Anyone applying to study Law in the UK will be keen to know if their chosen universities are well-regarded in teaching the subject. Some will only want to apply to the best of the best available. The UK Law School rankings are a popular way to assess this.
From these rankings, prospective students gain valuable insight into the course and the universities. They can have a strong influence over where they apply, even if some of the universities don’t align with all of their requirements. The idea of attending one of the top law schools is just too appealing for some.
However, the rankings aren’t as definitive as they may initially seem. There are multiple sources for university rankings in the UK, each of which assesses each university with unique measures. Furthermore, these rankings are updated each year and tend to change a lot, meaning the top law school one year may be lower down the next.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the law school rankings available to assess and compare their rankings. We’ll also consider how important these rankings actually are and how they should be considered when selecting your university choices. If you’re ready, let’s begin!
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Who Makes The UK Law School Rankings?
When it comes to UK universities, three major independent ranking tables are compiled annually:
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How Are UK Law School Ranked?
Each of these outlets uses its own scoring system to rank universities and university courses, including Law. These systems typically provide scores based on a number of factors, including student satisfaction, entry standards, student statistics and factors relating to research.
Some of these factors are quantitative and indisputable, but others a more subjective and don’t have clear standards to justify scoring. However, these tables are generally useful tools for exploring different factors of UK law schools.
Let’s take a look at each of the ranking tables to see how they order their tables:
The Complete University Guide Law School Rankings
The Complete University Guide uses a percentage-based scoring system to order its rankings. The primary factors considered are:
- Entry Standards (the average UCAS tariff of students joining the university)
- Student Satisfaction (how satisfied students are with the quality of teaching they receive)
- Research Quality (a measure of the quality of research undertaken in the university)
- Graduate Prospects (a measure of the employability of beyond graduation)
- Overall Score (an overall score that determines the rank of the medical school)
There are some additional measures also used, which include:
- Research intensity (the proportion of staff involved in research)
- Student:staff ratio (the number of students to staff)
- Academic services spend (the spend per student on all academic services)
- Facilities spend (the spend per student on staff and student facilities)
- Good honours (the number of students achieving first or 2:1 degrees)
This data is then compiled to make an overall score. The Complete University Guide claims that much of their data is taken from the National Student Survey (NSS), which sees responses from up to 500,000 students each year. Other parts of the data are taken from the universities individually, such as entry standards and student:staff ratios.
With such a large pool of data to collect from, the rankings provided are fairly reliable, although it’s worth considering that the proportion of students that complete the survey may not be equal at each university.
The Guardian Law School Rankings
The Guardian is a major newspaper in the UK and has become well known for its annual university rankings. Similar to Complete University Guide, The Guardian ranks universities out of 100, with a variety of measures relating to quality and statistical data. These measures are:
- Satisfied with course (the overall rating given by final year students)
- Satisfied with teaching (quality of teaching rated by final year students)
- Satisfied with feedback (a rating for the quality of feedback and assessment by final year students)
- Student to staff ratio (the number of students per staff member)
- Spend per student (the amount of money spent on each student excluding academic staff costs)
- Value added score (a comparison of students’ degree results against the entry qualification, which shows how effectively they are taught)
- Career after 15 months (the percentage of graduates who find a job or continue further study within 15 months of graduating)
- Average entry tariff (the typical UCAS score of entrants)
- Continuation (the percentage of first year students who go on to the second year)
The Guardian also pulls data from the NSS for elements of their rankings, as well as admissions data, financial data and graduate data from each university. However, The Guardian places importance on different aspects of the data, which is why university placements can vary between lists.
Times Higher Education Law School Rankings
Times Higher Education (THE) is unique compared to the other two ranking tables, as this is a global ranking rather than a national ranking. While a UK ranking can still be created by removing the other countries, it’s still important to consider, as these universities are being assessed by slightly different standards.
THE pulls data from a variety of different sources as they’re ranking universities from across the globe. Some of this data is taken directly from the universities and other parts are taken from national bodies. The overall factors being assessed are as follows:
- Teaching (29.5%) This relates to the learning environment, based on reputation, income and ratios.
- Research Environment (29%) This is based on Research reputation, income and productivity.
- Research Quality (30%) This is based on research strength, excellence and influence, as well as citation impact.
- International Outlook (7.5%) This is based on the proportions of international students and staff, as well as international collaboration.
- Industry (4%) This is based on industry income and patents.
The percentages represent the weighting (importance) of each factor to the overall score and placement. These factors are somewhat vague, but the ranking cannot delve too deep into UK-specific factors like UCAS due to its role as an international law school ranking.
