University of the Year 2026

Durham is University of the Year 2026

We are The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide University of the Year 2026.

We are also joint runner-up University of the Year for Graduate Employment and ranked third overall, up two places from last year.

The prestigious rankings are widely regarded as the definitive guide to UK universities. We score highly across the board in the areas that matter to students, including teaching and graduate outcomes. 

In The Guardian University Guide 2027 we are sixth, with a total of 19 of our subjects in the top 5, up from 16 last year.  In The Guardian’s individual subject rankings, we rank first for Sports Science and Accounting; second for Biology, English, and Education; and third for Physics and International Relations.

Our outstanding achievements across these national rankings, and our year-on-year increases, reaffirm our position as one of the UK’s leading universities. It reflects how our students are equipped with a unique blend of knowledge, skills and experience developed through first-class teaching, world-leading research and our transformative wider student experience.

Durham graduates are highly sought-after internationally. We work closely with global employers to help our students build the skills and confidence they need to stand out and succeed. 

We have a world-class reputation with employers, being ranked 49th for employer reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2027.

Our success in the 2026/27 UK rankings reinforces our position as a leading university which welcomes talented students from all backgrounds to apply and thrive with us.