These Universities Are Failing Students With Slow Wi-Fi, New Study Finds

• The University of Manchester is the UK university with the worst Internet, getting a download speed of only 7.3 Mbps.
• Standing out with the best Internet connection is the University of Glasgow, with an average download speed of 273.8 Mbps.
• Students in London universities experience the most Internet speed issues, with over 5.1 million searches.

UK universities experienced multiple internet outages in 2024-2025, with recurring failures during critical academic periods. A recent study by Elevate analyzed university campuses across the UK to identify the universities with the best and worst Internet connection. By comparing them across key metrics, including download and upload speed, and Google search volume for Internet-related issues, the research ranked the universities from worst to best.

Here is the summary of the findings: Universities with the Worst Internet Connection

You can find the full research findings by following this link.

The UK university with the worst Internet is the University of Manchester, with a download speed of only 7.3 Mbps. The upload speed here is also the lowest in the ranking, at 3 Mbps. When it comes to Internet speed issues, they are still common in Manchester, with 445.9K related searches.

The University of Nottingham ranks 2nd among the UK universities with the worst Internet, with a download speed of 32 Mbps, over 4 times faster than in the University of Manchester. Upload speed here is also a little bit higher, but still averages at only 9.1 Mbps.

Cardiff University follows closely with third place and an average Internet speed of 36.2 Mbps. The upload speed here is slower than at the University of Nottingham, at 5.6 Mbps on average. The most common search queries about Internet issues here are speed tests and “wifi not working”.

The University of York takes fourth place, with an average download speed of 38.3 Mbps. At the same time, upload speed is twice as low, at only 14.8 Mbps. The city of York often experiences connectivity problems, with 380.3K Google searches.

The University of Leeds is fifth on the list of UK universities with the worst Internet connection, getting an average download speed of 59.4 Mbps, over 10 Mbps higher than at the University of York. There are also fewer Internet connectivity issues here, with 272.8K searches.

Here is the summary of the findings: Universities with the Best Internet Connection

You can find the full research findings by following this link.

The UK university with the best Internet connection is the University of Glasgow, with an average download speed of 273.8 Mbps. The upload speed here is also one of the highest among all universities in the UK, at 93.6 Mbps. The connectivity issues in Glasgow are a little less common than in York, with 316.4K related searches.

The Imperial College of London takes second place on the list of UK universities with the best Internet, with an average speed of 221.6 Mbps. London experiences the most connectivity issues, with a total of 5.1 million searches about Internet problems and low wifi speed.

The University of Birmingham gets third place, with a download speed of 180.3 Mbps, almost 100 Mbps below the University of Glasgow. The upload speed here is also very low, compared to other universities at the top, at 38.6 Mbps.

The University of Kent is fourth, getting an average download speed of 158.3 Mbps. The upload speed here is higher than in the University of Birmingham, and the residents rarely experience connection issues, with only 34.6K related searches.

The King’s College of London follows closely with fifth place and a speed of 155.2 Mbps. While download speed here is a little lower, upload speed in the King’s College is higher than in the University of Kent and the University of Birmingham, providing a more stable Internet access.

A spokesperson from Elevate commented on the study: “University internet problems often come down to sheer numbers, with thousands of students trying to stream videos, attend online classes, and download files at the same time. While universities are investing heavily in better equipment, the exponential growth in data consumption overwhelms even the best networks. This creates a persistent challenge where even well-funded universities struggle to maintain reliable connectivity standards that meet the increasingly demanding digital requirements of modern higher education.”

Check out: Bradford Is One Of Britain’s Unhealthiest Cities & New Study Ranked