Rankings and Awards
Our successes, impacts and achievements
We take great pride in our achievements. They’re testament to the hard work of our dedicated staff, and the ambition and enthusiasm of our students.
Aston University has risen 23 places to be ranked 423rd globally in the latest QS World University Rankings
This improves on last year's performance when it rose 118 places. The rise sees the University placed in the top 10% of evaluated institutions in the world.
The QS World University Rankings provide authoritative and independent evaluations of institutions, helping to drive institutional performance and guide students in their decision-making.
It is the most comprehensive ranking of its kind, this year evaluating 5,663 institutions, with the 2025 edition reflecting changes in methodology that prioritize student-relevant issues like sustainability and employability.
Triple Gold
Aston University has been awarded Triple Gold – the highest possible rating for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023.
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national scheme run by the Office for Students (OfS). It assesses and rates universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum requirements for academic quality and standards. Aston University has achieved the best possible TEF rating – Gold overall and Gold for both underpinning aspects: Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Runner Up for Graduate Employment
Aston University is the University of the Year Runner Up for Graduate Employment in The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2024. The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide now ranks Aston University at 38th nationally, an improvement of seven places compared to 2023. The university is ranked at 18 for graduate prospects and at 22 for continuation rate.
Top 25 UK University
Aston University is ranked 25th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide, 2024.
Among the best in the world for business and management
Aston University has risen to 66th place in the world (and into the top 10 in the UK) in the 2024 QS World Rankings by Subject for Business and Management Studies.
Outstanding earnings after graduation
Graduates of Aston University are among the highest paid in the country five years after graduating, according to new data released by the Department for Education.
The 2022 Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data shows that employed Aston University graduates have the 16th largest median salary overall five years after graduation at £33,400.
Top 10 Students’ Union
Aston Students’ Union was rated 8th in the UK in the 2022 What Uni League Table, which is based on votes from more than 30,000 students across the country.
Top 30% of Global Institutions
Aston University is ranked 446th in the 2024 QS World University Ranking, placing the University in the top 30% of global institutions and 46th place nationally.
Key accolades over the past few years include:
- University of the Year, 2020 (The Guardian)
- Outstanding Entrepreneurial University, 2020 (Times Higher Education Awards)
- Buildings That Inspire: Aston Students' Union (The Guardian University Awards, 2020)
- Gold Athena SWAN award for impact towards gender equality
- What our students say
Aston University is ranked 4th in the UK, by UniCompare, whose table is based on votes from our students, graduates and other UniCompare users (2022). 97% of those who voted said they would recommend Aston University to a friend.
- Sustainability
Sustainability is very important to us. Aston conducts research into greener energy sources, and educates students and staff on sustainability, to ensure our campus facilitates sustainable practices. We climbed 309 places in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, from 640 overall in 2023, to 331 in 2024. Each university's environmental impact, social impact and governance was assessed and ranked separately, before being combined to give an overall rank.
As well as making the top 25% of universities overall globally, Aston University ranked 131 for equality, and at 172 for health and wellbeing, part of the social impact metric.
- REF
Aston University received ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ accreditations for 79% of its research in the Research Excellence Framework 2021. In addition, 74% of the University’s research has been rated “very considerable” or “outstanding” for impact, reach and significance
- Equality and Diversity
We are proud to have one of the most diverse student communities in the country. Aston also holds an Athena SWAN Gold Award – a reflection of the impact we have started to make towards equality for both students and staff.
Rankings
- Complete University Guide 2024
League table rank: 41st
- 93.1% Degree completion
- 20th in the UK for Graduate prospects - on track
- The Guardian University Guide 2024
League table rank: 25
- The rankings also place the University as 22nd in the UK for students’ career prospects following graduation.
- This year is the third year running that Aston University has been placed in the overall top 25.
- In addition, two areas of study at Aston University are in the national top five according to the rankings.
Chemical engineering run within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences is third in the UK, and anatomy and physiology which includes BSc Neuroscience, BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) and BSc Biomedical Science is fourth.
- The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
League table rank 38th
The Guide ranks Aston University at 18th for graduate prospects, a reflection on the success of the university’s graduates in entering high-skilled employment or graduate-level further study within 15 months of completing their studies. This is an improvement of 17 places compared to 2023. The university also ranked an impressive 22nd for continuation rate, which is the percentage of full-time undergraduate students still in higher education after one year.
Six subjects have improved their rankings by more than 20 places compared to 2023 – Biological Sciences, Economics, English, Law, Politics and Psychology. 15 subjects in total have climbed up the rankings. The subject rankings are based on student satisfaction, research quality, entry standards, and graduate prospects.
- National Student Survey 2023
Aston University has scored highly in the 2023 National Student Survey (NSS) for Student Voice, being placed 11th overall among institutions that appeared in the 2023 Guardian league table, and 2nd in the West Midlands for how well its students think it engages with and responds to their views. The University also scored 3rd in the West Midlands for academic support.
In total, Aston University has performed materially above the sector benchmark for four of the seven NSS categories: Student Voice, Organisation and Management, Academic Support and Teaching on my Course and above the benchmark for the remaining three categories: Assessment and Feedback, Learning Opportunities and Learning Resources.
According to the analysis of sector performance undertaken by Times Higher Education (THE), Aston University has achieved an overall positivity rate of 80.6%. Adopting the THE methodology, the University would be ranked 30 places higher for NSS than in 2022.
- People and Planet University League 2022/23
30th out of 154 UK Universities and Colleges.
- Student Employability
Aston University is the University of the Year Runner Up for Graduate Employment in The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2024.
In addition to this, the long term success of our graduates is reflected in the 2022 Longitudinal Education Outcomes results.
Graduates of Aston University are among the highest paid in the country five years after graduating, according to data released by the Department for Education.
The 2022 Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data shows that employed Aston University graduates have the 16th largest median salary overall five years after graduation at £33,400.
- Aston Business School
Aston Business School was shortlisted for Business School of the Year in the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards 2023.
Click below to discover more about Aston Business School's awards, rankings and accreditations.
Subject-specific Rankings
The programme pages on our website list further details on Aston's rankings and statistics related to your chosen subject. Just use the 'Find a Course' button in the top right corner of this page to find your chosen subject and discover why Aston is the best place for you to study.
