Manchester Metropolitan University has been ranked 33rd nationally in the 2026 Guardian University Guide, rising 24 places from last year.
The University of Manchester has been ranked 36th respectively in the guide, falling five places from last year’s rankings.
Professor Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “Breaking into the top 40 of the Guardian University Guide for the first time is a clear sign of our progress and growing reputation.
It reflects the extraordinary commitment of colleagues across the University to delivering an outstanding student experience and the dedication of our students to making the most of the opportunities we provide.”
“This achievement is the result of our collective ambition, and I am immensely proud of what we have built together – a University that is inclusive, supportive, and aspirational, and where people truly thrive” he added.
Seven of the university’s subjects were ranked within the top 10 of their respective tables.
These were: Anatomy and physiology (2nd), hospitality, event management and tourism (8th), animation and game design (7th), creative writing (10th), interior design (10th), nutrition and food science (8th) and criminology (6th).
In July, Manchester Metropolitan University recorded its best ever National Student Survey results, having also been shortlisted for University of the Year by The Daily Mail.
This year’s Guardian University Guide ranking marks the highest ever position for Manchester Metropolitan.
Elsewhere in the Guardian’s 2026 listings, the University of Oxford, University of St Andrews and University of Cambridge made the top three.
Four London universities made the top ten, with the University of Sheffield and University of Essex breaking into the top twenty.
The guide offers students and their families detailed insights to support university choices, ranking 66 subjects and assessing performance across student and post-graduate life.
Featured image via Google Maps.
