This article about the best universities in the UK was updated by the Great British Mag content team on 13 April 2021.
The UK has some of the world’s oldest and best universities – you have probably heard of some of them. However, there are many fine universities in the UK that you may not have heard of despite their high rankings. Before you start your research trying to find the best university for you in the UK, you should learn how UK universities work.
Oxford and Cambridge have well-deserved international reputations as some of the world’s top universities. These two universities are sometimes called ‘Oxbridge’ and they are constantly vying for the title of best UK university.
Oxford and Cambridge may be the most famous UK universities but they are certainly not the only good ones. Many more make it into the world rankings.*
| UK Rank 2021 | WUR Rank 2021 | University | City/Town |
| 1 | 1 | University of Oxford | Oxford |
| 2 | 6 | University of Cambridge | Cambridge |
| 3 | 11 | Imperial College London | London |
| 4 | 16 | UCL | London |
| 5 | 27 | London School of Economics and Political Science | London |
| 6 | 30 | University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 7 | 35 | King’s College London | London |
| 8 | 51 | University of Manchester | Manchester |
| 9 | 77 | University of Warwick | Coventry |
| 10 | 91 | University of Bristol | Bristol |
| 11 | 92 | University of Glasgow | Glasgow |
| 12 | 107 | University of Birmingham | Birmingham |
| 13 | 110 | Queen Mary University | London |
| 14 | 121 | University of Sheffield | Sheffield |
| 15 | 127 | University of Southampton | Southampton |
*Table obtained from Times Higher Education
How are UK universities ranked?
UK universities are ranked on a number of factors, including entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, continuation and graduate prospects.
The best universities rank highly in all categories. Student opinions are an important factor; if students are not satisfied with their courses, teachers or feedback, the university will not rank as highly.
Universities do not rank themselves. They are ranked by independent and impartial bodies such as newspapers and put into lists called league tables.
Each body has a slightly different ranking system which is why league tables do not match precisely. For example, The Guardian gives more weight to teaching quality than research quality or academic reputation, whereas the QS World University rankings favour research and reputation over teaching quality or students’ views. When you are looking at these league tables think about what matters most to you in a university.
Keep in mind that these league tables rank universities on overall quality, not specific subjects. A university that is not in the top 10 overall may still be in the top 10 for specific subjects.
For example, the University of Strathclyde ranks in the top 10 schools for engineering and the University of York is among the best for English despite the fact that neither of these places ranks in the overall top 10. If you know what you would like to study be sure to check the quality of the subject, not just the university.
Another thing to remember is that the differences between universities that are ranked next to each other are minute. The difference between two universities can be as small as one percentage point, and most universities shift a position or two every year. If your university moves up or down by a little bit this is not a cause for concern.
Can a league table tell you which UK university is best for you?
League tables can be a good guide, but they cannot tell you which UK university is best for you. The best way to find out if a university is right for you is to visit it.
You can read about what former students think about the university by looking at data from the National Student Survey, which students take in their final year. The survey asks for students to rank their overall satisfaction with different aspects of their university experience, including teaching quality, learning resources, and community feel.
When you are choosing which university to apply to, keep the following things in mind:
- Is the teaching of good quality?
- Does the university rank well in your chosen subject?
- Does it have good links to employers?
- Is it located near a town or city where you can find work?
- Can you afford the tuition fees and does the university offer any scholarships to international students?
- Does the university have a large community of international students from your home country?
- Do they have strong links with your home country?
See more
10 UK universities that rank as the best in the world.
