In the recently released QS World University Rankings 2022, the United Kingdom boasts an impressive 90 universities, including four of the top ten entries. It is only surpassed by the United States, which has 177 entries.
Top Universities In The UK 2022
Numerous works of film and literature have been inspired by universities in the United Kingdom. The UK is also incredibly diverse; it's said that every 30 miles you travel in the UK, you'll hear a different accent.
Continue reading to learn about the best universities in the United Kingdom's four constituent nations: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
According to the QS World University Rankings 2022
World Ranking |
Institution |
Location |
2 |
University of Oxford |
Oxford |
3 |
University of Cambridge |
Cambridge |
7 |
London |
|
8 |
UCL |
London |
16 |
The University of Edinburgh |
Edinburgh |
27 |
The University of Manchester |
Manchester |
35 |
|
London |
49 |
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) |
London |
61 |
The University of Warwick |
Warwick |
62 |
Bristol |
Top ranked universities in the United Kingdom
University | QS Ranking 2022 | THE Ranking 2022 | ARWU Ranking 2021 |
---|---|---|---|
University of Oxford | 2 | 1 | 7 |
University of Cambridge | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Imperial College London | 7 | 12 | 25 |
University College London | 8 | 18 | 17 |
University of Edinburgh | 16 | 30 | 38 |
University of Manchester | 27 | 50 | 35 |
King's College London | 35 | 35 | 47 |
London School of Economics and Political Science | 49 | 27 | 151 |
University of Warwick | 61 | 78 | 101 |
University of Bristol | 62 | 92 | 78 |
University of Glasgow | 73 | 86 | 151 |
University of Southampton | 77 | 124 | 151 |
Durham University | 82 | 162 | 301 |
University of Birmingham | 90 | 105 | 101 |
University of St Andrews | 91 | 201 | 301 |
University of Leeds | 92 | 127 | 101 |
University of Sheffield | 95 | 110 | 101 |
University of Nottingham | 103 | 141 | 101 |
Queen Mary University of London | 117 | 117 | 201 |
Lancaster University | 132 | 122 | 301 |
Newcastle University | 134 | 146 | 201 |
University of Exeter | 149 | 143 | 151 |
Cardiff University | 151 | 189 | 151 |
University of York | 151 | 169 | 401 |
University of Bath | 166 | 201 | 301 |
University of Liverpool | 189 | 178 | 101 |
University of Reading | 202 | 201 | 301 |
University of Aberdeen | 205 | 158 | 201 |
Queen's University Belfast | 216 | 201 | 401 |
University of Sussex | 226 | 151 | 151 |
Loughborough University | 231 | 351 | 501 |
University of Leicester | 236 | 185 | 301 |
Heriot-Watt University | 270 | 501 | 801 |
University of Surrey | 272 | 201 | 301 |
University of Strathclyde | 302 | 401 | 401 |
University of East Anglia | 307 | 182 | 201 |
University of Dundee | 322 | 201 | 301 |
City, University of London | 330 | 351 | – |
Birkbeck, University of London | 332 | 351 | – |
Royal Holloway, University of London | 334 | 351 | 801 |
Brunel University London | 351 | 351 | 501 |
University of Kent | 383 | 351 | 501 |
SOAS University of London | 391 | 401 | – |
Oxford Brookes University | 429 | 601 | – |
University of Essex | 439 | 301 | 401 |
Swansea University | 440 | 251 | 401 |
Goldsmiths, University of London | 461 | 401 | – |
University of Stirling | 471 | 301 | 801 |
Aston University | 485 | 401 | 701 |
Aberystwyth University | 541 | 501 | 901 |
Bangor University | 601 | 401 | 601 |
Coventry University | 601 | 601 | – |
Kingston University | 601 | 801 | – |
University of Plymouth | 601 | 401 | 501 |
Ulster University | 651 | 601 | 901 |
University of Hull | 651 | 601 | 801 |
University of Portsmouth | 651 | 501 | 501 |
Middlesex University London | 701 | 401 | – |
Northumbria University | 701 | 401 | 801 |
University of Bradford | 701 | 601 | – |
University of Huddersfield | 701 | 601 | – |
University of Westminster | 701 | 801 | – |
Bournemouth University | 751 | 351 | 801 |
Keele University | 751 | 501 | 601 |
University of Greenwich | 751 | 601 | 801 |
De Montfort University | 801 | 601 | – |
Edinburgh Napier University | 801 | 501 | – |
Liverpool John Moores University | 801 | 401 | 601 |
London Metropolitan University | 801 | – | – |
London South Bank University | 801 | 801 | – |
Manchester Metropolitan University | 801 | 601 | 801 |
Nottingham Trent University | 801 | 501 | 601 |
Queen Margaret University | 801 | – | – |
Robert Gordon University (RGU) | 801 | 1001 | – |
University of Brighton | 801 | 601 | – |
University of Central Lancashire | 801 | 801 | – |
University of East London | 801 | 801 | – |
University of Hertfordshire | 801 | 601 | 901 |
University of Lincoln | 801 | 501 | 901 |
University of Salford | 801 | 801 | – |
University of the West of England, Bristol | 801 | 401 | – |
Birmingham City University | 1001 | 501 | – |
Canterbury Christ Church University | 1001 | 1001 | – |
Glasgow Caledonian University | 1001 | 601 | – |
Harper Adams University | 1001 | – | – |
Leeds Beckett University | 1001 | 801 | – |
Sheffield Hallam University | 1001 | 801 | – |
University of Derby | 1001 | 601 | – |
University of Northampton | 1001 | – | – |
University of Wolverhampton | 1001 | 1001 | – |
Anglia Ruskin University | – | 301 | – |
Brighton and Sussex Medical School | – | 201 | – |
Cardiff Metropolitan University | – | 1001 | – |
Cranfield University | – | – | 801 |
Edge Hill University | – | 801 | – |
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | – | – | 901 |
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine | – | – | 201 |
Royal Veterinary College | – | 401 | 801 |
Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) | – | 401 | – |
St George's, University of London | – | 201 | 601 |
Explained: How do the university rankings work?
The QS World University Rankings are among the most important and widely cited rankings. The QS ranking heavily relies on its academic survey, which polls thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Citations (the frequency with which a university's research is cited elsewhere) are given equal weight to teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact.
The Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities (also known as the Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, as measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni who have received the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.