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The East Midlands is popular with students as there’s a variety of lifestyles on offer. The large cities Nottingham and Leicester offer exciting and busy student experiences, and the smaller uni towns like Loughborough and Northampton offer a quieter way of living. As it’s the midlands, transport links to elsewhere in the UK are good via rail, coach or from East Midlands Airport.
If you’re thinking of applying to uni here, keep reading. We’ve used the Complete University Guide’s 2025 rankings to put together a list of the top universities in the East Midlands, based on criteria that matters to you.
Universities in the East Midlands
The region has nine unis, all together offering a choice of over 120 undergraduate courses and a mix of student experiences:
- Bishop Grosseteste University
- De Montfort University
- University of Derby
- University of Leicester
- University of Lincoln
- Loughborough University
- University of Northampton
- University of Nottingham
- Nottingham Trent University
Best uni in the East Midlands for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
Bishop Grosseteste University
Ranking 11th overall in the UK, students are clearly happy with their experience at Bishop Grosseteste University. The uni is situated in Lincoln, a small and picturesque city. The campus itself is beautiful and offers students plenty of green space to study and relax outdoors, and you'll also find a modern library and state-of-the-art teaching spaces. The recent investments into the campus are surely contributing to how much students are enjoying their studies here.
Read what students are saying about Bishop Grosseteste University.
Best uni in the East Midlands for graduate outcomes (Complete University Guide 2025)
Loughborough University
Loughborough’s beautiful campus is spread over 520 acres, with gardens and open spaces that provide a calm and welcoming learning environment. The uni is known for its community spirit and supportive atmosphere amongst both students and staff. The Student’s Union offers plenty of social activities, as well as a salon, opticians, dentist, pharmacy and convenience shop. Careers are taken seriously here, and many students have the opportunity to do a placement year as part of their degree, while all students can make use of the uni's careers department. The university is consistently ranked highly, and is in the top 10 of all UK universities in the Complete University Guides 2024 rankings.
Read what students are saying about Loughborough University.
Best uni in the East Midlands for research quality (Complete University Guide 2025)
University of Nottingham
Nottingham is well known for research and teaching excellence. It’s a member of the elite Russell Group and Universitas 21 network, and boasts a global reputation for cutting-edge research. The uni has five faculties: Arts, Engineering, Medicine and Health Sciences, Science and Social Sciences, all giving students access to some of the best research facilities in the world. There are eight libraries, including specialist business, medical and music libraries, as well as a large collection of manuscripts and special printed books. The uni also has a dedicated Research Support team, who help with planning and writing, as well as sharing and preserving it for the future.
Read what students are saying about the University of Nottingham.
Best uni in the East Midlands overall (Complete University Guide 2025)
Loughborough University
As well as top in the region for graduate outcomes, Loughborough scores highly across the board for research quality and graduate outcomes. The uni is ranked 7th in the Complete University Guide’s 2025 overall UK tables. Students here are encouraged to maximise their employability skills, and all undergraduate courses come with an optional year in industry. One of the UK’s largest careers fairs is also held at Loughborough, plus many more events, workshops and resources aimed at supporting students with employability prospects post graduation. The campus is filled with excellent learning and research facilities across subject areas such as Business, Engineering, Creative Arts and Politics.
Read what students are saying about Loughborough University.
