New data has revealed the UK universities with the unhappiest students, and the results show a very different picture to a few years ago.
Every year, the National Student Survey (NSS) asks final-year undergraduate university students across the UK to rate their experience. 28 questions and 543 universities and colleges later, the Office for Students published its 2026 results in July, based on responses from more than 360,000 students.
For any aspiring uni-goers, these results can be used to help you make informed decisions on what university to attend or what course to choose.
Questions cover topics including learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, teaching, academic support, learning resources, organisation and management, learning community, and student voice, all rolled up into an overall "positivity" score for each university.
So, if you're wondering where each Russell Group uni ranks, here's what you need to know.
UK universities ranked on student satisfaction rates
Rank | University | Overall positivity score (NSS 2026)
|
|---|---|---|
1 | University of Birmingham | 87.2% |
2 | Imperial College London | 86.7% |
3 | University of Sheffield | 86.6% |
4 | University of Warwick | 86.4% |
5 | Durham University | 86.3% |
6 | London School of Economics | 85.8% |
7 | University of Liverpool | 85.1% |
8 | University of Southampton | 84.1% |
9 | University of Bristol | 83.9% |
10 | University of Cambridge | 83.6% |
11 | Queen Mary University of London | 83.6% |
12 | University of Leeds | 83.4% |
13 | University of Nottingham | 83.3% |
14 | University of Oxford | 83.2% |
15 | Queen's University Belfast | 83.2% |
16 | University of Exeter | 83.1% |
17 | University of York | 82.6% |
18 | University College London | 82.5% |
19 | Cardiff University | 82.4% |
20 | Newcastle University | 82.4% |
21 | University of Manchester | 81.6% |
22 | University of Glasgow | 81.5% |
23 | King's College London | 81.3% |
24 | University of Edinburgh | 79.4% |
NSS 2026 results published in Times Higher Education's interactive results table, "National Student Survey 2026: which university performed best?"
Why these figures look different from a few years ago
One thing worth flagging: NSS scores from 2023 onwards aren't directly comparable to those from 2022 and earlier. The survey's question set changed in 2023, moving from a single "overall satisfaction" question to a broader "overall positivity" measure built from responses across the whole survey.
That's part of why scores across the board look higher than they used to, and it's also why universities like Oxford and Cambridge, whose 2022 data was suppressed due to low response rates at the time, are back in the table with strong scores in 2026 (83.2% and 83.6%, respectively). Oxford's return to the rankings is a good moment to revisit our Best University Guide to Oxford if it's on your list.
Of course, this is all subjective and based on personal experience and preference, so don't let this sway your mind too much if you're heading to uni this year — but it's always something to bear in mind. If you're still weighing up your options, our guide to 10 things you need to know before starting university is a good next stop.
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And if a place on this list is calling your name for next September, get a head start with The Ultimate Freshers' Guide.
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