The UCAS university application deadline is fast approaching, falling on Wednesday January 14 (at 6pm) this year. Students need to have their online forms filled out, personal statements written, and letter of recommendation from their school uploaded by this time - as well as picking out up to five universities and courses they want to study at come September.
While it is still possible to apply later, only those received by next week’s due date are guaranteed to be given equal consideration by universities - where each application is treated the same. Those received later are only considered if there are still spaces available in your chosen courses, which can often mean first come, first served.
Picking out a university to study at is no easy task, so we’ve taken a look at how Yorkshire’s universities fared in The Guardian University Guide 2026 to help out prospective students. The annual league table compares and ranks more than 120 universities from across the UK, giving them scores out of 100. It uses a comprehensive methodology, which factors in the latest data on student satisfaction, staff numbers, spending, future career prospects for graduates, and more.
Here were the 10 Yorkshire universities included on this year’s list, and how they did overall:
1. The University of Sheffield
The top Yorkshire university in the league table this year was South Yorkshire’s University of Sheffield. It came in 16th overall in the 2026 guide, up from 20th last year. The Guardian gave it an overall score of 68.2 out of 100. It had a rating of 89.5 for students satisfied with their teaching, and 85% of recent graduates were either employed or in further study after 15 months. | Google
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2. University of Leeds
Next up was West Yorkshire’s University of Leeds. It ranked 28th overall this year, up from 37th last year. The Guardian gave it an overall score of 62 out of 100. It had a rating of 85.4 for students satisfied with their teaching, and 84% of recent graduates were either employed or in further study after 15 months. | Jonathan Gawthorpe/National World
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3. University of York
Up in North Yorkshire, the University of York was Yorkshire’s third most highly-ranked institution. It placed 38th this year, down from 25th last year. The Guardian gave it an overall score of 59.4 out of 100. It had a rating of 86.5 for students satisfied with their teaching, and 84% of recent graduates were either employed or in further study after 15 months. | Historic England/National World
4. University of Bradford
Another West Yorkshire contender, Bradford’s namesake university was next. It ranked 69th overall this year, up from 81st last year. The Guardian gave it an overall score of 53.1 out of 100. It had a rating of 83 for students satisfied with their teaching, and 83% of recent graduates were either employed or in further study after 15 months. | Google
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5. Leeds Trinity University
Based on the outskirts of Leeds, Trinity came next. It ranked 76th overall this year, up from 105th last year. The Guardian gave it an overall score of 51.4 out of 100. It had a rating of 92.9 for students satisfied with their teaching, and 72% of recent graduates were either employed or in further study after 15 months. | Jonathan Gawthorpe/National World
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6. Sheffield Hallam University
This is another university in South Yorkshire’s largest city. It ranked 88th overall this year, down from 75th last year. The Guardian gave it an overall score of 48.5 out of 100. It had a rating of 83.2 for students satisfied with their teaching, and 78% of recent graduates were either employed or in further study after 15 months. | Scott Merrylees/National World