Where Wales' eight universities stand in latest UK rankings

Cardiff University has kept its crown as the number one university in Wales but has some of the least satisfied students, according to the latest rankings from The Complete University Guide 2024. Swansea University in second place with Aberystwyth in third place.

Five of the eight Welsh universities have risen in the CUG rankings this year and three have fallen. Wrexham Glyndwr languishes at last on the list of 130 UK institutions ranked.

Cardiff is now listed as 27tht in the UK, up five places on last year. Swansea in second place for Wales comes 39th in the UK and Aberystwyth in third, followed by Cardiff Metropolitan University. Download WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android.

Read Next: Two Welsh universities named among top in UK for lectures and nights out

Don’t Miss: A-level and GCSE results will be lower this year, warns exam watchdog

In terms of student satisfaction, the tables are almost entirely reversed with students rating Wales' two worst universities the highest. Both Wrexham Glyndwr and University of Wales Trinity St David are the most highly thought of by their students.

In terms of graduate prospects, the rankings match the overall ratings much more closely with Cardiff and Swansea leading the way, however Cardiff Metropolitan University leapfrogs Bangor into third place.

How all Wales’ eight universities rank in the CUG 2025

1. Cardiff University (27th in the UK, down six places)

2. Swansea University (39th in UK, up one)

3.Aberystwyth University (44th in UK, down five)

4. Cardiff Metropolitan University (63rd in UK, up eight)

5. Bangor University (75th in UK, down 23)

6. University of South Wales (94th in UK, up seven)

7. University of Wales Trinity Saint David University (117th, up one)

8. Wrexham Glyndwr University (130th in UK out of 130)

How Wales’ universities rank in CUG for students satisfaction

1. Wrexham 83%

2. University of Wales Trinity St David 81%

3. Aberystwyth 81%

4. University of South Wales 77%

5. Cardiff Metropolitan University 77%

6. Swansea 75%

7. Cardiff 74%

8. Bangor 72%

How Wales’ universities rank in CUG for graduate prospects

1. Cardiff 86%

2. Swansea 82%

3. Cardiff Metropolitan University 76%

4. Bangor 74%

5. Aberystwyth 72%

6. University of South Wales 71%

7. UWTSD 63%

8. Wrexham 61%

These are the highest-ranked universities in the UK according to CUG

The University of Cambridge has come top of the list again followed by Oxford.

These are the top 10 on the CUG list:

1. Cambridge

2. Oxford

3. London School of Economics

4. University of St Andrews

5. Imperial

6. Durham

7. Loughborough

8. Bath

9. UCL

10. Warwick