Rankings: The 113 best universities in the United Kingdom for 2025/2026
by Manish Prabhune, , modified
The United Kingdom is famous for its universities: Every year, British institutions dominate the top places in international rankings. The best universities in the UK are also among the very best in the world: The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge usually secure the foremost ranks, regularly followed by Imperial College, UCL, the University of Edinburgh, and the London School of Economics. With such a remarkable track record of academic excellence it is no wonder that the UK attracts so many international students every year.
While going to the UK for your studies may be expensive - tuition fees are higher than anywhere else in Europe - it’s a decision that will almost certainly benefit your academic or professional career, especially if you get a degree from one of the top-ranking universities.
| University | QS Ranking 2026 | THE Ranking 2026 | ARWU Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial College London | 2 | 8 | 26 |
| University of Oxford | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| University of Cambridge | 6 | 3 | 4 |
| University College London | 9 | 22 | 14 |
| King's College London | 31 | 38 | 61 |
| University of Edinburgh | 34 | 29 | 37 |
| University of Manchester | 35 | 56 | 46 |
| University of Bristol | 51 | 80 | 98 |
| London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | 56 | 52 | 151 |
| University of Warwick | 74 | 122 | 101 |
| University of Birmingham | 76 | 98 | 151 |
| University of Glasgow | 79 | 84 | 101 |
| University of Leeds | 86 | 118 | 151 |
| University of Southampton | 87 | 129 | 151 |
| University of Sheffield | 92 | 108 | 151 |
| Durham University | 94 | 175 | 201 |
| University of Nottingham | 97 | 145 | 101 |
| Queen Mary University of London | 110 | 134 | 201 |
| University of St Andrews | 113 | 162 | 301 |
| University of Bath | 132 | 251 | 401 |
| Newcastle University | 137 | 144 | 201 |
| University of Liverpool | 147 | 143 | 101 |
| University of Exeter | 155 | 170 | 151 |
| Lancaster University | 157 | 184 | 301 |
| University of York | 169 | 154 | 201 |
| Cardiff University | 181 | 201 | 201 |
| University of Reading | 194 | 201 | 401 |
| Queen's University Belfast | 199 | 198 | 301 |
| Loughborough University | 225 | 301 | 801 |
| University of Strathclyde | 251 | 351 | 701 |
| University of Aberdeen | 262 | 201 | 201 |
| University of Surrey | 262 | 201 | 401 |
| University of Sussex | 278 | 201 | 201 |
| Heriot-Watt University | 287 | 401 | 701 |
| Swansea University | 292 | 301 | 701 |
| City St Georges, University of London | 310 | 351 | 701 |
| University of Leicester | 326 | 192 | 301 |
| Oxford Brookes University | 374 | 801 | – |
| University of East Anglia | 381 | 251 | 301 |
| Brunel University London | 385 | 401 | 601 |
| Birkbeck, University of London | 388 | 301 | 801 |
| Aston University | 395 | 401 | – |
| University of Kent | 397 | 401 | 401 |
| University of Dundee | 428 | 301 | 301 |
| University of Essex | 456 | 301 | 401 |
| Royal Holloway, University of London | 461 | 401 | 801 |
| SOAS University of London | 511 | 401 | – |
| University of Bradford | 511 | 501 | – |
| University of Stirling | 517 | 501 | 701 |
| University of Huddersfield | 524 | 501 | – |
| University of Hull | 526 | 501 | 801 |
| Northumbria University | 550 | 401 | 701 |
| Coventry University | 558 | 601 | – |
| Bangor University | 566 | 501 | 501 |
| Nottingham Trent University | 609 | 601 | 801 |
| Ulster University | 609 | 601 | 801 |
| University of Plymouth | 613 | 501 | 701 |
| University of Portsmouth | 635 | 401 | 901 |
| Manchester Metropolitan University | 643 | 601 | 601 |
| Kingston University | 660 | 801 | – |
| Goldsmiths, University of London | 711 | 501 | – |
| University of the West of England, Bristol | 721 | 601 | – |
| Aberystwyth University | 741 | 601 | – |
| University of Westminster | 801 | 801 | – |
| University of Lincoln | 801 | 601 | – |
| University of Greenwich | 801 | 601 | 701 |
| University of Brighton | 801 | 601 | – |
| Middlesex University London | 801 | 501 | – |
| Keele University | 801 | 501 | – |
| De Montfort University | 801 | 601 | – |
| Bournemouth University | 801 | 401 | – |
| Edinburgh Napier University | 851 | 601 | – |
| Liverpool John Moores University | 851 | 501 | 601 |
| London South Bank University | 901 | 601 | – |
| University of Hertfordshire | 901 | 601 | 801 |
| University of Salford | 901 | 801 | – |
| Robert Gordon University (RGU) | 951 | 801 | – |
| University of Wolverhampton | 1001 | 801 | – |
| University of East London | 1001 | 1001 | – |
| University of Lancashire | 1001 | 1001 | 901 |
| Sheffield Hallam University | 1001 | 801 | – |
| London Metropolitan University | 1001 | 601 | – |
| Leeds Beckett University | 1001 | 801 | – |
| Glasgow Caledonian University | 1001 | 801 | – |
| Birmingham City University | 1001 | 801 | – |
| University of Derby | 1201 | 601 | – |
| University of Northampton | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| Queen Margaret University | 1201 | – | – |
| Canterbury Christ Church University | 1201 | 1201 | – |
| Harper Adams University | 1401 | – | – |
| University of Worcester | – | 1501 | – |
| University of the Arts London | – | 1501 | – |
| University of Sunderland | – | 1501 | – |
| University of Chester | – | 1501 | – |
| Liverpool Hope University | – | 1501 | – |
| University of Winchester | – | 1201 | – |
| University of West London | – | 1201 | – |
| University of Staffordshire | – | 1201 | – |
| University of South Wales | – | 1201 | – |
| York St John University | – | 1001 | – |
| University of Gloucestershire | – | 1001 | – |
| University of Bedfordshire | – | 1001 | – |
| Edge Hill University | – | 1001 | – |
| Cardiff Metropolitan University | – | 1001 | – |
| University of Roehampton | – | 801 | – |
| University of the West of Scotland | – | 601 | – |
| Teesside University | – | 601 | – |
| Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) | – | 601 | – |
| Anglia Ruskin University | – | 601 | – |
| The Open University | – | 801 | 901 |
| Royal Veterinary College | – | 501 | 801 |
| Cranfield University | – | – | 801 |
| London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine | – | – | 201 |
The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a universitys research is referenced elsewhere).
The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.
The UK is Europe’s most popular country for international students. At more than 100 universities, you can choose from literally tens of thousands of study programmes. British universities enjoy a reputation for cutting-edge research and world-class education. And there are plenty of exciting career opportunities for international graduates.
Read more about studying in the United Kingdom
