- Aston University has been ranked 21st, rising four places in the 2025 Guardian University Guide
- The University ranked highly in many subjects, including chemical engineering (3rd), anatomy and physiology (4th) and health professions (4th)
- Aston University received a special mention for the value-added benefits for students on its computer science courses, ranked 12th in the UK.
Aston University has been ranked 21st in The Guardian’s annual league table of 122 UK universities, up from 25th last year.
The University now ranks second in the West Midlands behind the University of Warwick in the 2025 Guardian University Guide. The latest ranking continues Aston University’s rapid climb. In the 2021 Guide, the University ranked at 30th. It is the second top 25 finish for Aston University in the past week, having ranked at 24th in the 2025 Daily Mail University Guide, as well as being named University of the Year for Student Success.
Aston University ranks in the top ten in three subject areas – third in chemical engineering, fourth in anatomy and physiology and fourth in health professions, which includes optometry and audiology.
There are also several subjects in the Guardian’s top 20. International relations is ranked 11th, computer science is ranked 12th, mechanical engineering is also ranked 12th, biomedical sciences is 13th, politics is 14th, construction, surveying and planning is ranked 20th and biology is also ranked 20th.
The Guardian noted the strength of Aston University’s computer science courses, with its ranking “thanks in part to a strong value-added score, meaning that it’s doing a good job at getting students better grades than might have been expected.” Computer science has risen 28 places since the 2021 Guide, joining the likes of the Universities of Bath and Durham, which rank just above Aston University.
To compile the rankings, the Guardian assesses each university’s teaching subjects on eight measures of performance, including student:staff ratios, student satisfaction, spend per student and career prospects. These results are then aggregated to create the institutional rankings.
Aston University has achieved considerable success in league table results and quality ratings over the past 12 months. As well as its success in the 2025 Daily Mail University Guide, the University was also ranked eighth in the category ‘Best UK Universities for Job Prospects’ in the StudentCrowd awards, which are based on student reviews, while the 2024 Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data shows that employed Aston University graduates have the 19th largest median salary out of all higher education institutions five years after graduation at £35,400.
The 2025 QS World Rankings places Aston University inside the top 30% of 1,500 ranked institutions in the world and in the top 10% of all 5,663 institutions evaluated. The University was also awarded the prestigious ‘triple gold’, the highest possible rating, in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) ratings in September 2023.
Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, said:
“Being placed at 21st in the Guardian University Guide is a wonderful achievement and testament to the hard work and dedication of all our colleagues here at Aston University. I am very proud of our work in ensuring that the University provides a great student experience and excellent employment outcomes that set them up for life.
“The Aston University 2030 strategy lays out our commitment to creating a learning organisation for the future, with an integrated portfolio of contemporary learning and development opportunities, supported by unique experiences and professional practice. This is the latest accolade in Aston University’s meteoric rise as we transform the lives of our staff, students and the communities we serve.”
Aston University is holding undergraduate open days on 5 October and 23 November 2024 for prospective students. Visit the webpage for more information.
- Notes to editors
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming the Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Helen Tunnicliffe, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7827 090240 or email: h.tunnicliffe@aston.ac.uk.
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