The Sunday Times Good University Guide Names Northumbria University Modern University of the Year 2025

A six-place rise in the league table, matched by a similar rise in the our analysis of research quality index, has helped Northumbria University take the title of Modern University of the Year 2025 in The Sunday Times Good University Guide. 

Northumbria, which has an award of more than £9 million to create the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Citizen-Centred Artificial Intelligence, ranks sixth overall in the 2025 guide's ranking of North and Northeast universities.

Several other Northeast institutions rank highly in the guide. Durham University is the number one university in the North and Northeast, and was shortlisted for University of the Year 2025. The collegiate university has risen two places in the competitive league table, and its entry requirements are high: ABB to A* A* A*. It is also a runner-up for University of the Year for Graduate Employment, according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025. It is also fourth behind LSE, Oxford and Cambridge in the ranking of elite Russell Group universities beating Imperial College.  

Teesside University is a joint runner-up in the University of the Year for Social Inclusion category while Newcastle University is ranked as the fifth best university in the North and Northeast.

Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said:  

“The best universities — whether they were founded in the 15th century or 2005 — are local and global powerhouses of intellectual thought and creativity, from the arts to science, that can power economic regeneration and lead the way to a better life. But what and where to study — and how to pay for it — has never been tougher. This is where our comprehensive guide can help. 

“This year we have tweaked our methodology to keep up with contemporary concerns around climate change and careers and have added in a sustainability metric, teaming up with People & Planet, and boosted the weighting of graduate prospects.  

“The higher education sector is facing unprecedented challenges from debates on free speech to financial stability, but it is important to remember the force for good that going to university can be. See how the universities compare subject by subject, a guide on campus life, and what scholarships and bursaries may be on offer online.” 

NORTH AND NORTHEAST RANKINGS 2025 

The Times and Sunday Times Good University 2025 key findings and features: 

Why you should study: There are more than 32,000 undergraduate courses to choose from and if you’re not sure what to do we’ve asked 70 leading academics to pitch their passion for their topic. From the head of the Courtauld on why more people should study the history of art, Edith Hall from Durham on classics, and Peter Frankopan on history, as well as aeronautics, cybersecurity or forensics, geology and veterinary science. Plus they have all offered a top tip for prospective students. 

‘Looking back I felt different’: Thousands more students are being diagnosed with ADHD when they arrive at university: an investigation. 

Can your child survive on £35 a week? Almost all parents will have to pay for some rent, but that’s not the only cost: a parent’s guide to finance. 

The lessons you really need: The graduate jobs market has never been tougher, with 40-50 applications per vacancy, and 98-99 per cent rejection rate. We outline what you need to do to play the careers game at university to get the highest-paid jobs, plus an interactive to show graduate salary breakdown per university and per course. 

Meet the super-stalker parents who can’t seem to let go: If you thought school WhatsApp groups were intense, you should see Facebook and university WhatsApp groups for parents - from arguments about bins to decorating halls to paying the bills. 

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 provides the definitive rankings for UK universities and the most comprehensive overview of higher education in Britain, making use of the latest data.* It features everything you need to know about applying to university and detailed online profiles for 134 universities covering research reputation to campus facilities, scholarships and bursaries, and nightlife. 

The full list of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 award winners:  

University of the Year 2025: London School of Economics and Political Science 
Runner up: University of Sheffield
Shortlisted: Durham University, University of Leicester, University of Warwick 

Modern University of the Year 2025: Northumbria University 
Runner up: Nottingham Trent University 

Specialist University of the Year 2025: University of the Arts London  
Runner up: St George’s University 

University of the Year for Teaching Quality 2025: University of East London
Runner up: Bishop Grosseteste University 

University of the Year for Student Experience 2025: University of St Andrews
Runner-up: University of Surrey 

University of the Year for Graduate Employment 2025: Imperial College London 
Runner ups: London School of Economics and Political Science, Durham University 

Scottish University of the Year 2025: University of St Andrews  
Runner up: University of Aberdeen 

Welsh University of the Year 2025: Swansea University  
Runner up: Cardiff University 

Sport University of the Year 2025: Loughborough University  
Runner up: University of Bath 

Sustainable University of the Year 2025: University of Reading  
Runner up: Manchester Metropolitan University

University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2025: York St John University  
Runners up: Anglia Ruskin University, Teesside University  

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 provides the definitive rankings for UK universities and the most comprehensive overview of higher education in Britain, making use of the latest data.* It features everything you need to know about applying to university and detailed online profiles for 134 universities covering research reputation to campus facilities, scholarships and bursaries, and nightlife. 

A fully searchable website with 70 subject tables, full interactive tables and additional features goes online on The Times and The Sunday Times on Friday September 20:  https://www.thetimes.com/uk-university-rankings

The guide provides prospective students and their families with the right information to make an informed choice about their higher education, evaluating everything from satisfaction with teaching quality and the student experience through to degree completion rates and graduate employment prospects. 

A 96-page supplement will be published with The Sunday Times on September 22. 

Image: Northumbria University, Photo by dun_deagh via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)