Oxford University has been ranked the second-best university in the UK for 2026, according to a new league table published by The Daily Mail.
It’s a rare shift for the world-famous institution, which has topped the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for nine years in a row. This time, however, Oxford was edged out of first place by Imperial College London.
Imperial has now claimed the top UK spot for the third year running, praised for its academic excellence and impressive graduate outcomes, with many students landing high-quality jobs and salaries straight after their studies.
Oxford did, however, keep its long-time rival Cambridge at bay. Cambridge placed third in the rankings, giving Oxford some bragging rights in the age-old Oxbridge rivalry.
The rest of the top 10 included:
4th: London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
5th: University College London (UCL)
6th: University of Strathclyde
7th: University of Warwick
8th: University of Bristol
9th: University of Bath
10th: University of St Andrews
Oxford, founded in 1096 and known as the oldest university in the English-speaking world, continues to hold a place among the global elite—even if it’s not sitting at the very top of this year’s UK table. Photo by Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia commons.