Subject accolades
Art, Design, and Media
In the UK
- Our Music courses are 1st in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our English courses are 2nd in the UK for graduate prospects outcomes (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Journalism courses are 2nd in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Drama, Dance and Cinematics courses are 2nd in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Film Production and Photography courses are 3rd in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Art and Design courses are 5th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Communication and Media Studies courses are 7th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- 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 Art and Design courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Film Production and Photography courses are 1st in the north-east (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Journalism courses are 1st in the north-east (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Drama and Dance courses are 1st in the north-east (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Art and Design courses are joint 1st in the north east for graduate prospects (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Music courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Communication and Media Studies courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our English courses are 1st in the north-east for graduate prospects outcomes (Complete University Guide 2026).
Business and Tourism
In the UK
- Our Tourism, Transport, Travel and Heritage Studies are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Business and Management courses are 2nd in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our School of Business and Management has been shortlisted for Business School of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2024.
In the north-east
- Our Business and Management courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Tourism, Transport, Travel and Heritage Studies are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Hospitality, Event Management and Tourism courses are 1st in the north-east (Guardian University Guide 2026).
Education, Law, and Social Sciences
In the UK
- Our Childhood and Youth Studies courses are 2nd in the UK (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Social Work courses are 2nd in the UK for graduate prospects outcomes (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Law courses are 2nd in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Social Work courses are 3rd in the UK (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Childhood and Youth Studies courses are 3rd in the UK for graduate prospect outcomes (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Childhood and Youth Studies courses are 5th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Law courses are 6th in the UK for teaching satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Health Studies courses are 8th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Social Work courses are 10th in the UK for teaching quality (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025).
In north-east
- Our Social Work courses are 1st in the north-east (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Childhood and Youth Studies courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Law courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Law courses are 1st in the north-east for teaching satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Social Work courses are 1st in the north-east for graduate prospects outcomes (Complete University Guide 2026)
Health Professions, Sciences, and Wellbeing
In the UK
- Medical School of the Year (Educate North Awards 2026)
- Our Pharmacy and Pharmacology courses are 1st in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2026).
- Our Physiotherapy courses are 1st in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Pharmacology and Pharmacy courses are 2nd in the UK for graduate prospects outcomes (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Biomedical Science courses are 4th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Biomedical Sciences courses are 4th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Psychology courses are 6th in the UK (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Medicine course is 6th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Anatomy and Physiology courses are 7th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Pharmacology and Pharmacy courses are 8th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy courses are 10th in the UK (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Physiotherapy courses are 10th in the UK (Complete University Guide 2026)
- 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 Medicine course is 1st in the north-east (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy courses are 1st in the north-east (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Anatomy and Physiology courses are 1st in the north-east (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Pharmacy and Pharmacology courses are 1st in the north-east (Guardian University Guide 2026)
- Our Medicine course is 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Pharmacology and Pharmacy courses are 1st in the north-east for graduate prospects outcomes (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Nursing and Midwifery courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Physiotherapy courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete 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 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 Computer Science courses are 5th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Electrical and Electronic Engineering courses are 7th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026).
In the north-east
- Our Computer Science courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2027)
- Our Computer Games and Animation courses are 1st in the north-east (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
- Our Electrical and Electronic Engineering courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)
- Our Manufacturing and Production Engineering courses are 1st in the north-east for graduate prospects outcomes (Complete University Guide 2026).
International accolades
- We're recognised internationally as a leading university, receiving five stars for teaching, facilities, employability, environmental impact, global engagement, business and management studies, and diversity, equality, and inclusion (QS Stars 2026)
- 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're 52nd on the People and Planet League out of 147 Universities in the UK
- 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.