University of Gloucestershire Celebrates Success Across Three Major League Tables

University of Gloucestershire is celebrating a year of exceptional progress, with major rises across all three of the UK’s most influential university league tables.

Together, these results confirm the impact of the University’s Connected University strategy, which puts students at the heart of all activities, while strengthening links with employers and communities.

In the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026 released last week, University of Gloucestershire rose six places. This builds on a dramatic 22-place climb last year.

In the Guardian University Guide 2026, the University achieved one of the largest national improvements, jumping 32 places to secure 68th position and recognition as the UK’s fifth biggest riser. Meanwhile, the Complete University Guide 2026 highlighted a 16-place leap, the second highest climb in the South West.

Collectively, these results place the University among the fastest-rising institutions in the country. They reflect improvements across areas that matter most to students, from teaching quality, student satisfaction and staff-to-student ratios, to employability, facilities and graduate prospects.

The strength across a diverse range of subjects offered by the University has been another standout feature of this year’s results.

The Times/Sunday Times rates University of Gloucestershire as 20th in the country for its Landscape Architecture programme. Meanwhile, The Guardian rates the University’s Paramedic Science and English programmes as being in the UK top 10, with Hospitality and Events Management, Geography and Interior Design all ranked in the top 20 nationally.

The University is also in the UK top 10 for Physiotherapy in the Complete University Guide, with strong performances in Communications and Media Studies, Theology and Religious Studies, and Town and Country Planning.

Dame Clare Marchant, DBE, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of University of Gloucestershire said: “These fantastic results across three independent league tables reflect the hard work and dedication of our staff and students against a challenging national backdrop.

“To be climbing consistently across multiple measures shows the real impact of our Connected University approach – creating vibrant campuses, investing in new facilities, and forging strong links with employers and communities.

“Most importantly, it shows that our students are seeing the benefit – in their learning experience, in their wellbeing and in their future opportunities.”

This momentum has been reinforced by success in other independent rankings such as University Compare, where Gloucestershire now ranks 8th in the UK for employability and has secured strong positions for course quality and student life.

Taken together, these results reflect the University’s high ambitions for its students and the wider communities it serves. With major investments underway at Park Campus in Cheltenham as well as the launch of its new City Campus this summer, University of Gloucestershire is committed to building further on this success and continuing its upward trajectory.