Study Location Guide

Best universities in the UK 2025 - University Rankings

Explore the UK University Rankings 2025 to see which institutions stand out at the top.

5 mins read

Posted: 2025-05-14

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This authoritative list highlights the best universities and colleges across the UK. UK universities are evaluated across key performance areas, including teaching quality, research strength, and international outlook.

The rankings are built on a rigorous methodology trusted by students, academics, policymakers, and industry leaders around the world.

 

Top universities in the UK

UK Rank 2025 WUR Rank 2025 University Overall Teaching Research Environment Research Quality Industry International Outlook
1 1 University of Oxford 98.5 96.8 100 98.8 99.6 97.3
2 5 University of Cambridge 97.4 95.9 99.9 97.6 88.4 97.1
3 9 Imperial College London 94.4 89.3 94.9 98.5 90.8 98.3
4 22 UCL 87.7 77.6 86.2 98.4 74.9 97.7
5 29 University of Edinburgh 82.5 72.2 77.1 95.7 72.2 96.6
6 36 King’s College London 78.8 60.1 74.3 97.2 76.2 97.2
7 50 London School of Economics and Political Science 75.9 60 72 94.7 45.1 94.2
8 53 University of Manchester 75.5 60.3 67.7 93.4 73.3 95.5
9 78 University of Bristol 70 49.8 56.9 96.8 71.1 92.6
10 87 University of Glasgow 67.8 47.5 51.4 96 72 96
11 93 University of Birmingham 67.1 46.7 50.5 95.1 75.3 95.1
12 98 University of Sheffield 66.3 48.7 49.1 90.1 94 91.8
13 106 University of Warwick 65.7 47.9 51.5 89 69.3 96.2
14 115 University of Southampton 65.3 47.2 47.7 91.2 72.7 96.7
15 123 University of Leeds 64.5 46.4 51 87 71.2 94.6
16 136 University of Nottingham 62.7 43.6 46.2 88.3 71.8 93.6
17 141 Queen Mary University of London 62.3 36.1 42.3 97.1 72.5 98
18 146 University of York 62.1 42.4 44.2 90.6 66.8 92.9
19 157 Newcastle University 61.4 37.1 42.9 93 82.9 90.8
20 160 University of Liverpool 61.1 40.1 40.7 92.1 65.7 95.5
21 168 Lancaster University 60.7 41.6 40.8 89.1 66.4 96.2
22 172 Durham University 60.4 43.6 43.9 83.7 62.5 95.5
23 172 University of Exeter 60.4 34.8 42.3 94.9 56 94.9
24 185 University of St Andrews 59.5 47.4 44 76.9 65.5 94.8
25 191 University of Leicester 59.2 34.9 34.9 96.1 69.7 95.5
25 191 University of Leicester 59.2 34.9 34.9 96.1 69.7 95.5
26 201–250 Cardiff University 55.8–58.6 37.6 38.9 88.3 70.2 91.9
26 201–250 Queen’s University Belfast 55.8–58.6 35.2 37.8 89.8 67.6 98.3
26 201–250 University of Aberdeen 55.8–58.6 34.8 36 81.9 79.1 97.4
26 201–250 University of Reading 55.8–58.6 38.6 38.5 86.6 66.6 95.3
26 201–250 University of Surrey 55.8–58.6 33.8 34.7 89 73.3 96.8
26 201–250 University of Sussex 55.8–58.6 31.8 36 89.6 62.7 95.5
32 251–300 University of Bath 53.7–55.7 37.5 35.5 81.3 66.6 94.5
32 251–300 University of East Anglia 53.7–55.7 31.5 31.3 90.1 59.7 88.8
34 301–350 Birkbeck, University of London 51.1–53.6 34.7 32.2 77.8 64.6 91.6
34 301–350 Loughborough University 51.1–53.6 35.6 33.9 76.2 70.2 91.2
34 301–350 St George’s, University of London 51.1–53.6 23 27 95.9 70.7 77.5
34 301–350 Swansea University 51.1–53.6 27.6 30.5 89.1 58.4 89.8
