UEL climbs 30 places in Complete University Guide 2027

The University of East London (UEL) has risen 30 places to 96th in the Complete University Guide (CUG) 2027, making it the highest climber in this year's national rankings.

The result marks a significant milestone in UEL's ongoing transformation and reflects progress across a range of measures, including student satisfaction, graduate outcomes and academic performance.

Professor Amanda Broderick, Vice-Chancellor and President of UEL, said:

This remarkable rise is a testament to the hard work of our students, staff and partners, and to our unwavering commitment to delivering inclusive, careers-focused education that creates opportunity and drives social impact. We are proud to see UEL's transformation recognised through these national rankings.”

UEL demonstrated exceptional growth in areas central to the student experience, notably climbing to first in London and fifth nationally for student satisfaction. 

UEL also demonstrated strong growth in student retention and career preparation, improving 61 places in continuation rates and 48 places in the graduate prospects outcomes category. The University also rose 40 places in the graduate prospects on track category, ranking first among London Post-92 universities for ensuring graduates feel their career trajectories align with their goals.

The latest ranking follows a period of strong performance for the University across several national league tables and sector benchmarks.

In the Guardian University Guide 2026, UEL rose 23 places to enter the top 40 universities in the UK for the first time in its history. The publication described the university's progress as a “meteoric ascent”.

UEL has also been recognised as the fastest-rising university in England for graduate employability, according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025. The University ranks second in London and fourth in England for overall student positivity, based on National Student Survey (NSS) 2025 results, and is ranked second in the UK for student start-ups.

These achievements reflect UEL's commitment to providing an inclusive and career-focused student experience, underpinned by strong partnerships with employers, investment in teaching and learning (including ranking 2nd among London Post-92 peers for Facilities Spend), and a focus on supporting students to succeed both during their studies and after graduation.

The Complete University Guide is one of the UK's most widely referenced university ranking systems, assessing institutions across a range of indicators including entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, graduate prospects and continuation rates.