UK university league tables – hidden gems 2023

CONTENTS

1. What are UK league table hidden gems? 

2. Why do they matter? 

3. Study in Scotland

4. Study in Northern Ireland

5. Study in North East England

6. Study in Yorkshire and the Humber 

7. Study in the North West

8. Study in Wales

9. Study in the West Midlands

10. Study in the East Midlands

11. Study in the East of England

12. Study in the South East

13. Study in London

14. Study in the South West 

15. Find your own hidden gems with Uniselect

16. Data sources

What are UK league table hidden gems?  

The Complete University Guide team have found universities throughout the country that really shine in particular subject areas. These areas of excellence or ‘hidden gems’ show that universities lower in the overall league table can rank amongst the best in the UK for certain subjects and could offer the best course and uni for many students. 

Why do they matter?  

With the cost of living putting increasing pressure on students and families, this new data highlights areas of excellence in students’ home regions. Meaning that you don’t have to go far away from home to go far in your chosen field of study. Our hidden gems may even throw up some subjects that you may not have previously considered. 

These hidden gems are also for students thinking of moving away from home. Budding Forensic Scientists may find the University of Dundee the best place for them, ranking in the middle of the main league tables, but top in the UK for this subject. Wannabe Paramedics will find the top-rated course at the University of Hull. Those who want to go into Communications and Media, or Marketing may find City, University of London their best choice as it ranks highly for both subjects. 

Study in Scotland  

Scottish students who want to save money by staying closer to home will find top ranking courses in Complementary Medicine and Forensic Science, and for students who want to go into teaching, the University of Stirling would be a great place to study.  

Robert Gordon university ranks 103rd in the main league table, but it ranks in the top ten for the whole of the UK when it comes to Physiotherapy.  

Study in Northern Ireland  

Ulster University in Northern Ireland, while ranking 44th main UK league table, features in the top three of five subject league tables. There’s a range of table-topping subjects to choose from at Ulster University for both local students who’d like to stay closer to home and those who want to move away for university. 

Study in the North East  

Northumbria University, Newcastle, is our diamond in the rough for North East England. Ranking in the top fifty of the UK-wide main league table, Northumbria is in the top ten of the subject tables Counselling, Psychotherapy & Occupational Therapy and Building and in the top five for Information Technology & Systems. 

Study in Yorkshire and the Humber   

Students wishing to study Paramedic or Forensic Science may want to consider studying in Yorkshire and the Humber, with the University of Bradford and the University of Hull in the top ten for both subjects, with Hull taking the top spot for Paramedic Science.  

Study in the North West  

The North West of England is glistening with hidden gems. Three of its universities are in the top ten for Health Studies, with Liverpool Hope University taking second place out of the whole UK. The University of Central Lancashire ranks tenth in the UK for African & Middle Eastern Studies, and Edge Hill University in the heart of Lancashire ranks second for Tourism, Transport, Travel & Heritage Studies, a thriving industry in the UK. 

Study in Wales  

Wales is no slouch when it comes to areas of excellence. Swansea University comes fourth in our subject tables for Social Work and Health Studies and the University of South Wales ranks second in the UK for Complementary Medicine. Budding musicians may not have considered Bangor University, but it ranks ninth in our Music league table and for ecologically minded students Aberystwyth University is worth consideration for Agriculture & Forestry, ranked fourth in the UK.   

Study in the West Midlands  

The stand-out subjects found at universities across the West Midlands are wide-ranging, from Building at Aston University in Birmingham to Counselling, Psychotherapy & Occupational Therapy at the University of Worcester. Staffordshire University may not rank highly in our main table but takes fourth and ninth place in the Childhood & Youth Studies and Tourism, Transport, Travel & Heritage Studies respectively. 

Study in the East Midlands 

In the East Midlands the University of Lincoln, 51st in our overall UK university rankings, features in the top five in three subjects, making it a standout university for vocational subjects, while Nottingham Trent University ranks fourth in the UK for Forensic Science. 

Study in the East of England  

The University of Bedfordshire in the East of England is a wonderful example of a hidden gem. While it sits almost at the foot of our overall league table, it ranks seventh in the UK for Childhood & Youth Studies, so this previously overlooked university could be perfect for you if you want to stay close to home and get into a career working with children. The University of Hertfordshire ranks in the middle of our table but is fifth in our Paramedic Science rankings.

Study in the South East  

The South East of England has many areas of excellence, from Art & Design at the University of Kent to Information Technology & Systems at the University of Portsmouth. Portsmouth ranks 69th in our main table but appears in the top ten of three subject tables. University of Brighton, which sits in the lower half of our main table, ranks in the top five for Paramedic Science and the top ten for Childhood & Youth Studies. Anyone from the South East of England looking for a uni close to home has a wide range of high achievers to choose from.  

Study in London  

Not all London universities rank highly in our league tables, but what some may lack in overall score they more than make up for in individual subjects. London South Bank University sits in 116th place in our main UK university rankings but is in the top ten for the whole of the UK for Counselling, Psychotherapy & Occupational Therapy. It’s no surprise to find that SOAS, the School for Oriental and African Studies, ranks in the top ten for both Anthropology and African & Middle Eastern Studies. The University of Greenwich ranks in the top ten for Forensic Science and City, University of London, ranks in first and second place for Communication & Media Studies and Marketing respectively. 

Study in the South West 

University of Plymouth shines bright in the South West, ranking in the top ten of three subject tables for Childhood & Youth Studies, Counselling, Psychotherapy & Occupational Therapy and Food Science, offering students who want to stay local a variety of top-rated subjects. The University of Gloucestershire ranks near the bottom of our main UK table, but it’s rated tenth in the UK for Tourism, Transport, Travel & Heritage Studies. Those wanting to go into the building trade will find a home at Bristol, University of the West of England. 

Find your own hidden gems with Uniselect 

If these league table hidden gems aren’t quite right for you, our new university shortlisting tool, Uniselect, is here to help. 

Uniselect will build you a personalised shortlist of universities based on your answers to a few simple questions. You can choose where in the UK you’d like to study, customise the choices based on the subjects and sports you’d like the universities to offer, and Uniselect will serve you with a list of hidden gems of your own.  

You can save as many shortlists to your Complete University Guide profile as you want based on different criteria for you to come back to whenever you like. 

Try Uniselect now! 

Data Sources

The table below shows all the data used to identify the hidden gems in universities across the UK. The data has been extracted from our 2023 UK university league tables. To find out more about how these were compiled you can read our University and subject league tables methodology or check out the Data sources used in the creation of our subject tables.