UH Student News

The University of Hertfordshire has recently been ranked by the Guardian, as one of the top 50 universities within the UK for 2026.

This is the first time that the university has entered into the top 50 out of 123 UK universities. It was placed in 75th place in 2025; a jump of 26 places, and became one of the “global news organisation’s top highest climbers for 2026”.

“This is a landmark moment for the University of Hertfordshire and we couldn’t be more thrilled by this remarkable overall result, as well as the many subject-level achievements”, says Professor Anthony Woodman; the Vice Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire.

“Breaking into the UK’s top 50 for the first time in the Guardian University Guide is a powerful endorsement of our commitment to delivering high-quality, career-focused education and an outstanding student experience, and reflects the dedication of our staff, the ambition of our students and the strength of our teaching and support”.

The Vice Chancellor further expressed what this meant for the community of Hertfordshire.

“It is a win for our entire community, and we are really hope the people of Hertfordshire feel proud to say they have a top 50 university right here in their county. Together, we’re showing what’s possible when we invest in people, listening to our students and stay true to our values. We’re excited to keep building on this success”.

The Guardian used key indicators within their University Guide such as entry standards, student satisfaction, assessment and feedback, and graduate outcomes. All of these indicators helped when it came to ranking the universities.

Gbemisola Emdin; an international student from Nigeria studying Media and Journalism at the university says that what set the university of Hertfordshire apart from other institutions is that “the university is close to London, which is a big social hub, but is still in an area which is affordable”.

“I like how diverse the university is; there are students who attend from all over the world, and it’s nice to meet so many new people”, explains Naim Islam; also studying Media and Journalism.

The university offers over 300 courses, and scored very highly within a variety of subject. Its animation and game design course ranked first in the country, alongside other courses such as its healthcare courses ranking top 10 in eight area, with physiotherapy ranking 4th, social work ranking 5th, mental health nursing ranking 7th, health professions and nutrition and food science jointly ranking 10th, and children’s nursing, midwifery and paramedic science all ranking 10th.

In addition to this, the university has also been shortlisted in “four categories at the times Higher Education Awards 2025 – including in the prestigious University of the Year category”.

For the University of Hertfordshire this is a huge monumental moment, not just for the county but for residents, students and lecturers. It shows that the university has put in a tremendous amount of effort within their courses, teaching and investment in their students, in order to show what they are truly capable of and enhance their future success within whichever career or industry they decide to choose to pursue.