The University of York has dropped to 38th place nationally amongst the Guardian’s University Guide rankings for 2026.
The institution received a rating from the Guardian of 59.5/100.
It previously ranked at 25th in the 2025 ranking, dropping a whopping 13 places.
Within the Guardian’s University Guide rankings for 2026, the “satisfied with teaching” and “satisfied with feedback” scores have slightly risen since the previous year, with 86.5 per cent of students satisfied with teaching. It also has a score of 95.3 per cent of students continuing from first to second year.
York placed 25th in 2025, and since then has dropped 13 places, despite moving up in other university rankings, such as the QS World University Ranking, and the Complete Universities guide 2026.
via Canva
A University of York spokesperson told The York Tab: “University league tables offer one perspective on performance, but they don’t always capture the full picture of the long-term strategies of a university and the role we play in the world.”
“We are proud that our teaching quality is recognised as Gold standard in the Teaching Excellence Framework, and our research is ranked in the UK top 10 in the Times Higher Education assessment of the latest Research Excellence Framework. This is a distinction we share with only Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial.
“This year, we have also been named Community University of the Year in recognition of our role as a force for public good and our significant contribution to the local region.
“While we always analyse data from all league tables to identify opportunities for improvement, our core mission remains unchanged: to provide a world-class educational experience and to use knowledge to improve lives and open up opportunities.”
The University’s vice chancellor and president, Professor Charlie Jeffery emailed all University of York students on September 11 regarding the Mail University Guide 2026.
He wrote: “As you arrive I’m delighted to share the exciting news that over the summer we were named Community University of the Year. There are many things that make our York community so special, but I think a key part is the kindness, compassion and inclusivity that I see every day, right across the University. […] York has a genuinely special community spirit.”
The University of York is also to introduce a new campaign called “Respect at York” which aims to “tackle hard questions and listen to different opinions with respect and sensitivity.”
Elsewhere in the Guardian’s 2026 rankings, the University of oxford, St Andrews and Cambridge remain in first, second and third, with Oxford receiving 100/100 score from The Guardian.
York St John University has fallen to 115th place, from 96th place in the previous year. Satisfaction with teaching and feedback remain in the 80 per cent range.
Featured image via Canva and Unsplash
