A Levels: The North East's universities ranked as end of exams nears - with top subjects and career outcomes

• This year’s A Level exam exam season is nearly over
• Come results day, many students will have a better idea of which university they’ll be attending in September
• For North East school leavers wanting to stay close to home, there are five major universities on offer
• Each one excels in different areas of teaching

There are now just weeks to go until the A Level exam season comes to an end.

The 2024/25 school year’s summer exam series began on May 12 this year for students sitting these more advanced qualifications, and will end on June 25. By August 14 they will have their results, as well as a better idea of whether they’ve met the conditions of any waiting university offers - or whether they’ll have to navigate the Clearing process.

In the spirit of the season, we’ve taken a fresh look at The Guardian’s prestigious university league table for the 2025 academic year, and how each of the North East’s five major universities fared. To give parents and learners a little extra context, we’ve also included their scores for student satisfaction with teaching, and the percentage of recent graduates employed in a graduate level position or in further study 15 months after finishing their course.

Of course, just because a university may not have scored so highly overall, doesn’t mean that it’s a bad place to study. Each institution has its own strengths and weaknesses, and can excel in different fields - so we’ve examined each university’s top ranked courses by The Guardian as well.

Here is how the region’s universities did:

1. Durham University

The top rated university in the North East, Durham’s namesake university also made the overall top 10 list for the UK. It came in 6th place, up from 7th the year before, with a score of 80.8 out of 100. Here are a few of the scores the Guardian gave it in key categories:

• Satisfied with teaching: 87.9 out of 100
• Employed or in further study 15 months later: 91%
• Some of its top subjects: Theology and religious studies (2nd); Physics (3rd); Biology (4th); Economics (4th); Criminology (4th); English (4th); Classics and ancient history (4th); Anthropology and archaeology (5th); Marketing and public relations (5th); Accounting and finance (5th); Politics (5th); History (5th)

2. University of Sunderland

In second place for the North East is the University of Sunderland. It came in 33rd place overall for the UK - a big leap up from its position of 49th the previous year - with a score of 61.6 out of 100. Here are a few of its other scores:

• Satisfied with teaching: 85.1 out of 100
• Employed or in further study 15 months later: 72%
• Some of its top subjects: Pharmacy and pharmacology (1st); Media and film studies (3rd); Film production and photography (5th); Journalism (6th); Fine art (8th); Drama and dance (10th)

3. Northumbria University

Northumbria University has its main campus in Newcastle, but also campuses further afield in London and Amsterdam. It came in 38th place nationally both this year and last, with a more recent score of 60.7 out of 100. Here are a few of its other scores:

• Satisfied with teaching: 83.4 out of 100
• Employed or in further study 15 months later: 82%
• Some of its top subjects: Interior design (1st); Children's nursing (2nd); Product design (4th)

4. Newcastle University

Another Newcastle-based institution, Newcastle University came in 63rd this year in The Guardian’s list, up from 67th last year. It had an overall score of 56 out of 100. Here are a few of its other scores:

• Satisfied with teaching: 82.7 out of 100
• Employed or in further study 15 months later: 86%
• Some of its top subjects: Fine art (3rd); Animal science and agriculture (4th); Anatomy and physiology (6th); Dentistry (10th)

5. Teesside University

Rounding out the list is Teesside, which is based in Middlesbrough. It came in 68th place overall this year with a score of 54.4 - a huge leap up from its position as 80th last year. Here are a few of its other scores:

• Satisfied with teaching: 86.4 out of 100
• Employed or in further study 15 months later: 82%
• Some of its top subjects: Graphic design (1st); Sports science (3rd); Biomedical science (2nd); History (7th); Social work (7th)

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