University of Gloucestershire climbs 16 places in prestigious league table

University of Gloucestershire’s focus on student experience and academic quality has been highlighted by the Complete University Guide, 2026. 

The league table is based on 10 measures including entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, spending on academic services and facilities, student-staff ratio and graduate prospects. It includes 130 institutions from across the UK. 

Moving up sixteen places nationally, as well as being the second highest climber in the South West, this builds on a strong performance in last year’s league table, where the university climbed seven places. 

The Complete University Guide also highlights some areas of exceptional performance across several subject areas. The University has been ranked eight best in the overall subject rankings for Physiotherapy, and in the top 20 for Communications and Media Studies, Paramedic Science, Theology and Religious Studies, and Town and Country Planning and Landscape Design. 

Improvements have been noted in 15 subject areas, with notable advancements in Physiotherapy, Sociology, Art and Design and Geography.   

This latest league table position follows the publication of the 2026 rankings in a separate guide – the University Compare website – which has seen University of Gloucestershire amongst the high climbers. In the crucial area of ‘employability’, University of Gloucestershire has climbed the rankings by 6 places and is now rated 8^th in the UK. In the ‘course quality’ category, it has risen 29 places to 42^nd overall, and in the ‘student life’ category it has risen 17 places to 40^th.  

These new league table positions are testament to the positive impacts of a university-wide focus that puts the student at the heart of plans, continued investment in facilities and a curriculum that connects students to future opportunities in industry and the wider community.  

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

“Climbing 16 places in the Complete University Guide shows we are going from strength to strength.

“We are also now eight in the UK in the University Compare rankings for employability and are inside the top 50 for course quality and student life. This demonstrates that we are having a positive impact across all those areas that matter most to our students.    

“In a sector where funding remains a key challenge, I am proud that we are backing up our vision with real investment in our campuses in both Cheltenham and Gloucester, alongside investment in our people through management development and wellbeing programmes. These developments are about building on our strengths as the connected university by creating vibrant and inspiring spaces where students can collaborate – with each other, with employers and with the community as a whole. 

“With so much momentum behind us, I’m hugely excited about what #teamglos can achieve in the years ahead.”