Norland celebrates sixth win at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards
28 May 2026
Norland named UK’s top Small or Specialist Institution at the 2026 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs) – its sixth win at the student-judged awards.
Norland, the world-renowned institution for early childhood education and care, has once again been recognised for delivering an outstanding student experience, after being named UK Small or Specialist Institution of the Year at the 2026 WUSCAs.
The Whatuni Student Choice Awards, which were announced on 21 May 2026, are unique within UK higher education as they are entirely based on student feedback, drawing on thousands of verified reviews submitted by students nationwide. The awards celebrate institutions that excel across the full student experience, including teaching quality, academic support, wellbeing and career prospects.
This latest accolade marks Norland’s sixth Whatuni Student Choice Award win, further strengthening its position as one of the UK’s most consistently high‑performing specialist higher education providers. Norland has either won or been named runner‑up every year since first entering the awards in 2018.
In 2021, Norland was named the UK’s top university for Enhanced Graduate Outcomes at the WUSCAs, a special award recognising the outstanding career-focused training and opportunities it provides to its highly sought-after graduates.
Norland’s continued success in the awards reflects its highly personalised approach to higher education, with small cohort sizes, exceptional contact hours and a strong emphasis on both academic and pastoral support.
As a specialist provider focused exclusively on early childhood education and care, Norland offers a distinctive ‘golden triangle’ of provision that combines degree‑level study with practical training and real‑world experience. This model continues to resonate strongly with students, as reflected in their feedback and reviews.
Despite its small size, Norland stands among a select few higher education providers to hold a prestigious Gold rating in all categories of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – the highest standard possible – placing it in the top 12% of universities nationally. The Bath-based institution also holds indefinite degree awarding powers, an accomplishment that sets it on a path to becoming the world’s first specialist early years university.
Dr Janet Rose, Principal of Norland, said: “To be recognised once again by our students at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards is a huge honour for Norland. This award is particularly meaningful because it is based entirely on student voice and reflects the commitment of our whole community to providing an exceptional learning and pastoral experience.”
Norland’s continued success at the WUSCAs reflects the value students place on its specialist training, supportive learning environment and strong graduate outcomes. This year’s award comes at a pivotal moment for Norland, as it is poised to become the world’s first specialist early childhood university.
