Top Wales university named in Complete University Guide

Cardiff University has been named the top university in Wales in the 2024 Complete University Guide, ranking joint 27th in the UK. The institution dropped five places from last year’s ranking but remains the highest-rated Welsh university among the eight featured. The guide evaluates universities based on 10 criteria, including teaching quality, student satisfaction, and graduate prospects. Professor Amanda Chetwynd, chair of the guide’s advisory board, noted that the rankings reflect student priorities while emphasizing improved access, as more universities in the top 40 are lowering entry requirements without compromising graduate outcomes. Other Welsh universities performed strongly in specific subjects. Aberystwyth University ranked third in Agriculture and Forestry and fourth in Tourism, Transport, Travel, and Heritage Studies. Swansea University placed second nationally for Complementary Medicine, while Bangor University ranked second in both Health Studies and Medical Technology and Bioengineering. The guide also highlighted broader trends in UK higher education, with Simon Emmett of IDP UK stating that more institutions are welcoming a wider range of students while maintaining strong graduate results. Nationally, Cambridge retained the top spot, followed by Oxford, the London School of Economics, St Andrews, and Imperial College London. Warwick climbed two places to seventh, its best performance in over a decade.