UEL rises 40 places in The Guardian University Guide 2025

Propelled by the positive momentum of the last six years of its transformative Vision 2028 strategy, the University of East London has risen 40 places to 56th in this year’s Guardian University Guide league table rankings, the highest ranked, most improved mover in the UK, with a top 10 (9th) ranking in London. 

The University ranked in the top 30 nationally in three metrics: Satisfied with Assessment, Satisfied with Teaching and Value Added.

Professor Amanda Broderick, Vice Chancellor and President, said, “This significant achievement in the 2025 Guardian University Guide’s league table is a direct result of the dedication, innovation, and hard work of our entire University community. 

Much of our work goes on in the background but, as this remarkable showing demonstrates, the impact of our 10-year strategy, Vision 2028, is becoming increasingly visible and having a tangible, meaningful effect on our students’ lives and career opportunities, as well as our local and global communities.

Together, we are reimagining what a university can be and should do, transforming our approach to meet the evolving needs of a dynamic society and working towards a healthier, fairer and more sustainable world. Our success is a testament to the power of collaboration. This is a record-breaking result that should make all of us immensely proud.

The increase in ranking comes on the strength of high student satisfaction with teaching quality and academic support, as demonstrated by the University’s historic results in both the 2023 and 2024 National Student Survey. In 2024, UEL students rated their student experience 1st in London, 1st in England and 3rd in the UK.

Highlights in the 2025 Guardian University Guide league table include: 

• UEL is joint 21st nationally and 3rd in London for teaching satisfaction, an increase of 70 places. 
• UEL remains in the top quartile in the Guardian’s Value Added metric (27th nationally), which measures the improvement made by a university from a student’s entry qualifications to their outcomes.
• UEL was first among London modern universities for Continuation, which measures the progression of first-year students. Nationally, we were just edged out of the top 50, ranking 53rd among all universities.

Central to Vision 2028, the University’s 10-year strategy, is a commitment to ensuring students from all backgrounds are prepared to seamlessly enter the 5.0 economy, while working to create a healthier, fairer and more sustainable world. 

Recent key developments include the Connected Campus initiative, which is transforming the University’s physical and digital spaces and fostering a diverse, inclusive environment. The Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability, which opened in December 2023, is helping drive the University’s sustainability efforts, including its goal of becoming a net-zero carbon institution by 2030 in partnership with Siemens. The Centre offers affordable workspaces, programmes, and resources to support students, businesses, and the community in building a greener, more resilient future. 

The University injects nearly £1billion into the UK economy annually and fosters strong connections to its local and global communities. In 2024, UEL is celebrating its Year of Science, which highlights the importance of science in every aspect of our lives and culminates 11-15 September with UEL hosting the prestigious, free-to-all British Science Festival.

In 2025, the University marks its Year of Health. The opening of a new state-of-the-art, community-focused Health Campus in Stratford will be central to a year of initiatives and events focused on promoting health and wellbeing, tackling disparities, and driving forward innovation in healthcare. 

In addition to the impressive results in the Guardian, the newly-published Daily Mail University Guide also reflected the University’s growing impact in the sector, especially in the capital. In the latest rankings, UEL ranked top in London for Teaching Excellence (5th nationally) and Student Support (7th nationally).

With these positive showings, the University reinforces its position as a ground-breaking leader in higher education, committed to transforming lives, careers, and communities.