The placements of universities on different lists can be so different because of differences in the weightings (importance) of each measure and the interpretation and use of data. While a lot of the data used will remain the same between tables, each ranking body will have different standards for what increases or decreases a score.
How To Use Law School Rankings
These differences can make using ranking tables feel somewhat unreliable, but it’s important to approach these rankings with the right expectations. None of these lists can provide a definitive answer to which university is best for you as there are factors to consider that aren’t possible to quantify on a table.
You should also be aware of what the content of the course is. There is no point applying for somewhere purely because it is ranked highly when it does not cover topics relevant to you. A notable example of this is the University of Glasgow – which is currently ranked fifth by both The Complete University Guide and The Guardian – because it is a Scottish university, it is crucial to be aware of the difference in their courses.
The Scots Law course is fine for those wishing to practice in Scotland. However, they also offer a Common Law course covering jurisdictions such as England and Wales, Ireland, Canada, the USA and even India. Therefore, it is crucial when you look at the rankings to consider where you actually wish to practice Law and subsequently what you want to get out of your degree.
You also need to consider the university itself, including the campus, teaching/examination styles, facilities and general atmosphere. These are all elements that can’t be ranked quantitatively, so it’s up to you to do your research and find which university is the best fit for you.
Should I Apply To A Low Ranking Law School?
Have you found a university that seems like a great match for you, but have discovered that it’s fairly low on the ranking tables? You may think that you should forget about it and look at the higher ranked universities, but this isn’t the case at all.
All law schools in the UK need to adhere to a certain standard of teaching, so even the lower-ranked law schools are going to offer a good education overall. Look into why the university ranked lower – which areas it scored poorly in.
If it ranked low because of factors you aren’t as interested in (like research or income), then you should still consider applying. Factors that will likely be of importance to you are student satisfaction and graduate prospects (employment).
One of the best ways to determine if a university is right for you is to attend an open day. These events let you explore the campus, hear about the courses and ask questions to students and faculty. Online research is a great starting point, but actually visiting the place and hearing from those who will teach you can often be the thing that makes your decision.
With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at the 2024 ranking tables for UK law schools:
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The Complete University Guide Law Rankings 2024
The Complete University Guide’s Law School ranking table features 109 different universities. In the table below, we’ve listed the top 25 entries from this year’s ranking, complete with placement changes from the previous year.
| Position | University | Previous Position (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cambridge | 2nd (>1) |
| 2 | University College London (UCL) | 3rd (>1) |
| 3 | London School of Economics & Politics (LSE) | 4th (>1) |
| 4 | University of Oxford | 1st (<3) |
| 5 | King’s College London | 5th (=) |
| 6 | Durham University | 6th (=) |
| 7 | University of Glasgow | 7th (=) |
| 8 | University of Bristol | 8th (=) |
| 9 | University of Edinburgh | 14th (>5) |
| 10 | University of Nottingham | 18th (>10) |
| 11 | Queen’s University Belfast | 10th (<1) |
| 12 | University of Strathclyde | 17th (>5) |
| 13 | University of Warwick | 9th (<4) |
| 14 | Queen Mary University of London | 15th (>1) |
| 15 | University of York | 12th (<3) |
| 16 | University of Sheffield | 23rd (>7) |
| 17 | University of Aberdeen | 19th (>2) |
| 18 | University of Exeter | 20th (>2) |
| 19 | Cardiff University | 16th (<3) |
| 20 | University of Leeds | 11th (<9) |
| 21 | University of Manchester | 13th (<8) |
| 22 | Lancaster University | 24th (>2) |
| 23 | University of Birmingham | 23nd (<1) |
| 24 | Newcastle University | 25th (>1) |
| 25 | University of Southampton | 21st (<4) |
We can see from this list that the top five universities have remained the same compared to last year (although in a different order). Cambridge comes out on top, while Oxford has fallen 3 spaces to 4th on the list. London law schools make up the rest of the top five, while the first Scottish university doesn’t appear until 7th with Glasgow.
While a lot of the placements have changed compared to last year, most have only moved 2 – 3 spots. The biggest change was for the University of Nottingham, which jumped up 10 spaces. The biggest drop was for Leeds, falling 9 spaces from 11th to 20th.
