Guardian University Guide 2026 names prestigious East Midlands university among 20 best in the UK
The East Midlands based university, known for its prestigious accolades, is ranked eleventh in the Guardian University Guide 2026, placing it among the top 20 universities in the UK.
The Guardian’s latest university guide for the 2026 academic year has now been released - and a prestigious East Midlands establishment is on the list.
This annual guide ranks more than 120 universities from across the UK, giving each an overall score out of 100.
Loughborough University is ranked eleventh on the list. It flies the flag for the East Midlands on the national listing.
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Its in-depth methodology means that student satisfaction, staff numbers, spending and future career prospects for students are all taken into account.
It also ranks universities by individual subject, and new for this year, the paper has included a special table featuring the universities and courses “that graduates were least likely to regret”.
It warned that as with any league table, prospective students should try to get a broader picture of what a university could offer them too.
“Rankings change annually, and some universities may benefit from temporary measures such as funding boosts or changes to their student intake. Don’t forget that universities languishing at the bottom of the overall table can be top for certain subjects,” it added.
Topping the list of The Guardian’s top 20, for 2026’s aspiring students, were University of Oxford, Scotland’s University of St Andrews and University of Cambridge, in positions one, two and three respectively.
Is Loughborough University a good university?
Loughborough University is one of the country’s leading universities. Accolades include Best University in the World for Sports (QS World ranking), and a top 10 ranking in the Complete University Guide (2017 - 2026).
It has also been awarded seven Queen Elizabeth prizes for higher and further education, and five stars for Research under the International QS Stars scheme in 2023.
Based in the East Midlands, Loughborough’s namesake university dropped from 10th to 11th place overall this year in the new listing.
The Guardian gave it an overall score of 73.1 out of 100. It had a rating of 87.2 for students satisfied with their teaching, and 89% of recent graduates were either employed or in further study after 15 months.