The "worst" university in the UK

A new report has revealed the 20 UK universities with the lowest academic reputations, as determined by the latest QS World University Rankings 2026.

While university life is often associated with academic growth, social development, and, for many, the vibrant nightlife, institutional reputation remains a critical factor in assessing overall performance and perception. The QS World University Rankings, published annually, provide insights into how institutions are viewed globally — and, significantly, which ones fall short in the eyes of academics worldwide.

This year, the University of Wolverhampton has been ranked as the UK institution with the weakest academic reputation. It is closely followed by the University of Northampton, also placed near the bottom among British institutions evaluated.

The QS Rankings base their assessments, in part, on an “academic reputation score” derived from comprehensive global surveys. Each year, QS (Top Universities) surveys tens of thousands of academics, asking them to identify which institutions they believe are excelling in their respective fields. The resulting score, out of a possible 100, reflects how highly regarded a university is by international academic peers.

For context, both the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford achieved perfect scores of 100. In stark contrast, the universities listed in the bottom 20 in the UK all received scores under 10.

It is important to note that not every UK university is included in the QS Rankings. The findings represent the 20 lowest-ranking institutions in terms of academic reputation, out of the 90 UK universities that were evaluated in the 2026 edition of the global league table.