London university overtakes Oxford and Cambridge for first time in new league table

Imperial College London was named The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year 2027, and also claimed the University of the Year for Graduate Employment 2027 and the Medical School of the Year 2027. In the main academic rankings, Imperial rose three places from sixth to third, just behind the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in second place.The London School of Economics came in second in the main academic rankingsIt is just the second time that Cambridge and Oxford are out of the top three in the guide’s 33-year history, as they came fourth and fifth respectively.Imperial, located in South Kensington, was also named Highly Commended Russell Group University of the Year 2027 and Runner-up London University of the Year 2027. St Andrews was also awarded Scottish University of the Year 2027 and Runner-up University of the Year for Teaching Quality 2027.Helen Davies, the editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “Intellectual vigour, innovation, inspiration and ambition are alive and well on university campuses across the UK. As I edit this guide, I never fail to be energised by the optimism, scholarship and cutting-edge discoveries that burnish our leading higher education institutions.“What shines through more than ever this year is an emphasis on preparing students for future careers. Universities have tailored their campuses to suit hands-on learning with mock court rooms, simulations of clinical settings — some even serve the public — and trading floors.“But, for this next generation of students and the higher education sector at large, this is a challenging time with institutions struggling with their own finances, and the toughest graduate jobs market in more than a decade. There are hard questions to ask: can I afford it? What will I get from a degree? Is it worth it? “This is where our guide comes in. We are here to help, whether it is about deciding what subject to study, where to go, or how student loans really work.”London Rankings 2027London RankingNational RankingUniversity12London School of Economics and Political Science 23Imperial College London314University College London429King’s College London533Royal Holloway, University of London 636Queen Mary University of London 7=44University of the Arts London 856City St George's, University of London 958University of East London 10=75University of West London 11=78Kingston University 1282Goldsmiths, University of London 13=84University of Roehampton 1491Middlesex University 1594London South Bank University 16101University of Greenwich 17=107University of Westminster 18112SOAS University of London 19113St Mary's University, Twickenham 20116Brunel University of London 21120London Metropolitan University National Top 10National RankUniversity2026 Rank1University of St Andrews 22London School of Economics and Political Science 13Imperial College London 64University of Cambridge =45University of Oxford =46Durham University 37University of Warwick 88University of Bath 79University of Strathclyde 1110University of Bristol 10