The University of Warwick has once again been crowned Esports University of the Year by the National Student Esports (NSE) body.
Warwick has now topped the standings for an incredible seven years running, securing the title for the 2024/25 academic year with outstanding performances across various titles in both the Winter and Spring seasons.
The University of Warwick finished with 3,372 points, 297 fewer than the 3,669 points they earned for their sixth consecutive win last year.
Warwick showed great consistency taking 1,671 points in the winter and 1,701 in Spring. Notable successes came in Overwatch 2 and League of Legends, where they clinched 778 and 704 points respectively from those games.
The gap between first and second place narrowed significantly, dropping by nearly 400 points compared to last year, offering hope for other universities going into the next academic year.
The top three mirrored last year’s rankings, but the University of Portsmouth (2,045 points) surpassed Swansea University (1,931 points) to claim second place
The University of Southampton narrowly missed a podium spot again, finishing fourth with 1,912 points, just 19 points behind third, compared to 16 points last year.
Two new universities entered the top 10: Cardiff University (7th) and the University of Manchester (8th). The rest of the top 10 were made up by the University of the West of England (5th), University of Nottingham (6th), University of Exeter (9th) and King’s College London (10th).
A record 117 universities participated, including 10 new entrants.
Top 10 UK esports universities of 2024/2025
| Rank | University | Points |
| 1 | University of Warwick | 3,372 |
| 2 | University of Portsmouth | 2,045 |
| 3 | Swansea University | 1,931 |
| 4 | University of Southampton | 1,912 |
| 5 | University of the West of England | 1,900 |
| 6 | University of Nottingham | 1,863 |
| 7 | Cardiff University | 1,859 |
| 8 | University of Manchester | 1,721 |
| 9 | University of Exeter | 1,640 |
| 10 | King’s College London | 1,571 |
Most improved esports universities
In the Esports University of the Year rankings, University of the Arts in London, was the most improved.
They jumped 53 places from 97th in 2023/24 to 44th this year. They scored 607 points, 564 more than the 43 they notched up last year.
Other notable improvements are:
- Goldsmiths, University of London up 38 places, increased from 45 to 382 points
- London School of Economics up 37 places, increased from 52 to 410 points
- University of Dundee up 31 places, increased from 48 to 316 points
- Birmingham City University up 24 places, increased from 79 to 383 points
- Bournemouth University up 22 places, increased from 597 to 1,062 points
New universities competing in Esports University of the Year
This year saw the addition of ten new competing universities, taking the total up to a record 117.
Here are the 10 new universities:
- Belfast Metropolitan College
- City College Plymouth
- Dundee and Angus College
- Escape Studios
- Met Film School
- Newcastle and Stafford Colleges
- Open University
- Ravensbourne University London
- University Campus North Lincolnshire
- University of the West of Scotland
Best regional esports universities
- Best in Scotland: University of Edinburgh
- Best in Wales: Swansea University
- Best in Northern Ireland: Queen’s University Belfast
- Best in England: University of Warwick
- Best in London: King’s College London
Notable achievements during 2024/25 Esports University of the Year campaign
Beyond Warwick’s seventh consecutive Esports University of the Year title, several teams achieved other remarkable feats.
Roehampton Esports Gold clinched their fourth consecutive Rocket League Championship in a row. They accomplished an incredible 22-0 series record – equating to 71-8 in individual games.
Warwick Angels are creating their own dynasty in the Overwatch 2 University scene, earning their third straight title.
UWE (University of the West of England) Gatekeepers failed to claim victory in the Rainbow Six Siege LAN in Spring, but they still have claimed three championships in a row.
Imperial Esports made it three consecutive titles in League of Legends, while Lancaster University’s Half Natty Head Tappers 6 accomplished the same feat in Counter-Strike 2.
UoWawa from the University of Warwick meanwhile claimed their 2nd straight title in Splatoon 3.
