Ulster University has been ranked in the top 35 universities in the UK, as revealed in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027, the University’s highest ever position in the influential league-table. Climbing 15 places to number 34 in this year’s rankings, the University has also been named University of the Year, Northern Ireland, 2027, recognising its academic performance, strategic vision and impact.
The ranking follows a period of continued momentum for the University, including growing research strength, expanding global collaborations and strong graduate employment outcomes. It also builds on recent external recognition, including Ulster's overall five-star rating in the international QS Stars assessment.
Student satisfaction with teaching quality at Ulster University was rated over 90% for 15 course programmes, with History, Social Work, Geology, Radiography and Social Policy ranked in the top 5.
With 84.6 per cent of Ulster students graduating with a first or 2:1 degree, Ulster ranks 22 for good honours (up from 34th).
Professor Paul Bartholomew, Vice-Chancellor of Ulster University, said:
"These achievements represent a significant endorsement of the work taking place by our teams across Ulster University.
"These outcomes reflect the dedication of our staff, the ambition of our students and the strength of the partnerships we have built with employers, industry and organisations locally, nationally and internationally.
"We are focused on delivering excellent teaching and impactful research that makes a difference to peoples' lives."
What is The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide?
The annual guide is one of the UK's most influential university rankings, assessing institutions against a range of measures including student satisfaction, teaching quality, research quality, graduate prospects and continuation rates.
Ulster University's position as the leading university in Northern Ireland reinforces its role as a major driver of skills, innovation and opportunity, supporting students from across the region while maintaining a growing national and international reputation.
QS Stars achievements
The recognition comes as the University continues to strengthen its standing across multiple independent assessments. Earlier this month, Ulster was awarded an overall five-star rating by QS Stars, with five-star ratings across teaching, research, employability, facilities, global engagement, environmental impact, good governance and diversity, equity and inclusion. The assessment highlighted a 95% graduate employment rate and research collaborations spanning 129 countries and territories.
Together, these achievements reinforce Ulster University's position as one of the UK's leading modern universities and underline its commitment to delivering transformative education, impactful research and global engagement from Northern Ireland to the world.
