UK University Rankings

When researching universities to apply to, many students turn to ranking tables to understand which institutions are considered the best in their subject. There are multiple tables available that are updated each year to provide the most accurate rankings for every UK university.

At UniAdmissions, we watch these tables very closely and cover the results in our wide selection of ranking guides. On this page, you can learn more about how these tables are made, why you should consider using them and discover our full selection of university ranking guides, covering over 10 major subjects in the UK.

UNIVERSITY RANKING TABLES

How Are Ranking Tables Made?

Ranking tables are produced by a number of organisations, including Complete University Guide, The Guardian, QS Top Universities and Times Higher Education. Each of these organisations has its own methods of creating its ranking, but they are generally the product of extensive research and data collection. 

Each year, data will be collected relating to student satisfaction, entry standards, faculty spend, research quality, employment and much more. All of these factors are given numerical scores, which are then used to generate a final score which determines each university’s placement on the table. As well as overall statistics, this is also done for each subject department at the university, resulting in unique tables for each subject category. 

Why Are Rankings Important?

While they’re not the only thing to consider during your university research, ranking tables can act as a great starting point. The subject-specific tables are particularly helpful, as these will account for universities that have specific strengths in certain fields, rather than just covering the universities that are best overall. 

No one table is more trustworthy than the others, so explore a range of options, especially those produced within the UK. Global rankings are great for those looking to expand their scope, but they don’t cover as many UK universities as the homegrown tables. However, your final decision should be based on a number of factors, not just the university’s ranking position, so be sure to search for institutions that meet your personal preferences, ideally by attending open days. 

Top 10 UK Universities

Below are the top 10 UK universities from four of the most trusted ranking tables available. Bear in mind that QS Top Universities and Times Higher Education produce global lists rather than national ones, so the placements seen here are not necessarily the placements of each university on the full table.

Complete University Guide

PositionUniversity
1University of Cambridge
2University of Oxford
3London School of Economics (LSE)
4University of St Andrews
5Durham University
6Imperial College London
7Loughborough University
8University of Bath
9University of Warwick
10Lancaster University

The Guardian

PositionUniversity
1University of Oxford
2University of St Andrews
3University of Cambridge
4London School of Economics (LSE)
5Imperial College London
6Durham University
7University of Bath
8University of Warwick
9University College London (UCL)
10Loughborough University

QS Top
Universities

PositionUniversity
1Imperial College London
2University of Oxford
3University of Cambridge
4University College London (UCL)
5King’s College London
6University of Edinburgh
7University of Manchester
8University of Bristol
9London School of Economics (LSE)
10Durham of Warwick

Time Higher Education

PositionUniversity
1University of Oxford
2University of Cambridge
3Imperial College London
4University College London (UCL)
5University of Edinburgh
6Kings College London
7London School of Economics (LSE)
8University of Manchester
9University of Bristol
10University of Glasgow

UK University Rankings By Subject

Overall ranking tables can only tell you so much about how good a university’s teaching is, so discover our selection of subject ranking table guides below. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

A university ranking table is an independent assessment of a university’s quality based on multiple factors. Universities are ranked based on the scores given by the assessor and placed on a ranking table, from the highest scoring institution to the lowest. 

Both general tables and subject-specific tables are produced to provide both an overall view of each university and a closer look at each teaching department. 

Two of the best national university ranking tables are produced by Complete University Guide and The Guardian. 

As for global ranking tables, two of the most popular examples are made by QS Top Universities and Times Higher Education. 

These tables are created based on data collected by each organisation. Sources of the data include student//academic surveys, employment data and information provided directly from the university. 

While the data itself is trustworthy, it can sometimes be interpreted and considered in different ways by different table producers. As such, rankings do not remain consistent across every table, meaning you shouldn’t take any one table as fact.

Not necessarily! In the UK, universities must reach a basic standard of ability to provide value to their students, so no university is going to offer a terrible experience or education. However, it’s true that not every university is as good as the top institutions in the UK, like Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial. 

Don’t be put off from applying, though. Every university has its strengths and weaknesses, and these are not always possible to quantify on a ranking table. Explore the options that appeal to you and make your decision based on which ones match your personal preferences.