The Guardian Law Rankings 2024
Below are the top 25 law schools from The Guardian’s 2024 League Table, along with any placement changes from the previous year:
| Position | University | Previous Position (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University College London (UCL) | 4th (>3) |
| 2 | University of Cambridge | 1st (>1) |
| 3 | University of Oxford | 2nd (<1) |
| 4 | King’s College London | 7th (>3) |
| 5 | London School of Economics & Politics (LSE) | 3rd (>2) |
| 6 | University of Glasgow | 5th (<1) |
| 7 | Durham University | 6th (<1) |
| 8 | Solent University | 28th (>20) |
| 9 | Leeds Trinity University | 31st (>22) |
| 10 | University of Warwick | 9th (<1) |
| 11 | Queen Mary University of London | 10th (<1) |
| 12 | Bangor University | 36th (>24) |
| 13 | University of Edinburgh | 8th (<5) |
| 14 | University of Manchester | 23rd (>9) |
| 15 | University of Bristol | 17th (>2) |
| 16 | University of Aberdeen | 11th (<5) |
| 17 | University of York | 22nd (>5) |
| 18 | University of Southampton | 26th (>8) |
| 19 | Lancaster University | 19th (=) |
| 20 | University of Leicester | 15th (<5) |
| 21 | University of Strathclyde | 40th (>19) |
| 22 | University Dundee | 12th (<10) |
| 23 | Newcastle University | 28th (>6) |
| 24 | University of Gloucestershire | 49th (>25) |
| 25 | University of Cumbria | 14th (<11) |
The Guardian’s top five features the same entries as Complete University Guide but in a different order. It’s fairly uncommon to see this level of consistency within the two lists, but there are some more noticeable differences further down the list.
There were some drastic changes to placements this year with the biggest jump coming from the University of Gloucestershire, jumping 25 spots from 49th to 24th. Other big leaps can be seen by Solent, Leeds Trinity, Bangor and Strathclyde. Interestingly, most of these universities don’t appear on the top 25 of any other ranking list for this year.
No universities in the top 25 experienced a drop as severe, but examples of large drops in ranking include:
- Edinburgh Napier University (16th - 43rd <27)
- University of East Anglia (18th - 42nd <24)
- University of Worcester (20th - 64th <44)
- University of Buckingham (21st - 41st <20)
Time Higher Education UK Law Rankings 2024
Here are the top 25 UK law schools from Times Higher Education’s 2024 ranking table, along with any placement changes from the previous year:
| Position | University | Previous Position (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cambridge | 1st (=) |
| 2 | University of Oxford | 2nd (=) |
| 3 | University College London (UCL) | 4th (>1) |
| 4 | University of Edinburgh | 5th (>1) |
| 5 | London School of Economics & Politics (LSE) | 3rd (<2) |
| 6 | King’s College London | 6th (=) |
| 7 | University of Glasgow | 11th (>4) |
| 8 | University of Nottingham | 7th (<1) |
| 9 | University of Essex | 9th (=) |
| 10 | Queen Mary University of London | 18th (>8) |
| 11 | University of Leeds | 10th (<1) |
| 12 | Durham University | 8th (<4) |
| 13 | University of Surrey | 13th (=) |
| 14 | University of Warwick | 25th (>11) |
| 15 | University of Bristol | 12th (<3) |
| 16 | University of Manchester | 20th (>4) |
| 17 | SOAS University of London | NA (NEW) |
| 18 | University of Birmingham | 16th (<2) |
| 19 | City, University of London | 15th (<4) |
| 20 | University of Exeter | 34th (>14) |
| 21 | University of Kent | 17th (<4) |
| 22 | University Liverpool | 22nd (=) |
| 23 | Birkbeck, University of London | 26th (>3) |
| 24 | Cardiff University | 33rd (>9) |
| 25 | University of Dundee | 21st (<4) |
Time’s Higher Education’s ranking is fairly similar to the previous two, with mostly the same law schools in the top 5 (excluding Edinburgh instead of King’s College which landed in 6th). Beyond this, there are a few other law schools on this list that haven’t appeared elsewhere, including Essex, Surrey and City.
There aren’t many major shifts in rankings this year, with the change coming from Exeter jumping up 14 spots to 20th. It’s also worth noting that THE doesn’t feature as many law schools in its ranking as this list is based on the list of international law schools. That list already features hundreds of entries, so less notable UK universities haven’t been tracked here.
UK Law Schools vs International
The prestige of the university’s law school is obviously important, although not an essential aspect. However, it ca certainly be a good judge of a law school’s quality, as they must meet a certain expectations to achieve such a high reputation.
The Times World Law School University Rankings regularly place Oxford, Cambridge, London School of Economics, and other London universities among the top in the world. This means you can be assured of a world-class education in law that employers will respect.
The Times World Law School rankings also factor in other criteria not considered by The Guardian or The Complete University Guide – notably the ratio of male to female students.
