UEL named University of the Year for Student Support 2027

The University of East London (UEL) has been named University of the Year for Student Support 2027 by the Daily Mail University Guide.

Announced on A-level results day, the national award recognises a model designed around the whole student journey: helping students overcome immediate barriers, succeed academically and build the skills, experience and connections to thrive beyond graduation.

UEL has also risen 51 places in the Daily Mail University Guide rankings, providing further evidence of the University's wider progress in student experience and graduate outcomes.

The recognition follows a series of significant national results. UEL is ranked first in England for graduating students' overall positivity in the National Student Survey 2026 – following three years in the top ten - and has delivered the UK's fastest rise in graduate outcomes. Together, these results demonstrate that student experience, graduate outcomes and inclusion can increase in parallel. They provide further evidence of the impact of UEL’s practice-based, careers-first strategy and of a model in which excellence, innovation and inclusion are mutually reinforcing.

At the heart of UEL's approach is a simple principle: effective support should not sit alongside education; it should enable every student to make the most of it. The University's model connects four mutually reinforcing forms of support:

• Financial support: Last year, UEL invested more than £1.7 million in bursaries, £794,000 in hardship support and £767,000 in scholarships. Initiatives including the Vice-Chancellor Scholarship, Dean Scholarship and Young Independent Student Bursary help students manage financial pressures and access opportunities that enrich their education.
• Wellbeing support: As one of the inaugural holders of the Mental Health Charter Award, UEL embeds mental health and wellbeing across campus life. Students can access 24/7 support, multidisciplinary therapists, CBT programmes and proactive initiatives such as social prescribing and Wellness Month.
• Academic support: Personal Academic Advisors and the Track My Future app give students clear, accessible guidance throughout their studies – putting their own data in their own hands - and helping identify challenges early and stay on track.
• Careers support: UEL treats career readiness as a central part of student support, not a service added at the end of a degree. Its Mental Wealth and Professional Fitness framework develops communication, collaboration, adaptability and continuous learning alongside subject expertise.

Through UEL's Careers Guarantee and partnerships with more than 2,500 employers, meaningful work experience is built into the curriculum through placements, live industry projects and real-world challenges. Students gain confidence, professional networks and experience of applying their knowledge, while employers gain early access to diverse talent equipped to contribute.

UEL gave me opportunities far outside the classroom. Through the University, I was able to get bursaries to travel to Paris and Belgium to visit different fashion houses. That direct industry experience provided the exact inspiration I needed for my future collections."

-  Ashley Restrepo, MA Fashion student at UEL

Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Amanda Broderick said:

Student support should not begin only at the point of crisis or end at the classroom door. At UEL, it is built into the whole student journey - connecting academic guidance, financial and wellbeing support, and opportunities to gain real-world experience.

A university education should do more than open minds; it should open doors. Our Careers Guarantee supports students to apply their knowledge, build professional networks and develop confidence before they graduate.

As the UK's fastest-rising university for graduate employability, with the most socially inclusive student population, UEL is demonstrating that inclusion, excellence, and strong outcomes are not competing ambitions. When academic quality, wraparound support and real-world experience come together, students go further, employers gain the skilled talent they need, and the wider economy benefits.”

Editor for Daily Mail University Guide Alastair McCall said: “Students at UEL are among the best supported of any in the UK. The university makes higher education an attainable prospect for thousands of students who might otherwise find themselves excluded from it – and then goes on to maximise their chances of success.”

The award comes as students across the country receive their A-level results and consider their next steps through Clearing.

Prospective students can explore courses available through Clearing or call UEL's Clearing hotline on 020 7365 6240.