Bath Uni tops South West ranking in this year's Good University Guide
The institution has been in the top 10 for a decade and holds its own without being a member of the elite Russell Group
The results are out here in the South West and across the UK - as we now know which institution is the best in our region for 2025.
The Times and the Sunday Times have revealed their latest Good University Guide - and have placed the University of Bath as number one in our part of the world.
They've been in the top 10 for a decade and holds its own without being a member of the elite Russell Group.
According to their stats, last year saw a record-breaking number of applications: 34,000 with just 3.5 per cent of places achieved through clearing.
Bath is also runner up for the Sports University of the Year 2025 - thanks to the £35 million Sports Training Village.
This site is a national training centre for several Olympic and Paralympic sports, and students have free use of most of its facilities.
Bristol Uni, meanwhile, has risen by five places to rank 11th, and the University of Exeter has slipped but remains in the top 20.
UWE, Plymouth Marjon, Arts Bournemouth, and the University of Gloucestershire have improved in their national ranking year on year, whilst Falmouth University has slipped from 51st to 73rd.
Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “The best universities — whether they were founded in the 15th century or 2005 — are local and global powerhouses of intellectual thought and creativity, from the arts to science, that can power economic regeneration and lead the way to a better life.
"But what and where to study — and how to pay for it — has never been tougher. This is where our comprehensive guide can help.
“This year we have tweaked our methodology to keep up with contemporary concerns around climate change and careers and have added in a sustainability metric, teaming up with People & Planet, and boosted the weighting of graduate prospects.
“The higher education sector is facing unprecedented challenges from debates on free speech to financial stability, but it is important to remember the force for good that going to university can be. See how the universities compare subject by subject, a guide on campus life, and what scholarships and bursaries may be on offer online.”
The full ranking in the South West:
- 1st in the South West - University of Bath (8th nationally)
- 2nd in the South West - University of Bristol (11th nationally)
- 3rd in the South West - University of Exeter (13th nationally)
- 4th in the South West - University of the West of England (68th nationally)
- 5th in the South West - University of Plymouth (70th nationally)
- 6th in the South West - Falmouth University (73rd nationally)
- 7th in the South West - Plymouth Marjon University (75th nationally)
- 8th in the South West - Bath Spa University (76th nationally)
- 9th in the South West - Arts University Bournemouth (=78th nationally)
- 10th in the South West - Bournemouth University (82nd nationally)
- 11th in the South West - University of Gloucestershire (=90th nationally)
- 12th in the South West - Hartpury University (116th nationally)
- 13th in the South West - Royal Agricultural University (131st nationally)
Other notable awards for 2025:
- University of the Year: London School of Economics and Political Science
- Modern University of the Year: Northumbria University
- Specialist University of the Year: University of the Arts London
- University of the Year for Teaching Quality: University of East London
- University of the Year for Student Experience: University of St Andrews
- University of the Year for Graduate Employment: Imperial College London
- Scottish University of the Year: University of St Andrews
- Welsh University of the Year: Swansea University
- Sport University of the Year: Loughborough University
- Sustainable University of the Year: University of Reading
- University of the Year for Social Inclusion: York St John University
A 96-page supplement will be published with The Sunday Times on September 22.
You can check out the full list of top universities in the UK on the Times and the Sunday Times, and here.