34 301–350 University of Dundee 51.1–53.6 26.2 32.2 84.6 79.9 92.2
39 351–400 Aston University 49.4–51.0 20.4 26.5 86.7 64.2 96.2
39 351–400 Brunel University of London 49.4–51.0 24.7 27.9 80.6 60.7 98.3
39 351–400 City, University of London 49.4–51.0 27.8 30.3 76.8 58.5 95.1
39 351–400 University of Essex 49.4–51.0 28.9 30.7 79.1 58.8 97.6
39 351–400 University of Kent 49.4–51.0 30.6 28.6 77.8 62.9 93.7
39 351–400 University of Strathclyde 49.4–51.0 33 35.2 69 79.5 92.3
45 401–500 Bangor University 46.0–49.2 28.7 25.7 70.7 61.9 88.3
45 401–500 Bournemouth University 46.0–49.2 24 20.8 87.8 39.7 88.8
45 401–500 Heriot-Watt University 46.0–49.2 34.7 33.9 62.3 83 95.4
45 401–500 Northumbria University 46.0–49.2 23.1 25 80 47.3 90.2
45 401–500 Royal Holloway, University of London 46.0–49.2 31.1 29.3 72.8 65 94.2
45 401–500 SOAS University of London 46.0–49.2 40.6 34.5 63.9 29.2 81.2
45 401–500 University of Hull 46.0–49.2 23.6 24.2 77.4 55.5 88.6
45 401–500 University of Portsmouth 46.0–49.2 23.8 20 86.6 50.3 95.4
45 401–500 University of Stirling 46.0–49.2 23.3 25.6 79.8 42.5 91.8
54 501–600 Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) 43.3–45.9 20.6 15 82.4 29.1 93.3
54 501–600 Edinburgh Napier University 43.3–45.9 18.2 19 78.8 41.7 95.8
54 501–600 Goldsmiths, University of London 43.3–45.9 26.5 23.7 76.8 40.9 82.1
54 501–600 Keele University 43.3–45.9 22 22.8 72.7 63.6 83.1
54 501–600 Middlesex University 43.3–45.9 24.3 18.2 78.3 42.3 93.6
54 501–600 Royal Veterinary College 43.3–45.9 30.4 20 72.3 59.3 94.3
54 501–600 University of Bradford 43.3–45.9 20.4 22 76.1 57.5 91.7
54 501–600 University of Greenwich 43.3–45.9 18.2 18 83.6 37.4 97.7
54 501–600 University of Huddersfield 43.3–45.9 26.6 24.7 69.8 44.2 89.6
54 501–600 University of Plymouth 43.3–45.9 22.8 22 77 65 81.6
64 601–800 Aberystwyth University 38.2–43.2 25.7 21.9 63.2 57 85.3
64 601–800 Coventry University 38.2–43.2 21.6 15.3 68.2 39 94.9
64 601–800 De Montfort University 38.2–43.2 17.7 15.7 73.3 44 93.7
64 601–800 Liverpool John Moores University 38.2–43.2 19.3 19.5 79.7 45.4 81.4
64 601–800 London Metropolitan University 38.2–43.2 16.5 13.5 72.7 30.3 91.5
64 601–800 London South Bank University 38.2–43.2 18.6 12.8 74.3 48.6 94.9
64 601–800 Manchester Metropolitan University 38.2–43.2 19.8 18.7 78.8 39 81.7
64 601–800 Nottingham Trent University 38.2–43.2 19.9 13.9 83.3 37 90.4
64 601–800 Oxford Brookes University 38.2–43.2 25.8 20 56.9 29.8 88.5
64 601–800 SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) 38.2–43.2 25.8 13.7 79 28.1 63.9
64 601–800 Ulster University 38.2–43.2 21.7 22.4 63.2 52.7 84.9
64 601–800 University of Brighton 38.2–43.2 19.2 19.4 66.4 64.1 86.8
64 601–800 University of Derby 38.2–43.2 19.1 13.8 73 30.3 78.3
64 601–800 University of Hertfordshire 38.2–43.2 18.6 13.2 72 41.7 92.7
64 601–800 University of Lincoln 38.2–43.2 20.2 18.7 75.9 31.5 83.4
64 601–800 University of the West of England 38.2–43.2 18.7 15.1 80.2 55 81.9
64 601–800 University of the West of Scotland 38.2–43.2 24 16.1 69 66 89.6
81 801–1000 Birmingham City University 34.5–38.1 18.3 12.1 66.6 23.3 84.9
