Complete University Guide 2026: Loughborough celebrates a decade amongst the UK’s top ten universities
Loughborough has been ranked seventh in the Complete University Guide 2026 – out of 130 institutions.
This milestone marks a decade in the top ten for Loughborough – a feat shared only by the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, St Andrews, Durham and Imperial.
It also remains the highest ranked university in the Midlands, underlining its position as one of the best universities in the country.
Published today (Tuesday 10 June), the Complete University Guide is based on ten measures: entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, research intensity, academic services spend, spending on student facilities, continuation, student-staff ratio, graduate prospects – outcomes, and graduate prospects – on track.
Speaking about the 2026 guide Professor Nick Jennings, the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, said: “Loughborough has now been ranked in the top ten best universities in the UK for a decade. This reflects the unwavering dedication of our staff to provide an outstanding student experience and prepare our graduates for success in their future careers. I’m incredibly proud that Loughborough continues to stand among the very best universities in the UK.”
The top ten universities in the UK Complete University Guide 2026 are:
Whilst Loughborough is proud of its ranking success, it is also signatory to the More Than Our Rank initiative which recognises a much broader range of our institutional ambitions, activities and achievements that are not captured by any university ranking.
Notes for editors
Press release reference number: PR 25/92
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2025 QS World University Rankings – the ninth year running.
Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2026, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2025 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.
Loughborough was also named University of the Year for Sport in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 - the fourth time it has been awarded the prestigious title.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
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Complete University Guide 2026: Loughborough celebrates a decade amongst the UK’s top ten universities
Loughborough has been ranked seventh in the Complete University Guide 2026 – out of 130 institutions.
This milestone marks a decade in the top ten for Loughborough – a feat shared only by the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, St Andrews, Durham and Imperial.
It also remains the highest ranked university in the Midlands, underlining its position as one of the best universities in the country.
Published today (Tuesday 10 June), the Complete University Guide is based on ten measures: entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, research intensity, academic services spend, spending on student facilities, continuation, student-staff ratio, graduate prospects – outcomes, and graduate prospects – on track.
Speaking about the 2026 guide Professor Nick Jennings, the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, said: “Loughborough has now been ranked in the top ten best universities in the UK for a decade. This reflects the unwavering dedication of our staff to provide an outstanding student experience and prepare our graduates for success in their future careers. I’m incredibly proud that Loughborough continues to stand among the very best universities in the UK.”
The top ten universities in the UK Complete University Guide 2026 are:
Whilst Loughborough is proud of its ranking success, it is also signatory to the More Than Our Rank initiative which recognises a much broader range of our institutional ambitions, activities and achievements that are not captured by any university ranking.
Notes for editors
Press release reference number: PR 25/92
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2025 QS World University Rankings – the ninth year running.
Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2026, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2025 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.
Loughborough was also named University of the Year for Sport in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 - the fourth time it has been awarded the prestigious title.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
