A highly-ranked global university

Lancaster University is among the best in the UK. We're top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2026 and consistently placed in the top 15 in major UK league tables. We also rank highly in international league tables such as the QS World Rankings.

Graduating students share a joke whilst dressed in caps and gowns

League tables can't tell you everything, but they're a good place to start. Out of over 120 UK Universities, we are consistently ranked in the top 15 in major UK league tables.

Gold standard for teaching

Lancaster University has been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023.

TEF Gold
A group of strudents against a predominantly yellow backdrop, superimposed with the TEF gold badge

High praise from students

Students participating in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2024 rated Lancaster University highly for teaching, academic support, and learning resources. Among other successes, Lancaster scored 91.5% for learning resources, 88.5% for teaching quality, and 89.9% for academic support.

National Student Survey
A female student in the infolab smiling

Internationally recognised

Three different groups of students walk across the open square by the Confucius Centre

World university rankings

Lancaster University has been awarded 5 Stars for overall performance in the globally renowned QS World Rankings. The evaluation features 5 Stars rating for each category – teaching, employability, global engagement, research, facilities, subject ranking and environmental impact.

The QS Stars rating system assesses universities worldwide for best practices. Lancaster is one of only 16 UK institutions with an overall five-star rating, and one of 129 universities worldwide.

High-quality accommodation

Lancaster's on-campus accommodation has 6,700 bed spaces for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

In the 2024 Global Student Living Awards - based on student feedback - Lancaster has been shortlisted in two categories:

  • Inclusivity Impact, for our excellence in providing inclusive housing for vulnerable student groups.
  • Best Specialist Housing, for the quality of our postgraduate accommodation.
Accommodation guide
Students working and chatting at a table in a bright, airy kitchen dining room

Excellent career prospects

A member of staff talks to two students in the LUMS West Pavillion

One of the top 30 most targeted universities by employers

Lancaster University is among the top 30 most targeted universities by the UK's top graduate employers according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report. The UK Graduate Careers Survey, conducted by High Fliers Research in association with The Times, is the largest and most authoritative annual survey of its kind.

Top 15 for Work Experience 2024-25

Lancaster University has been ranked 14th among UK universities for the quality of work experience opportunities available to its students. High-quality work experiences are one of the many ways Lancaster supports its students in achieving their career goals. This award was based on student feedback on Rate My Placement.

Highly-rated research

Lancaster is a research-intensive university. Our results in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 confirm our position in delivering world-quality research.

A researcher at work in the Physics Isolab

At work in the Physics Isolab

World-class research at Lancaster

In the REF 2021, Lancaster delivers world-quality research, with 91% of our research independently rated as 'internationally excellent' or 'world leading', including 46% rated in the highest category of 4*.

Highly rated research environment

99% of Lancaster’s overall research environment is rated world-leading or internationally excellent. This includes areas such as research support, training and facilities.

Growing research income

Since the last REF was completed in 2014, Lancaster has doubled its grant capture. We have also grown in scale, with more than 50% more staff submitted than in 2014.

REF 2021

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