By Aimee Anderson, Deputy News Editor
The improved ranking follows a series of major strategic announcements and changes made in recent years, such as the changed academic year structure, the new Mumbai overseas campus and the University's Isambard-AI supercomputer - the fastest of its kind in the UK.
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide is one of several prestigious university ranking systems. It takes into consideration various factors, including teaching and research quality, student experience and graduate prospects.
The University of Bristol’s tenth place ranking marks an improvement from last year, when it ranked eleventh.
At the beginning of this month, the University of Bristol also retained its spot as the fifth most targeted university in the UK by graduate employers. For Epigram's article on the achievement, see here.
Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: ‘We are proud to be recognised for our unwavering commitment to delivering world-class education and research in an exciting, vibrant city like Bristol.
‘Our rise into the UK’s top 10 is a testament to the dedication of our staff and students, and to our ambition to lead globally through innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence.’
Miles Gilroy
The University of Bristol is noted by the rankings as being amongst the top providers for a number of subjects.
General Engineering has placed first, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering has placed fourth and Civil Engineering has placed fifth.
Professor Ian Bond, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Bristol, said: ‘Securing top UK rankings for several of our Engineering courses reflects the innovation, rigour and interdisciplinary strength of our programmes.
‘The University is equipping the next generation of engineers to excel across diverse sectors of the economy in a rapidly evolving and technologically driven global landscape.’
This follows the launch of the Isambard-AI at the University of Bristol. It is the UK's fastest supercomputer, and the sixth fastest supercomputer in Europe.
Miles Gilroy
Isambard-AI is also the fourth greenest supercomputer in the world. It was built to produce lower carbon emissions and reduced cooling power consumption compared to devices made using traditional methods.
The decision to host the supercomputer at the University of Bristol is a result of its ‘long history of world-leading AI research and expertise in high performance computing’, according to a university press release.
The University of Bristol was crowned as the AI University of the Year in 2024. The 2025/2026 academic year also sees the introduction of four new degrees in the field.
In addition to the success within the Engineering discipline, the University of Bristol is ranked in second place for Russian and Eastern European Languages and Animal Studies. It also achieved top five positions for Music, German, Social Policy, Dentistry, Education and French.
Cara Hene
The guide mentioned several points in its improved ranking of the University of Bristol. It noted that the academic year at the University of Bristol begins earlier than at many universities, meaning that mid-term assessments occur before Christmas.
The structure of the academic year at the University of Bristol was changed during the 2024/2025 academic year. This was in response to negative feedback from many students regarding the stress of having to spend their time studying rather than relaxing.
‘The combination of a leading research university and a charming cosmopolitan city that’s within easy reach of most of the country makes Bristol one of the most consistently popular destinations for students.’
The guide also noted Bristol's research reputation. It is ranked fifth for research across UK universities, according to the latest Research Excellence Framework, published in 2021.
Another significant mention within the guide is that of the opening of the University of Bristol's first overseas campus in Mumbai. For more information on the development, see Epigram's article here.
Overall, in regard to Bristol's improved ranking the guide said: ‘The combination of a leading research university and a charming cosmopolitan city that’s within easy reach of most of the country makes Bristol one of the most consistently popular destinations for students.’
Featured Image: Epigram/ Aimee Anderson
