Top Universities in the UK 2018

Click here to view the latest version of this article, based on the QS World University Rankings® 2020.

The UK boasts 76 positions in the QS World University Rankings® 2018, including five new entries this year. Four UK universities feature in the global top 10, while a further 24 have achieved the incredible feat of ranking in the top 200. Perhaps unsurprisingly, both halves of Oxbridge and several London-based institutions feature in the UK top 10, but there’s a much broader range of universities and locations further down the table.

To read this year’s rankings in full, click here.

1. University of Cambridge

There’s no change at the top since last year, with the University of Cambridge ranked first in the UK. However, the university is down one place in the QS World University Rankings to now rank fifth in the world this year. Cambridge was founded in 1209, making it one of the oldest universities in the world, and currently educates around 19,000 students.

2. University of Oxford

Ranked sixth in the world, the University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and is credited with producing highly successful alumni, including 27 British Prime Ministers, 30 international leaders, 50 Nobel Prize winners and other prominent figures such as Sir Stephen Hawking.

3. UCL (University College London)

UCL continues to rank seventh in the world this year, making it London’s highest-ranked university for three years in a row. UCL calls itself London’s Global University and this is certainly reflected in its on-campus diversity, with more than 15,500 of its 38,900 students coming from outside the UK.

4. Imperial College London

Up one place to now rank eighth in the world this year, Imperial College London is the fourth and final UK university to appear in the global top 10. Imperial is a science-based institution which focuses on developing technologies and their practical applications.

=5. King's College London (KCL)

King’s College London is ranked joint 23^rd in the world this year, sharing the position with the University of Edinburgh. Renowned for its medical education and research, the university is home to the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, the world’s first nursing school.

=5. University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh continues to be the highest-ranked university in Scotland, this year placing joint 23^rd in the world and joint 5^th in the UK. Established in 1582, the university’s prestige has helped earn the city the nickname ‘Athens of the North’, and it’s been ranked one of the top five UK universities for research excellence.

7. University of Manchester

Ranked 34^th in the world in 2018, the University of Manchester is the UK’s largest single-site university, hosting 39,700 students hailing from 160 countries. A member of the prestigious Russell Group of UK universities, Manchester has been associated with 25 Nobel Prize winners.

8. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Back in London, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is up two places to rank 35^th in the world in 2018. Established in 1895, LSE focuses on the social sciences and has a diverse student body, with over 7,500 of its 10,880 students coming from overseas.

9. University of Bristol

The University of Bristol is ranked 44^th in the world in 2018. The university is another Russell Group member and is the largest independent employer in the city of Bristol. The university was established in 1876 and now enrolls around 22,300 students.

10. University of Warwick

Ranked 57^th in the world in 2018, the University of Warwick is actually based in the outskirts of the city of Coventry, and is home to the Warwick Arts Centre, the largest of its kind in the UK outside of London.

The remaining top 20 UK universities are…

11. University of Glasgow – ranked 65^th in the world. 

12. Durham University – ranked joint 78^th in the world.

13. University of Sheffield – ranked joint 82^ndin the world.

=14. University of Nottingham – ranked joint 84^th in the world.

=14. University of Birmingham – ranked joint 84^th in the world.

16. University of St Andrews – ranked 92^nd in the world.

17. University of Leeds – ranked 101^st in the world.

18. University of Southampton – ranked joint 102^nd in the world.

19. Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) – ranked 127^th in the world.

=20. Lancaster University – ranked joint 135^th in the world.

=20. University of York – ranked joint 135^th in the world.

The remaining top universities in the UK, in order of how they ranked this year, are… 

22. Cardiff University– ranked joint 137^th in the world.

=23. University of Aberdeen – ranked joint 158^th in the world.

=23. University of Exeter – ranked joint 158^th in the world.

25. University of Bath– ranked 160^th in the world.

26. Newcastle University – ranked joint 161^st in the world.

27. University of Liverpool – ranked joint 173^rd in the world.

28. University of Reading – ranked joint 188^th in the world.

29. Queen's University of Belfast – ranked 202^nd in the world.

30. University of Sussex– ranked 228^th in the world.

31. Loughborough University– ranked 234^th in the world.

32. University of Leicester– ranked 238^th in the world.

33. Royal Holloway University of London– ranked joint 259^th in the world.

34. University of Surrey – ranked joint 264^th in the world.

35. University of Dundee– ranked joint 267^th in the world.

36. University of East Anglia (UEA) – ranked 274^th in the world.

37. University of Strathclyde – ranked joint 277^th in the world.

38. SOAS - School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London – ranked joint 296^th in the world.

39. Birkbeck College, University of London– ranked joint 308^th in the world.

40. Heriot-Watt University– ranked 312^th in the world, up 15 places from last year.

41. City University London– ranked 343^rd in the world.

42. Brunel University – ranked joint 346^th in the world.

43. University of Essex – ranked joint 347^th in the world.

44. Oxford Brookes University – ranked joint 361^st in the world.

=45. Aston University – ranked 373^rd in the world.

=45. University of Kent – ranked joint 373^rd in the world.

47. Goldsmiths, University of London – ranked joint 398^th in the world, up from 421-430 last year.

After the global top 400, the remaining universities are ranked in ranges, starting from 401-410, going up to 801-1000. Click here to find out more. 

48. Swansea University – ranked 431-440 in the world.
49. Bangor University - ranked 441-450 in the world.
50. University of Stirling – ranked 451-460 in the world.
51. Aberystwyth University– ranked 481-490 in the world.
52. Kingston University, London – ranked 501-550 in the world.

=53. Coventry University – ranked 551-600 in the world, up from 651-700 last year.

=53. Westminster University – ranked 551-600 in the world, new this year.

Five top universities in the UK are ranked in the 601-650 range, and are therefore joint 55^th in the UK:

=55. Keele University 

=55. University of Bradford

=55. University of Hull 

=55. University of Portsmouth 

=55. University of Ulster 

Another five top UK universities are placed 701-750, and are therefore joint 60^th in the UK:

=60. Bournemouth University – new this year.

=60. London Metropolitan University 

=60. Middlesex University 

=60. University of Brighton – new this year.

=60. Plymouth University 

Four institutions are placed in the 751-800 range, making them joint 65^th in the UK:

=65. Northumbria University at Newcastle

=65. University of Hertfordshire

=65. University of Huddersfield

=65. University of Salford

And finally, the remaining eight top UK universities are all ranked 801-1000, which means they’re joint 69^th in the UK:

=69. Edinburgh Napier University – new this year.

=69. London South Bank University – new this year.

=69. Manchester Metropolitan University

=69. Nottingham Trent University

=69. Robert Gordon University

=69. University of Central Lancashire

=69. University of East London

=69. University of Greenwich

You can find out more about studying in the UK with our complete guide, which features advice on applications, visas, costs, funding and more.