University of Surrey named one of the best for student experience in Sunday Times Good University Guide

-Credit: (Image: Surrey Live / Darren Pepe)
-Credit: (Image: Surrey Live / Darren Pepe)


The University of Surrey has been ranked as one of the best for student experiences in this year's The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide. It came runner-up for the University of the Year for Student Experience 2025 award, placing joint third for the broad experience and 15th for teaching quality in analysis of the National Student Survey.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide is the 'definitive guide' to the country’s universities, which ranks them based on various factors, including graduate employment and teaching quality. It provides the conclusive rankings for UK universities and the most comprehensive overview of higher education in the UK. It includes profiles on 131 universities, making use of the latest data published in the past two months.

The University, in Guildford, was ranked the third best uni in the South East and came 21st in the national rankings. Students have been returning to the campus in Stag Hill this month. It has climbed three places after ranking fifth in the country for student experience in 2024's Good University Guide.

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Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, 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.”

The campus university in Guildford has climbed the rankings this year and was named in the top 3 in the South East -Credit:Surrey Live / Darren Pepe
The campus university in Guildford has climbed the rankings this year and was named in the top 3 in the South East -Credit:Surrey Live / Darren Pepe

The University of Oxford ranked as the number one university in the South East. It ranks third nationally, with the University of Cambridge in fourth place. It achieved triple gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework this year and remains unsurpassed for its ratio of students to staff (10.3:1). The London School of Economics and Political Science takes the top spot for the first time in the guide's 31-year history of domestic UK university ranking, followed by the University of St Andrews.

The University of Reading has been named the Sustainable University of the Year 2025 leaping 10 places in the league table and into the top 25. It has made an impressive headway towards its ambition of being one of the greenest universities in the world. It has reduced its carbon emissions by more than 60 per cent since 2009 and reduced waste by 35 per cent against baselines. Reading is also one of the leading universities for the study of climate change. A large-scale review of the course portfolio is under way to keep in step with demand.

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