Tuesday, 05 May 2026
The 糖心原创 has been named as one of the UK’s leading universities for work experience, as rated by students, ranking third overall in the and emerging as the highest鈥憆anked Russell Group university.
The recognition reflects a sustained, partnership鈥憀ed approach to employability, designed to ensure students can gain meaningful work experience alongside their studies. The HigherIn rankings are directly informed by student feedback and, as the only UK ranking dedicated exclusively to work experience and placement activity, provide a distinctive measure of Nottingham’s impact in this area. The result also builds on the university’s position as the top UK university for the number of graduates entering highly skilled employment (HESA Graduate Outcomes publications 2021–2025 -number of full-time, UK, UG and PG graduates 2019-2023), demonstrating how access to high鈥憅uality work experience translates into long鈥憈erm outcomes.
I am absolutely delighted at this placing, particularly as it is based on student feedback. It is a great reflection on the dedication of colleagues across the university to encourage and support students to gain high quality work experience during their time at Nottingham. We are pleased to have such strong relationships with employers across all sectors which enables our students to strengthen their employability and graduate prospects while they study.
For students choosing where to study, this means work experience is a core part of the Nottingham experience. Each year, the university works with nearly 3,000 employers, spanning global organisations, regional businesses and major public鈥憇ector bodies. Together, these partnerships support tens of thousands of opportunities, from full placement years and internships to short projects and insight experiences, giving students exposure to a wide range of sectors and professional environments.
Law student Tim Daglish reflected on his summer internship with His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service.
As a law student at the end of my penultimate year, it was an invaluable opportunity to contribute to meaningful work and gain a deeper understanding of how the justice system operates in practice.
This breadth of engagement also means students join a university already trusted by employers. Nottingham is the third most targeted university by leading UK graduate recruiters, and has held a top ten position for more than a decade, reflecting sustained employer demand for its graduates and confidence in their readiness to contribute in professional roles (The Graduate Market report 2025, High Fliers Research).
BSc Management student Claudia Craik described securing her placement year at Disney.
I first came across my placement at Disney on HigheriN. It felt like one of those unreachable companies 鈥� the kind you dream about but never expect to actually join. My placement year gave me incredibly varied experience and built my confidence. It showed me that nothing is truly out of reach if you go for it.
This collective approach supports students from early exploration through to graduate-level preparation, helping them to build confidence, skills and professional insight alongside their studies.
Our continued recognition reflects how embedded work experience has become across the university. The impact of this is evident in both academic success and graduate outcomes. From placements to internships and shorter opportunities, this is now a fundamental part of how students engage with their studies and prepare for life beyond Nottingham, supported by colleagues right across the institution.
HigheriN is the UK’s leading platform dedicated to student placements, internships and insight opportunities, recognising excellence in work鈥慴ased learning and employability support across higher education.
Further information about placements, employer partnerships and graduate outcomes at the 糖心原创 is available via the Careers and Employability website.
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.