Subject accolades
Art, Design, and Media
In the UK
- Our English courses are 15th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Media and Film Studies courses are 3rd in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2025)
- Our Journalism courses are 2nd in the UK for teaching satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2025)
- Our Drama and Dance courses are 10th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2025)
- Our Fine Art course is 8th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2025)
- Our Art and Creative Industry courses were finalists for the Tomorrow's Employees category in the Green Gown Awards UK and Ireland 2024
In the north-east
- Our Music courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Film Production and Photography courses are 1st in the north-east (Guardian University Guide 2025)
Business and Tourism
In the UK
- Our School of Business and Management has been shortlisted for Business School of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2024
- Our Marketing courses are 2nd in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Business and Management courses are 6th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Tourism, Transport, Travel and Heritage Studies courses are 9th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
In the north-east
- Our Business and Management courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Marketing courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Tourism, Transport, Travel and Heritage Studies are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
Education, Law, and Social Sciences
In the UK
- Our Social Work courses are 3rd in the UK (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Social Work courses are 14th in the UK (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Social Work courses are 10th in the UK for teaching quality (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)
- Our Childhood and Youth Studies courses are 11th in the UK for graduate prospects (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Social Work courses are in the UK top 20 for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Law courses are 6th in the UK for Graduate Prospects Outcomes (Complete University Guide 2024)
In north-east
- Our Childhood and Youth Studies courses are 1st in the north-east (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Social Work courses are 1st in the north-east (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Education courses are 2nd in the north-east to Durham for Graduate Prospects Outcomes (Complete University Guide 2024)
- Our Law courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2024)
Health Professions, Sciences, and Wellbeing
In the UK
- Our Psychology courses are 6th in the UK (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy courses are 12th in the UK (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Medicine course is in the top 20 in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2025)
- Our Medicine course has a 100% positivity score for how well teaching staff support students' learning (National Student Survey 2024)
- Our Paramedic Science course is in the UK top 20 (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Pharmacy and Pharmacology courses are 4th in the UK for teaching satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2025)
- Our Sports Science courses are 17th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2024)
- 99% of our first graduating cohort of doctors passed the national medical finals Applied Knowledge Test first time (University of Sunderland Medical School data 2024)
In the north-east
- Our Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy courses are 1st in the north-east (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Medicine course is 1st in the north-east for teaching quality, student experience and graduate prospects (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)
- We're 1st in the north-east for medicine graduate prospects (The Times Good University Guide 2025)
- Our Paramedic Science course is 1st in the north-east (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Pharmacology and Pharmacy courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
- Our Psychology courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2024)
- Our Psychology courses are 1st in the north-east for teaching quality (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024)
- 91% of our adult nursing graduates go on to jobs in your north-east NHS (University of Sunderland, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21 and 2021/22)
77% of our paramedic graduates make up your north-east NHS (University of Sunderland, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21 and 2021/22) - 41% of our first graduating cohort of doctors come from the region, with 48% coming from a widening participation background (University of Sunderland Medical School data 2024)
- More than half (55%) of our medicine graduates now work in the region (University of Sunderland Medical School data 2024)
Computer Science and Engineering
In the UK
- Our Computer Games and Animation courses are 2nd in the UK (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Mechanical Engineering courses are 8th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
In the north-east
- Our Computer Games and Animation courses are 1st in the north-east (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Manufacturing and Production Engineering courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction and graduate prospects (Complete University Guide 2025)
International accolades
- We're recognised internationally as a leading university, receiving five stars for teaching, inclusiveness, employability, and facilities in the QS Stars World University Rankings 2023
- We're in the top 10 universities in Europe for International Student Diversity (QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026)
- We're 3rd in the UK for International Student Diversity (QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026)
Research accolades
- Over 70% of our published research has been rated as either world-leading or internationally excellent in the latest Research Excellence Framework. (Research Excellence Framework 2021)
Other accolades
- We successfully achieved the University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) Award, making us one of just seventeen institutions to be recognised by Student Minds, an independent voice for university mental health
- We hold the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award
- The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) Quality Mark has rated us as exceptional
- NEON Awards: Widening Access Partnership of the Year 2023. Along with Durham University, Newcastle University, Teesside University and Northumbria University, we have won the Widening Access Partnership of the Year at the 2023 National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) Awards. This is for collaborative North East Raising Aspiration Partnership (NERAP) which supports care-experienced students through their higher education journey