British students lag behind American students in determination, claims Business Secretary
Britain's University Rankings Shake-up: Oxford and Cambridge Slip Out of Top Three
In a surprising turn of events, the prestigious Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026 has seen a significant shift in the top three positions, with Oxford University and Cambridge University slipping out of the top three for the first time in the guide's 32-year history.
The University of St Andrews has claimed the second spot, while Durham University has made a notable climb, moving up two places to rank third. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has retained its position at the top for the second year running.
The change was announced at an event in London hosted by tech giant Nvidia. Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, made comments at this meeting, suggesting a perceived lack of entrepreneurialism among British students compared to their American counterparts.
In a meeting with investors, Kyle expressed his concerns, stating that it is uncommon for undergraduates in Britain to express a desire to start a business as the reason for choosing a university. This sentiment contrasts with his experiences speaking to undergraduates at Stanford years ago, where all of them expressed their plans to use their degrees to start a business.
Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, attributed Durham's success to improvements in teaching quality and student experience. The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge were joint fourth in the guide this year. Last year, Oxford was ranked third, and Cambridge had already been pushed to fourth.
In a further explanation of his comments, Kyle explained to Nick Ferrari on a website this morning that British students lack the 'drive' and 'vigour' compared to their American peers. He also expressed his views on a website this morning.
It is important to note that the search results do not provide the name of the politician who spoke at the Nvidia event in London and criticized the investigative work of British students.
The LSE's consistent top position is a testament to its continued excellence, as it moved up to first place from fourth in the 2025 rankings, with St Andrews coming second.
This shift in university rankings underscores the need for a reevaluation of the educational landscape in Britain, particularly in fostering a culture of entrepreneurialism and ambition among students.
