Top UK Universities by Student Continuation 2026

This leaderboard ranks 100 UK universities by year-2 continuation, drawn from HESA Discover Uni continuation rates. Only universities with at least 10 qualifying courses are included.

100 UK universities ranked · minimum 10 courses per university to qualify · source: HESA Discover Uni continuation rates

Rank	University	Year-2 continuation	Sample
TEF G · #1	University of Cambridge Cambridge	99.2%	25 courses
TEF S · #2	University of Oxford Oxford	96.9%	66 courses
TEF B · #3	London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London Westminster	95.7%	27 courses
#4	University of St Andrews St Andrews	95.6%	136 courses
#5	Imperial College London Kensington and Chelsea	94.5%	31 courses
#6	University of Bath Bath	94.2%	38 courses
#7	Durham University Durham	94.2%	42 courses
#8	Lancaster University Lancaster	94.0%	53 courses
#9	University of Warwick Coventry	93.5%	85 courses
#10	Loughborough University Loughborough	93.4%	68 courses
#11	The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh	93.1%	160 courses
#12	University of Sussex Brighton	92.9%	66 courses
#13	University of Exeter Exeter	92.8%	75 courses
#14	University of Southampton Southampton	92.8%	48 courses
#15	University of Bristol Bristol	92.7%	93 courses
#16	UCL (University College London) London	92.3%	95 courses
#17	University of York York	92.1%	73 courses
#18	University of Nottingham Nottingham	92.0%	70 courses
#19	University of Liverpool Liverpool	92.0%	70 courses
#20	Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne	91.8%	67 courses
#21	King's College London, University of London Westminster	91.7%	65 courses
#22	University of Birmingham Birmingham	91.0%	82 courses
#23	University of Manchester Manchester	90.9%	121 courses
#24	University of Sheffield Sheffield	90.9%	46 courses
#25	Southampton, Solent University Southampton	90.8%	30 courses
#26	Royal Holloway, University of London Egham	90.8%	66 courses
#27	Queen's University Belfast Belfast	90.4%	68 courses
#28	Arts University Bournemouth Poole	90.0%	16 courses
#29	University of Surrey Guildford	89.9%	40 courses
#30	Cardiff University Cardiff	89.9%	41 courses
#31	University of Glasgow Glasgow	89.9%	276 courses
#32	University of Aberdeen Aberdeen	89.5%	91 courses
#33	University of Leeds Leeds	89.4%	111 courses
#34	Leeds Arts University Leeds	89.3%	13 courses
#35	University of the Arts London London	89.2%	54 courses
#36	Norwich University of the Arts Norwich	89.2%	40 courses
#37	University of Lincoln Lincoln	88.8%	70 courses
#38	University of Dundee Dundee	88.6%	87 courses
#39	Bangor University Bangor (Wales)	88.4%	48 courses
#40	University of East Anglia UEA Norwich	88.2%	89 courses
#41	Falmouth University Falmouth	87.8%	31 courses
#42	Queen Mary University of London London	87.7%	42 courses
#43	University of Leicester Leicester	87.7%	45 courses
#44	Leeds Conservatoire Leeds	87.0%	10 courses
#45	Kingston University Kingston upon Thames	86.7%	38 courses
#46	University of Portsmouth Portsmouth	86.6%	74 courses
#47	Oxford Brookes University Oxford	86.3%	48 courses
#48	Swansea University Swansea	86.2%	91 courses
#49	Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne	86.2%	17 courses
#50	Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester	85.8%	70 courses
#51	Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow	85.6%	38 courses
#52	University of Kent Canterbury	85.5%	57 courses
#53	University of Chichester Chichester	85.5%	39 courses
#54	University of Winchester Hampshire	85.4%	31 courses
#55	University of Reading Reading	85.3%	101 courses
#56	Aberystwyth University Wales	85.2%	64 courses
#57	University of Stirling Stirling	85.0%	86 courses
#58	Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield	85.0%	65 courses
#59	City (City St George's, University of London) City of London	84.8%	40 courses
#60	Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh Edinburgh	84.8%	13 courses
#61	University of Strathclyde Glasgow	84.7%	105 courses
#62	Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool	84.5%	63 courses
#63	Ulster University Coleraine	84.4%	35 courses
#64	University of Salford Salford	84.4%	79 courses
#65	Aston University, Birmingham Birmingham	84.2%	17 courses
#66	Leeds Beckett University Leeds	83.8%	62 courses
#67	Nottingham Trent University Nottingham	83.4%	62 courses
#68	Birmingham City University Birmingham	83.3%	95 courses
#69	Edge Hill University Ormskirk	83.0%	34 courses
#70	Goldsmiths, University of London Lewisham	82.8%	19 courses
#71	University of Plymouth Plymouth	82.8%	68 courses
#72	SOAS University of London Camden	82.7%	71 courses
#73	Bournemouth University Poole	82.7%	61 courses
#74	University of Brighton Brighton	82.6%	43 courses
#75	Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh	82.4%	53 courses
#76	University of Staffordshire Stoke on Trent	82.3%	20 courses
#77	York St John University York	82.2%	60 courses
#78	University of Roehampton Wandsworth	82.1%	21 courses
#79	University of Chester Chester	81.7%	53 courses
#80	University of Huddersfield Huddersfield	81.3%	52 courses
#81	University for the Creative Arts Farnham	81.0%	55 courses
#82	Robert Gordon University Aberdeen	80.8%	30 courses
#83	Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff	80.5%	44 courses
#84	Ravensbourne University London Greenwich	80.4%	20 courses
#85	University of Worcester Worcester	80.2%	51 courses
#86	University of Westminster, London London	80.0%	86 courses
#87	Liverpool Hope University Liverpool	79.4%	174 courses
#88	De Montfort University Leicester	79.3%	56 courses
#89	Bath Spa University Bath	79.1%	71 courses
#90	Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge	79.0%	63 courses
#91	London South Bank University Southwark	78.7%	41 courses
#92	University of Greenwich Greenwich	78.3%	68 courses
#93	Brunel University of London Uxbridge	78.2%	44 courses
#94	Keele University Keele	78.2%	69 courses
#95	Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh	77.5%	43 courses
#96	Hartpury University Gloucester	77.3%	32 courses
#97	University of Northampton Northampton	77.1%	63 courses
#98	University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton	76.9%	55 courses
#99	Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury	76.8%	38 courses
#100	Birmingham Newman University Birmingham	76.1%	15 courses

All leaderboards

Browse every "best for…" metric →

Official rankings

QS, Times, CUG, Guardian league tables →

All UK courses

Search 50,000+ UK courses →