Alastair McCall

With 80,000 university places up for grabs in Clearing today, students are in the driving seat as never before when it comes to choosing a university.

Here is our guide on how to clean up in Clearing, make the most out of it and find the course that you have always wanted to study.

The Daily Mail Clearing Guide's institutional ranking measures UK universities on their performance across 12 indicators, making it the broadest-based of its kind.

The average student in England is now graduating with more than £50,000 of debt. So, is the cost of university even worth it? 'As long as you choose carefully', writes ALASTAIR MCCALL

Join our expert Alastair McCall in our exclusive live Q&A as he answers all of your questions on Clearing, graduate earnings, student experience and more.

Methodology: How we compiled our ranking for the Daily Mail Clearing Guide 2026

Selecting the right combination of universities on your UCAS form is like a game of chess - you need to find a sensible balance of attack and defence to succeed.

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Daily Mail University Guide, your indispensable companion to finding the right place and course for you.

Students going to university in 2027 will be the first to be charged more than £10,000 a year for their tuition.

The University of Birmingham has been crowned the Daily Mail's University of the Year, beating 127 rivals thanks to its strong all-round performance across a dozen key measures.