Published : 20 Sep 2026, 11:42 AM
Updated : 20 Sep 2026, 11:42 AM
Imperial College London has been named the University of the Year in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027, moving ahead of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
The London-based university climbed three places to take the guide’s top award. It also rose from sixth to third in the guide’s overall national academic rankings, reports LondonNow.
It is the first time Imperial has ranked ahead of both Oxford and Cambridge in the guide.
Cambridge placed fourth and Oxford fifth in the national rankings.
It is only the second time in the 33-year history of the Good University Guide that both Oxford and Cambridge have fallen outside the top three.
Imperial was also named University of the Year for Graduate Employment and Medical School of the Year.
The University of St Andrews topped the guide’s overall national ranking, followed by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in second and Imperial in third.
Cambridge ranked fourth, while Oxford was fifth.
According to figures published in the guide, 90.4 percent of Imperial graduates achieved a first or 2:1 degree classification. Its graduate prospects figure was 93 percent, representing the proportion of graduates entering high-skilled employment or graduate-level study.
Imperial’s continuation rate was 95.9 percent, measuring the proportion of students expected to progress to their second year.
The university was also Highly Commended for Russell Group University of the Year and was runner-up for London University of the Year.
LSE was named University of the Year in London as well as Russell Group University of the Year.
London universities featured prominently in the national rankings, with two institutions in the UK’s top three.
LSE was the highest-ranked London university, placing second nationally, followed by Imperial in third.
University College London (UCL) was third among London universities and 14th nationally. King’s College London ranked fourth in the capital and 29th across the UK.
Royal Holloway, University of London, completed London’s top five and ranked 33rd nationally.
Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said universities were placing increasing emphasis on preparing students for future careers.
“What shines through more than ever this year is an emphasis on preparing students for future careers,” she said.
She said the higher education sector was facing a “challenging time”, with universities dealing with financial pressures and what she described as the toughest graduate jobs market in more than a decade.
The Good University Guide assesses universities on factors including teaching quality, student experience, degree continuation rates and graduate employment prospects.
The 2027 edition includes profiles of 133 universities, along with 70 subject tables and information on areas including research reputation, facilities, scholarships and bursaries.
The full searchable Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027 is due to launch online on Friday, Sept 18. A 96-page supplement will be published with The Sunday Times on Sept 20.
