Chester continues to climb in Guardian University Guide
The University of Chester has continued its rise in the national Guardian University Guide, achieving top ten subject rankings and a placing in the top 20% for the ‘value-added’ for students.
The University is celebrating its best performance in ten years, in the recently published 2025 Guide, with a position of joint 46th out of 122 UK Higher Education Institutions.
The institution, which has sites in Chester, Warrington, Birkenhead and Reaseheath near Nantwich, has jumped seven places from 53rd in 2024 and 28 places from 74th in 2023, demonstrating its continued commitment to student satisfaction, academic excellence, and innovation.
The Guide ranks universities through eight different scores, forming a total out of 100, including value-added - the extent a university supports its students towards achieving good grades - for which Chester achieved 22nd place in the UK, as well as first in the North West. The category compares students’ degree results with their entry qualifications to see how effectively they are taught and how their academic performance improves.
The Guide also looks at aspects such as what students say about their teaching and feedback in the annual National Student Survey, how big class sizes are through the student-to-staff ratio, and how many students are in graduate jobs 15 months after leaving university.
Chester has also been showcased by ranking in the top ten nationally for the following subjects:
- Hospitality, Event Management and Tourism – 4th
- Nutrition and Food Science – 7th
- Theology and Religious Studies – 8th
- Children's Nursing – 10th
Subjects achieving top 20 UK placings are:
- Accounting and Finance – 15th
- Geography – 16th
- Marketing and Public Relations – 19th
- Music – 19th
Moreover, Chester was placed first in the North West for: Children's Nursing; Geography; Hospitality, Event Management and Tourism; and Nutrition and Food Science.
Professor Eunice Simmons, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “We are very proud of the University of Chester’s continuing ascent in the Guardian University Guide, which is testament to the dedication of our staff and students.
“This achievement illustrates our commitment to ensuring an outstanding learning experience, student satisfaction, excellence in teaching and research, supporting our students to excel and enabling them to develop as confident world citizens.”
The full results are available on the 2025 Guardian University Guide website.
Further recent recognition for the University of Chester has included being named the best in the UK for Student Support, International and Postgraduate students, and the silver award for University of the Year, after achieving the joint highest number of nominations in the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs). Titles also include Business School of the Year in the Educate North Awards, University Social Work Lecturer of the Year, University Leader of the Year Award for its Vice-Chancellor, and a LawWorks and Attorney General Award to acknowledge the difference made by student volunteers from the School of Law and Social Justice.
In addition, the University has been shortlisted for two Times Higher Education (THE) 2024 Awards in the categories of Business School of the Year and Outstanding Library Team of the Year, with winners to be announced in November.