Good University Guide 2027: St Andrews Ranked First, Oxbridge Out of the Top Three

Update, 10 October 2026: King’s College London, 16th in the Complete University Guide 2027 and UK top 10 in the Daily Mail University Guide 2027, gets its own analysis: King’s College London, 2027 rankings and how to apply.

Update, 22 September 2026: Warwick, 7th in this guide, is also 7th in the Guardian 2027 and the Complete University Guide 2027. Read our full analysis: applying to Warwick for 2027 entry.

The Times and The Sunday Times published their Good University Guide 2027 on 18 September 2026, and the headline is remarkable: St Andrews takes back first place from LSE, Imperial completes the podium, and Oxford and Cambridge both sit outside the top three. Beyond the headlines, this ranking says something very concrete about how UK universities actually treat their students. Here is our reading, and what it changes (and does not change) for your application.

Updated 2 November 2026

Key facts and figures

• The 2027 table, as published: St Andrews 1st, LSE 2nd, Imperial College London 3rd, Cambridge 4th, Oxford 5th, Durham 6th, Warwick 7th, Bath 8th, Strathclyde 9th. St Andrews is also Scottish University of the Year and Imperial is University of the Year 2027, Medical School of the Year and University of the Year for Graduate Employment (source: The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027, published 18 September 2026).
• The deadline this table does not move, and it has passed: UCAS applications to Oxford and Cambridge, and to most courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine or science, closed on 15 October 2026 at 18:00 UK time (source: UCAS, consulted 2 November 2026).
• What is still open: every other undergraduate course for 2027 entry, St Andrews, LSE, Imperial, Durham, Warwick, Bath and Strathclyde included, runs to the equal consideration deadline of 13 January 2027 at 18:00 UK time. Universities do not have to look at anything that arrives later, though they may if places remain (source: UCAS, consulted 2 November 2026).
• The 2027 application fee: £34.50, which covers up to five choices. UCAS waives it for applicants who have received UK government funded free school meals at any point in secondary education, and for care leavers (source: UCAS, consulted 2 November 2026).
• The rest of the 2027 calendar: Extra opens on 25 February 2027, 1 July 2027 is the last day to add an Extra choice, applications arriving by 30 June 2027 at 18:00 UK time are still sent to universities, Clearing opens on 2 July 2027, and the final date for a 2027 entry application is 23 September 2027 at 18:00 UK time (source: UCAS, consulted 2 November 2026).
• If Oxford or Cambridge is on the list: the October UAT-UK tests were sat from 12 to 16 October 2026 and candidates receive their results in their UAT-UK account on Monday 16 November 2026. The January 2027 sitting runs from 4 to 8 January with results on 8 February, costs £78 in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and £133 elsewhere, and does not count for an Oxford or Cambridge application except for a Cambridge mature college with a January deadline or Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year. A candidate may sit only once per cycle (source: UAT-UK, consulted 2 November 2026).
• Decision dates for the two universities outside the podium: Oxford informs shortlisted candidates for 2027 entry through UCAS on Tuesday 12 January 2027, with colleges following up later that day; Cambridge candidates interviewed in the main December 2026 period learn the outcome on 27 January 2027 (sources: University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, consulted 2 November 2026).
• Our results at the universities in this top 10: 75 students admitted to LSE, 68 to Warwick, 42 to Bath, 23 to Imperial College London, 16 to Durham, 11 to St Andrews, 12 to Oxford and 3 to Cambridge, within 650+ UK admission offers and 1 100+ admission offers overall from 107 universities. Since 2018 we have coached more than 1,000 students, who have left 160+ five-star Google reviews (5/5 on Google).

Figures taken from our admissions database, 2019 to 2025 intakes. They are minimums: the 2017-2018 and 2025-2026 intakes are not yet consolidated.

The new top of the 2027 table

Here are the leading positions of the Good University Guide 2027, as published on 18 September:

• 1. University of St Andrews
• 2. London School of Economics (LSE)
• 3. Imperial College London
• 4. University of Cambridge
• 5. University of Oxford
• 6. Durham University
• 7. University of Warwick
• 8. University of Bath
• 9. University of Strathclyde

Three universities finish ahead of Oxford and Cambridge this year. St Andrews claims first place for the third time in six years and is named Scottish University of the Year. The guide credits the small Scottish university’s exceptional student satisfaction, research quality, international outlook and graduate prospects. Five of its departments rank first in the UK in their subject (English, Modern Languages, History, Art History and Physics), and every subject it teaches sits in the national top six.

Imperial sweeps the titles

The other big winner of this edition is Imperial College London, 3rd overall and named University of the Year 2027. Imperial also collects Medical School of the Year and University of the Year for Graduate Employment, the title that rewards what happens to graduates after they leave. If you are aiming for science, engineering or medicine, this cluster of signals confirms what world rankings already show: Imperial is one of the safest bets in Europe right now.

Further down the table, a few movements deserve your attention. Warwick, 7th, is first in the Midlands and runner-up for the graduate employment title. Bath, 8th overall, ranks 5th in the UK for graduate prospects. Strathclyde enters the top 10, while Glasgow (15th, up seven places) and Edinburgh (17th, up eight places) both climb sharply.