It is interesting to note from the table above that two international Law Schools often considered the most prestigious to attend – Yale and Harvard – are ranked lower than Oxford and Cambridge and feature in fifth and sixth respectively.
The Best and Worst UK Law Schools
So we’ve now seen the top 25 universities on each list, but how can we decide what the best law school is? Firstly, we should point out there isn’t a definitive best law school in the UK. As we’ve said, many of the qualities that attract students to a university are subjective. Even factors that are quantifiable can change from year to year so the best law school of one year could easily be replaced the next.
Instead, this is more so about determining which law schools are the most well-regarded according to the bodies that rank them. So let’s take a look at the top five law schools from each ranking table:
Best Law Universities UK
The top universities tend to stay the same from year to year in most ranking lists, for law and most other subjects. This year, the University of Cambridge took the top spot on two lists while UCL was ranked first by The Guardian. Cambridge and UCL both achieved perfect 100 overall scores, although THE does not assign scores in its rankings.
Let’s look at the top five UK law schools for each list:
Complete University Guide
- University of Cambridge
- University College London (UCL)
- London School of Economics & Politics (LSE)
- University of Oxford
- King's College London
The Guardian
- University College London (UCL)
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- King's College London
- London School of Economics & Politics (LSE)
Times Higher Education
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- University College London (UCL)
- University of Edinburgh
- London School of Economics & Politics (LSE)
As you can see, the top five entries remain almost perfectly consistent between the three lists, although placements do vary. Only King’s College London and Edinburgh don’t appear on every list, with THE placing Edinburgh over it. King’s appears in 6th on the THE list while Edinburgh appears in 9th and 13th on Complete Uni Guide and The Guardian’s lists.
Worst Law Universities UK
One thing that you may want to know about is the lowest-ranked law schools of this year. While these low rankings don’t necessarily make these bad law schools, it’s important to consider why they’ve been ranked so low. The following are the bottom five universities from each list in ascending order:
Complete University Guide
- University of Bolton
- Buckinghamshire New University
- University of Bedfordshire
- University of the West of Scotland
- Staffordshire University
The Guardian
- Leeds Beckett University
- University of Huddersfield
- University of the West of Scotland
- Liverpool Hope University
- Staffordshire University
Times Higher Education
- University of Westminster
- The Open University
- Nottingham Trent University
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- Liverpool John Moores University
As you can see, there’s a far great spread of universities here, showing that the different rankings don’t typically agree very often. The only two universities that appear multiple times are Staffordshire and West of Scotland, which were both placed in the bottom five by Complete Uni Guide and The Guardian.
As we mentioned before, THE does not rank as many law schools as the other lists, so the calibre of university at the bottom of that list is slightly higher (Nottingham Trent ranks 38th on Complete Uni Guide’s ranking).
However, the biggest divide seen within these rankings is the placement of Leeds Trinity University. For Complete Uni Guide, Trinity narrowly missed the bottom five by ranking 104/109. In The Guardian’s ranking, this university was ranked 9th! That leads to a whopping difference of 95 places and shows that you shouldn’t just rely on one ranking table when reviewing your university options.
How Should I Choose My Law School?
Remember to keep in mind that the UK Law School rankings should only really be considered as a starting point, from which you ought to carry out further research. There are so many factors about universities that aren’t covered by the rankings, so you need to keep your options open instead of focusing on the top five or ten universities.
One such point that may come up in research is the question of an LLB or a BA in Law. Neither Oxford nor Cambridge offer an LLB, meaning; students come out of their three years with a BA. For those wishing to continue onto a solicitor or barrister qualification will have to complete a conversion course in order to do so.
There is a considerable debate around whether it is best to study Law at undergraduate level or take another subject and do a Law conversion. The choice is really up to you, as you may like another subject and want to combine your love for both courses with a Law conversion. However, you might be passionate about doing a wholly Law undergraduate degree instead of spreading your effort across multiple subjects.
Another important step in the research is to see whether the university you are interested in requires the LNAT, which is used by 10 UK universities (including Oxford and Cambridge) during the application process for their Law courses. If it does, you’re going to have to ensure you get a good score in order to stand a good chance of getting an interview and offer.
Beyond the academic side of things, you need to ensure that you’re choosing a university in a location you would be happy to live in. If you hate city living, choosing a London university is going to be a bad idea!
Consider the location, the accommodation, the amenities and even things like the available societies on offer. Your university experience is as much about how you’re living as your studies and performance – unhappy living will affect how well you do in your work so you need to nurture both.
Ultimately the Law School rankings are a helpful tool that should be used as a springboard for further research, but they shouldn’t be the sole thing you consider when choosing.
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