It is the first time since 2022 that Oxford has finished top of the ranking, narrowly seeing off the University of St Andrews who slipped to second after being ranked first for the last two years.
Cambridge remained in third.
The 2025 guide, published this week, provides an overall ranking for 122 UK universities as well as ranking each university by subject.
The Guardian considers eight different criteria: percentage satisfied with teaching, percentage satisfied with feedback, staff to student ratios, spend per student, average entry requirements, career after 15 months, continuation of degree (for example, going into a relevant field), and then finally gives an overall score out of 100.
Oxford University was awarded a perfect 100 for 2025 with top student satisfaction scores and good rates of graduate employment in a relevant field.
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Last week the Daily Mail revealed Imperial College London topped its list of the UK’s universities, pipping Oxford University to top spot.
Imperial was rated fifth by The Guardian.
This year’s Guardian’s guide was also good news for Oxford Brookes University has been ranked 38th in the newspaper’s national university rankings.
One of the UK’s top modern universities, it has risen 13 places up from 51st place.
Oxford Brookes was ranked in the top 10 in the country for 10 subjects: Children’s Nursing (1), Midwifery (2), Journalism (2), Graphic Design (3), Physiotherapy (5), Fine Art (6), Hospitality, Event Management, and Tourism (8), Media and Film Studies (8), Paramedic Science (8) and Philosophy (9).
Professor Alistair Fitt, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, said: “I am delighted and extremely proud that Oxford Brookes University has risen up the ranks in the latest Guardian University Guide.
“To be ranked in the top 40 UK universities and to have so many of our subjects in the top 10 is fantastic.
“Our colleagues work hard to ensure students acquire knowledge and skills to equip them for excellence in their chosen careers, and these results are testament to that.”
The UK’s top ten universities, as rated by the Guardian:
1. Oxford: 100
2. St Andrews: 98.6
3. Cambridge: 94.5
4. London School of Economics: 88.1
5. Imperial College, London: 82.6
6. Durham: 80.8
7. Bath: 79.5
8. Warwick: 75.2
9. University College London: 74.8
10. Loughborough: 74.6
To find out which courses are still available for this year visit the Oxford Brookes website’s clearing pages.