There are now mere weeks to go until A Level results day, and across the country, many a conditional university offer still hangs in the balance.
But for thousands of recent sixth form leavers, the anxiety-inducing wait to find out how they fared in their exams is at long last coming to an end. A Level results day will fall on Thursday, August 14 this year, and on that very same day, students will finally have some clarity around whether they can accept any offers from their schools of choice - or whether they’ll have to navigate the Clearing process to be matched up with a course that works for them.
This means that the season of young people preparing for their new lives as university students is almost upon us. Some young people may even be juggling multiple offers, leaving them with an important choice to make. With this in mind, we’ve revisited the Sunday Times’ Good University Guide for 2025. Originally published back at the start of the current academic year, this is considered by many to be the definitive ranking of UK universities.
More than a hundred institutions have been scored across a variety of metrics, using the most recent data available where possible. These include the the percentage of ‘good honours’ - or firsts and 2:1 degrees - awarded to recent students; the percentage of graduates in high-level jobs or post-graduate studies after their course ended; the amount of first-year students continuing on to second year; and more. While these are certainly not the only factors prospective students should consider when choosing an offer to accept or a university to apply to through Clearing, all together, they can help to paint a picture of what the student experience there might look like - and the doors that it might open in their future.
Here were the UK’s top 20 universities for 2025, according to the Sunday Times:
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1. London School of Economics and Political Science
LSE, a social sciences specialist university based in the heart of the capital, rose up from 4th place the previous year to claim the top spot. When it comes to ‘good honours’, 93.9% of its students achieved one, while 92.5% of its recent graduates were currently in a high-level job or postgraduate study. It had a continuation rate of 98%. | Adobe Stock
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2. University of St Andrews
Scotland’s oldest university came in second, down from its first place glory the year before. When it comes to ‘good honours’, 94.8% of its students achieved one, while 87.6% of its recent graduates were currently in a high-level job or postgraduate study. It had a continuation rate of 97.5%. | Adobe Stock
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3. University of Oxford
The jewel in the South East’s crown and a long-standing academic pillar that attracts high-performing students from across the globe, Oxford has dropped from second down to third place. When it comes to ‘good honours’, 94.1% of its students achieved one, while 90.4% of its recent graduates were currently in a high-level job or postgraduate study. It had a continuation rate of 98.5%. | Adobe Stock
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4. University of Cambridge
The other half of the prestigious Oxbridge duo, Cambridge has fallen from third to fourth place in the latest Good Uni Guide. When it comes to ‘good honours’, 92.8% of its students achieved one, while 90.4% of its recent graduates were currently in a high-level job or postgraduate study. It had a continuation rate of 99.2%. | Adobe Stock