By Rhiannon Jenkins, News Co-Deputy Editor
The Guardian and The Complete University Guide both rank Bristol 16th in the UK, while the QS World Rankings place the university at 9th nationally and 54th globally.
With the new academic year just around the corner, the 2025 UK university rankings have arrived! From The Guardian to The Complete University Guide and the QS World University Rankings, we’re here to see how the University of Bristol measures up.
Good news as The Guardian's table sees the university climbing one spot to 16th place, inching closer to the University of Edinburgh. With a score of 68.1 out of 100, up from 67.4 last year, Bristol is showing steady improvement. Although there have been a few small dips in student satisfaction with teaching and feedback, Bristol is on the up-and-up in key areas like spending per student, average entry tariffs, and career outcomes.
The slight rise in the student-to-staff ratio and the steady value-added score suggest that while there's always room for growth, the university is making progress in key areas.
Keeping it consistent, Bristol holds firm at 16th on the Complete University Guide’s rankings once again, with a solid overall score of 79%. The ranking takes into account factors like entry standards, research intensity, and student satisfaction. The university excelled when it came to research quality, scoring an impressive 88%, earning them 4th place in the UK! And that’s not all - 28 subjects at the university rank in the UK’s top 10.
Bristol's best grades come from the Times, who have placed us at 11th. According to them, the university is 'as ambitious as ever', and 'a degree from Bristol carries weight in the jobs market.' After spending £30,000 on one, we hope they're right about that.
Globally, Bristol has edged up to 54th place this year from 55th last year, and remains solidly at 9th in the UK. This small but meaningful rebound comes after a bit of a decline in global rankings, with Bristol having once dazzled as high as 28th in the world back in 2012. It looks like Bristol is on a positive trajectory, hinting at a possible comeback on the international stage.
Overall, Bristol is showing a mix of resilience and recovery across different rankings. While the university faces challenges in global standings compared to past glories, it's making notable progress domestically and in key academic areas. With improvements in spending and career outcomes, and consistent strong performance in research, Bristol’s future looks promising.
Featured image: Epigram / Rhiannon Jenkins
