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Right now, hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the UK are thinking about their future. They’re heading to university open days, deliberating on which subjects they want to pursue and drafting up personal statements, or wondering if they even want to go to uni at all.
Our path after secondary school is a pretty major decision, so it’s worth putting in the proper research. And if uni is for you, there are loads of league tables out there letting you know just how good (or bad) every institution is. Now, the Sunday Times has had its say on the best universities in the country ahead of the 2026/27 academic year (not to be confused with the Times Higher Education guide).
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) outranked both Oxford and Cambridge and landed in first place. The university leaped from fourth place to the top position in 2024 and has maintained that spot for another year.
Of course, the whole point of going to university is to boost your chances of getting a decent job. LSE students have some of the best job prospects in the country, with 92.5 percent of grads go on to high-skilled full-time work or further study only 15 months after graduating. And when it comes to how happy they are at LSE, the Times found that 85.1 percent of students were satisfied with both teaching quality and their student experience.
LSE was also named the University of the Year for Academic Performance, thanks to high continuation rates and just over 90 percent of students achieving first class and 2:1 degrees.
Helen Davies, the editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, added: ‘Last year LSE topped the league table for the first time and this year it has defended its No 1 spot and drawn even further away from a very competitive top ten.
‘The social sciences powerhouse is on the rise due to improved results in graduate prospects, student satisfaction and teaching quality. The overall atmosphere and the investment in the student experience has created a truly global leader and its stance on free speech on campus is to be celebrated.’
Oxford and Cambridge didn’t even make it into the lists’s top three this year. Second place went to the University of St Andrews and third went to Durham University. Cambridge and Oxford earned joint fourth place. Imperial College London was the next highest rank uni from the capital, placing sixth, followed by University College London at number nine.
In response to the ranking, Larry Kramer, LSE’s president and vice chancellor, said: ‘As was true when we achieved the same recognition last year, the award reflects the dedication and talent of our faculty, staff, students, and global community.
‘With or without rankings, we remain committed to producing high quality research that has real-world impact, and to providing our students with the skills and experience needed to shape a better future.’
ICYMI:Every London university ranked from best to worst, according to the Guardian.
Plus: the Daily Mail’s ranking of London universities for 2025.
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