University of Derby climbs 25 places in influential guide

The University of Derby has climbed 25 places in an influential guide – making it one of the top 35 universities in the UK.

Derby has been ranked 33rd out of 123 in the Guardian University Guide 2027.

The Guardian University Guide is designed to assess universities from a student perspective, focusing on factors including teaching quality, student experience, feedback, career prospects and graduate outcomes, rather than solely on academic research performance. 

The rankings are based on eight measures, which are combined to produce an overall score out of 100.

These include satisfaction with teaching and feedback, as reported by students through the annual National Student Survey, as well as measures relating to student continuation and graduate outcomes.

Professor Kathryn Mitchell CBE DL, vice-chancellor and chief executive at the University of Derby, said: “This significant rise is a tremendous achievement and reflects our clear focus – ensuring our students are not only academically excellent, but are equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience that employers value.

“We work closely with businesses and other organisations to ensure that what our students learn is relevant to the industries and sectors they will enter, while giving them opportunities to apply their knowledge, make connections, develop their skills and gain valuable experience.”

As well as an overall ranking, the guide produces league tables for subject areas, which has seen some equally impressive performances for the university.

According to the guide it is a top 10 university for the following subjects: Forensic Science (1st), Marketing and PR (2nd), Biomedical Science (4th),  Zoology (4th), Creative Writing (10th), Hospitality Event Management and Tourism (10th).

And it is a top 20 university for Education (12th), Journalism (13th), Architecture (14th), Children’s Nursing (15th), Electronic & Electrical Engineering (15th) and Anatomy & Physiology (19th).

The success follows the recent announcement that Derby has been named University of the Year in the Uni Compare 2027 rankings and ranked number one in the UK for employability, based on more than 24,000 student reviews.

Kathryn added: “Ultimately, our ambition is for every student to graduate with the confidence and capabilities to thrive in their future career.

“To see that commitment recognised through such a significant rise in the Guardian rankings is a fantastic achievement for our students and staff.”