Celebrating excellence in Postgraduate Research

Plymouth acclaimed in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2025
Group of postgraduate students sat around a table looking at an ipad

The University of Plymouth has achieved a place in the UK’s top 20 Higher Education institutions for the high-quality of its postgraduate researchers’ experience, including several top ten placings in key measures.
The 2025 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) provides robust, benchmark data from 89 organisations.
There are 11 categories and Plymouth is ranked 7th in three of them, including Overall Satisfaction.

This year’s excellent results reflect a real team effort to improve the postgraduate research experience, and I am delighted we have achieved them.

They are a testimony to the professional and academic colleagues that have worked to deliver this success, and I am pleased to be leaving an extremely strong set of foundations for my successor to build upon.

Richard YarwoodProfessor Richard Yarwood
Outgoing Director of the University’s Doctoral College

PRES collects information about the experience of any research student on a doctoral or research masters course.
Developed in consultation with the Higher Education sector, the survey focuses on areas including supervision, resources, research skills, progress and assessment, skills and professional development, and students’ wellbeing. It also considers students’ motivations for taking their programme.
Feedback from Plymouth’s students has improved significantly across all categories since PRES 2023, when its best ranking was 39th out of 100 – again for Overall Satisfaction – and only appeared in the top 50 twice.
Now, the University is in the top 20 across all bar three categories, with every measure comfortably within the top 40.

My overriding impression of this institution during my first year here is that it is a brilliant place to work and study, and I am delighted to see that experience borne out by these superb results.

Huge congratulations to Richard and his team for prioritising our students and ensuring they are able to thrive during their time here in Plymouth.
This is a real accolade – especially in a peer group that includes many of our country’s most significant, research-intensive universities – that demonstrates the value of research to our community and how our University continues to punch above its weight.

Richard DaviesProfessor Richard Davies
Vice-Chancellor

Find out more

Postgraduate students studying together in the library.

Study for a postgraduate research degree

Postgraduate research students listening to a talk

Support from our Doctoral College

Aaron, MA Illustration graduate, Roland Levinsky building studios

Postgraduate on-campus open evening