Cambridge Ranked Number One in the Good University Guide 2018

Cambridge Ranked Number One in the Good University Guide 2018

Craig OCallaghan

Updated November 30, 2023 Updated November 30

The University of Cambridge has been ranked as the best university in the UK in the 2018 edition of the Good University Guide.

The table-topping institution retains its place at the top from last year, with the University of Oxford again coming second. The University of St Andrews is in third.

Published annually by The Times and The Sunday Times, the Good University Guide ranks institutions on nine different factors, including teaching quality, entry standards, percentage of students receiving at least a 2:1, and student-staff ratio.

The complete top 20 can be seen below. Of these, the highest climber is the University of Glasgow, up nine places since last year to 20th. The University of Glasgow was named Scottish University of the Year to mark its strong performance.

Separately to the rankings, Lancaster University, ranked an all-time high of sixth this year, was named the University of the Year by the Good University Guide. Lancaster’s diverse intake, international diversity and strong graduate prospects all contributed to it winning the award.

The Good University Guide also revealed which graduates earn the most money within six months of finishing their studies. Leading the way at the top of the table are dentists, medics and vets. The median yearly salary earned by dentistry students six months after graduation is £31,000.

Arts graduates typically earn the least, accounting for seven of the bottom 10 subjects for earnings. Dance, drama and cinematics graduates can expect a median annual salary of just £12,000.

Complete University Guide 2018 Top 20

1

University of Cambridge

2

University of Oxford

3

University of St Andrews

4

Imperial College London

5

Durham University

6

Lancaster University

=7

University College London

=7

Loughborough University

9

University of Warwick

10

University of Leeds

11

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

12

University of Bath

13

University of East Anglia

14

University of Exeter

15

University of Birmingham

=16

University of Bristol

=16

University of York

18

University of Nottingham

19

University of Surrey

20

University of Glasgow

Want to know how the Good University Guide rankings compare to the QS World University Rankings© 2018? Click here to find out.

This article was originally published in September 2017 . It was last updated in November 2023

Written by

As editor of TopUniversities.com, Craig oversees the site's editorial content and network of student contributors. He also plays a key editorial role in the publication of several guides and reports, including the QS Top Grad School Guide.

Related Articles

Most Shared

Most Read

English