What this ranking actually measures

The Good University Guide is not a world ranking: it compares UK universities with each other, on criteria that directly shape a student’s life. Student satisfaction, teaching quality, campus experience, entry standards, research quality and graduate outcomes make up most of the score. That is exactly why mid-sized, undergraduate-focused universities such as St Andrews and Durham shine here more than they do in international league tables, which primarily reward research volume and power. Our guide to world university rankings explains how each table builds its score.

So read this result for what it is: Oxford and Cambridge have not become worse universities in twelve months. But on the experience students actually report, national surveys currently favour other campuses. When you are deciding where to apply, that information is gold, as long as you cross-check it with other sources.

Three rankings, three verdicts

Just last week, the Guardian published its own 2027 guide with the podium reversed: Oxford 1st, Cambridge 2nd, LSE 3rd and St Andrews 4th. Days later, the Times puts St Andrews 1st and Oxford 5th. Same country, same universities, opposite verdicts: it all comes down to methodology and weighting. We analysed the Guardian table and what St Andrews requires from international applicants in our dedicated St Andrews article: the admission thresholds have not moved at all.

Our advice does not change from year to year. First, look at subject rankings rather than the overall table: a physics student and a history student do not experience the same university. Second, never build your UCAS list on a single league table: a strong list combines ambitious choices, realistic targets and safe options.

What it changes for your application

Concretely, this ranking will amplify a trend we already see every day: St Andrews’ popularity with international applicants is exploding, while the university remains one of the most demanding in the UK. A first place in the Times mechanically attracts more applications, which means more selectivity at the finish line. If St Andrews is on your list, your file needs to be ready early and your personal statement needs to be flawless.

The same logic applies to LSE, 2nd this year and still one of the most selective universities in the country relative to the number of places: our breakdown of LSE’s requirements for French Baccalauréat students gives you a precise idea of the level expected, and the logic is similar for other international qualifications. Update, 8 October: our article LSE named Russell Group University of the Year looks at what this ranking season changes for your application.

The calendar, however, does not move. The UCAS deadline of 15 October 2026 at 18:00 UK time covered Oxford, Cambridge and most courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine or science, and it has now passed. For every other course, including all undergraduate degrees at St Andrews, LSE, Imperial, Warwick and Bath, the equal consideration deadline is 13 January 2027 at 18:00 UK time, and a university does not have to consider anything that arrives after it, although it may if places remain once the on-time applications have been read. Both dates were re-read on the official UCAS site on 2 November 2026. January feels far away; the strongest applications we support are nonetheless finished before the Christmas break. If Oxford or Cambridge is on the list, our Oxbridge admissions pack sets out the written work deadline of 10 November 2026 and the December interview window, and our TMUA preparation hub covers the test for mathematics, economics and computer science.

Frequently asked questions

Which university is first in the Times Good University Guide 2027?

The University of St Andrews. It takes first place back from LSE, which is 2nd, with Imperial College London 3rd, Cambridge 4th and Oxford 5th. St Andrews is also named Scottish University of the Year, and five of its departments rank first in the UK in their subject (source: The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027, published 18 September 2026).

Why are Oxford and Cambridge outside the top three this year?

Because this is a national ranking, not a world ranking. Most of its score comes from student satisfaction, teaching quality, campus experience, entry standards, research quality and graduate outcomes, so mid-sized universities focused on undergraduates do well in it. The Guardian’s own 2027 guide, published days earlier, puts Oxford 1st and Cambridge 2nd on a different weighting. Neither result says an admission has become easier or harder.

What is the UCAS deadline for 2027 entry?

Two dates. The 15 October 2026 deadline at 18:00 UK time, now passed, covered Oxford, Cambridge and most courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine or science. Everything else runs to the equal consideration deadline of 13 January 2027 at 18:00 UK time, which obliges course providers to consider every application received by then equally (source: UCAS, consulted 2 November 2026).

How much does a UCAS application cost for 2027 entry?

£34.50, and that single fee covers up to five university or college choices, or six for a conservatoire. UCAS waives it for applicants who have received UK government funded free school meals at any point during secondary education, and for care leavers (source: UCAS, consulted 2 November 2026).

When do Oxford and Cambridge release their 2027 decisions?

Oxford informs shortlisted candidates through UCAS on Tuesday 12 January 2027, and colleges follow up directly later that day. At Cambridge, candidates interviewed in the main December 2026 period find out on 27 January 2027. Before that, Oxford written work is due by 10 November 2026 and the October UAT-UK test results reach candidates on Monday 16 November 2026 (sources: University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and UAT-UK, consulted 2 November 2026).

Let’s talk about your list

Every year, we help students from all over the world win places at the universities in this top 10. University shortlist, application strategy, personal statement, test preparation: our team, rated 160+ Google reviews, builds an application with you that does not rely on luck. Book your strategy call to review your plan before this autumn’s deadlines. See our UCAS admissions coaching and, if Oxford or Cambridge are on your list, our Oxbridge admissions pack.

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About Adam Girsault

With a Bachelor's (LLB) from UCL and Assas, and the Grande Ecole program at HEC Paris, Adam co-founded Your Dream School in 2018. Since then the company has coached more than 1,000 students through university admissions and interview preparation for top global institutions.

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