

Arts University Bournemouth

10

82

Bournemouth University

11

90=

University of Gloucestershire

12

116

Hartpury University

13

131

Royal Agricultural University

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 provides the definitive rankings for UK universities and the most comprehensive overview of higher education in Britain, making use of the latest data.* It features everything you need to know about applying to university and detailed online profiles for 134 universities covering research reputation to campus facilities, scholarships and bursaries, and nightlife.

The full list of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 award winners:

· University of the Year 2025: London School of Economics and Political Science

Runner up: University of Sheffield

Shortlisted: Durham University, University of Leicester, University of Warwick

· Modern University of the Year 2025: Northumbria University

Runner up: Nottingham Trent University

· Specialist University of the Year 2025: University of the Arts London

Runner up: St George’s University

· University of the Year for Teaching Quality 2025: University of East London

Runner up: Bishop Grosseteste University

· University of the Year for Student Experience 2025: University of St Andrews

Runner-up: University of Surrey

· University of the Year for Graduate Employment 2025: Imperial College London

Runner ups: London School of Economics and Political Science, Durham University

· Scottish University of the Year 2025: University of St Andrews

Runner up: University of Aberdeen

· Welsh University of the Year 2025: Swansea University

Runner up: Cardiff University

· Sport University of the Year 2025: Loughborough University

Runner up: University of Bath

· Sustainable University of the Year 2025: University of Reading

Runner up: Manchester Metropolitan University

· University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2025: York St John University
Runners up: Anglia Ruskin University, Teesside University

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 provides the definitive rankings for UK universities and the most comprehensive overview of higher education in Britain, making use of the latest data.* It features everything you need to know about applying to university and detailed online profiles for 134 universities covering research reputation to campus facilities, scholarships and bursaries, and nightlife. A fully searchable website with 70 subject tables, full interactive tables and additional features goes online on The Times and The Sunday Times on Friday September 20:

https://www.thetimes.com/uk-university-rankings

The guide provides prospective students and their families with the right information to make an informed choice about their higher education, evaluating everything from satisfaction with teaching quality and the student experience through to degree completion rates and graduate employment prospects.

A 96-page supplement will be published with The Sunday Times on September 22.