Aberystwyth University has been named Wales’ University of the Year in an influential new guide.

The university has been named The Times and The Sunday Times’ Welsh University of the Year 2024 in the guide, released on Friday, 15 September.

Coming in as the second highest ranking Welsh university – behind only Cardiff – Aberystwyth was nevertheless named Welsh University of the Year across all criteria.

Aberystwyth ranked 39th across the UK.

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David, which has a campus in Lampeter, was ranked seventh in Wales and 117th in the UK, while Bangor was fourth and 44th respectively.

Reacting to the announcement, Professor Elizabeth Treasure, Vice-Chancellor at Aberystwyth University said: “This is quite an achievement and one that should be a source of great pride for everyone associated with Aberystwyth University.

"Our university has an enviable reputation for the quality of the student experience we offer, having consistently featured amongst the best universities in the UK for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey in recent years.

"Such a record of achievement is only possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of everyone here at Aberystwyth, and their tireless commitment to providing the best possible learning experience for our students.

"This is also wonderful news for the wider community which provides such a warm welcome to our students every year.”

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 provides the definitive rankings for UK universities and the most comprehensive overview of higher education in Britain. It includes profiles on 134 universities, making use of the latest data.

Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “The higher education landscape has never been tougher.

“It is more competitive to get a place at many of our top institutions; the cost of attending university has soared, leaving graduates with extraordinary debt; and in many cases campus life still bears the scars of the pandemic.

“Meanwhile lecturers are on strike and the marking crisis is a running scandal.

“It means any prospective student, parent or carer needs to think hard about whether university is the right choice, and then where to study and what subject.

“It’s where this guide — our 30th edition — is here to help.

“Our online version has so much more on how the universities compare subject by subject, a guide on campus life, and what scholarships and bursaries may be on offer.

“We are here to champion the ambitious work of our first-class universities, and the aspirations of any student of any age who wants to keep on learning.”

The full searchable guide with league tables is available here.