The University of Southampton has been ranked among the 20 best universities in the country.

The university has been ranked the 19th best in the UK - and the second best in the south east - by The Sunday Times' Good University Guide 2025.

Only the University of Oxford was ranked higher than Southampton in the region by the newspaper.

But it fell two positions from its 2024 ranking.

Meanwhile, Solent University was ranked 98th nationally, and 13th in the region - eleven positions up on last year.

According to the Times, the report features everything freshers need to know about applying to university covering research reputation to campus facilities, scholarships and bursaries, and nightlife.

A University of Southampton spokesperson said: “We’re proud that the University of Southampton has been recognised as one of the top 20 universities in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.

“To rank second in the Southeast, behind only the University of Oxford, is a fantastic achievement for the University.

“These rankings build on our reputation as one of the top 100 universities in the world, as recognised by the QS World University Rankings.” 

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A spokesperson for Solent University said: “Following a triple gold award from the Teaching Excellence Framework – ranking Solent University’s student experience and outcomes as typically outstanding.

“We are pleased to be climbing the ranks in the country’s most-trusted League tables, including 11 places higher in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.”

Also featured in the report was the University of Portsmouth and the University of Winchester – which ranked 55th and 103rd in the country respectively.

Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “The best universities — whether they were founded in the 15th century or 2005 — are local and global powerhouses of intellectual thought and creativity, from the arts to science, that can power economic regeneration and lead the way to a better life.

“This year we have tweaked our methodology to keep up with contemporary concerns around climate change and careers and have added in a sustainability metric, teaming up with People & Planet, and boosted the weighting of graduate prospects.