81 801–1000 Glasgow Caledonian University 34.5–38.1 18.5 13.7 63.9 47.4 79.4
81 801–1000 Kingston University 34.5–38.1 20 15.5 53.1 48.4 91
81 801–1000 Leeds Beckett University 34.5–38.1 17.8 15.5 66.1 47.8 71.8
81 801–1000 Robert Gordon University 34.5–38.1 17.2 13.4 61.4 38 88.3
81 801–1000 Sheffield Hallam University 34.5–38.1 18.9 14 62 33.7 72
81 801–1000 Teesside University 34.5–38.1 19 14.2 68.8 28.2 86.9
81 801–1000 The Open University 34.5–38.1 17 15.2 67.5 48.4 63.3
81 801–1000 University of Central Lancashire 34.5–38.1 19.1 13.7 57.3 37.3 83.3
81 801–1000 University of Roehampton 34.5–38.1 22.1 21.8 55.9 29.3 86.5
81 801–1000 University of Salford 34.5–38.1 19.7 15.3 62.5 53.7 84.2
81 801–1000 University of Westminster 34.5–38.1 18.7 16.8 58.5 46.8 88.1
81 801–1000 University of Wolverhampton 34.5–38.1 19.2 14.9 60.2 48.1 80.3
94 1001–1200 Cardiff Metropolitan University 30.7–34.4 18.7 13.7 45.8 28.2 84.4
94 1001–1200 Edge Hill University 30.7–34.4 18.3 13.9 60.5 27.2 56.8
94 1001–1200 University of Bedfordshire 30.7–34.4 16.6 14 56.4 30.1 84.7
94 1001–1200 University of East London 30.7–34.4 20.9 15.4 46.4 30.7 87.3
94 1001–1200 University of Gloucestershire 30.7–34.4 18.6 14.1 56.2 24.6 65.5
94 1001–1200 University of West London 30.7–34.4 20.5 10 52.1 18.9 90.8
100 1201–1500 Canterbury Christ Church University 25.2–30.6 24.4 13.4 45.7 18.9 64.3
100 1201–1500 University of Northampton 25.2–30.6 18.1 11 42.5 18.4 80.4
100 1201–1500 University of South Wales 25.2–30.6 18.1 12.1 38.7 49.8 78.6
100 1201–1500 University of Staffordshire 25.2–30.6 18.4 11.5 48.9 24.3 67.4
100 1201–1500 University of Sunderland 25.2–30.6 19.3 9.7 36.5 34.8 73
100 1201–1500 University of Winchester 25.2–30.6 19.5 16 43.7 18.8 64.9
100 1201–1500 University of Worcester 25.2–30.6 17.6 12 38 23.2 59.9
107 1501+ University of Chester 10.5–25.1 19.5 13.3 28.9 26.5 70
 

Key Insights:

  • The University of Oxford retains its position as the top university in the UK for the ninth consecutive year, reaffirming its academic excellence.

  • The University of Cambridge continues to rank within the UK’s top five, standing out for its strengths in research and innovation.

  • London’s leading institutions-Imperial College London, UCL, and King’s College London-maintain high rankings, reflecting their global reputation and strong research influence.

  • Three Scottish universities feature in the top 25: the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, and the University of St Andrews.

  • Cardiff University is the highest-ranked university in Wales, while Queen’s University Belfast leads in Northern Ireland.

These rankings are based on data from the THE World University Rankings and evaluated using 18 performance indicators across five key pillars: teaching (learning environment), research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.

 

For a deeper understanding of how the rankings are calculated. Use the table above to explore and compare the best UK universities to find the right fit for your academic goals.

Source: Times Higher Education

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