Best universities in the UK 2025 - University Rankings
What is the top university in the UK? Use this table of the best universities in the UK to find the right institution for you as well as more information on how to apply to study in the UK
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Top ten universities in the UK 2025
Scroll down for the full list of best universities in the UK
| UK rank 2025 | WUR rank 2025 | WUR rank 2024 | University | City/town |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | University of Oxford | Oxford |
| 2 | 5 | 5 | University of Cambridge | Cambridge |
| 3 | 9 | 8 | Imperial College London | London |
| 4 | =22 | 22 | UCL | London |
| 5 | 29 | =30 | University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 6 | =36 | =38 | King’s College London | London |
| 7 | =50 | 46 | London School of Economics and Political Science | London |
| 8 | =53 | 51 | University of Manchester | Manchester |
| 9 | 78 | 81 | University of Bristol | Bristol |
| 10 | =87 | =87 | University of Glasgow | Glasgow |
Which are the top universities in the UK? If you want to study in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, which universities should you consider?
This list of UK universities (scroll down) reveals the best universities and colleges in the UK, according to the trusted Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025.
The University of Oxford takes the first place position, with the University of Cambridge following in second place, while two of London’s best universities and a Scottish university complete the top five. More information on the best universities in England can be found here.
Three universities in Scotland appear in the top 25 – the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow and the University of St Andrews. More information about the best universities in Scotland can be found here.
Cardiff University is the top-ranked Welsh university, sitting in joint 26th place.
For students looking to study in Northern Ireland, the best university in the ranking is Queen’s University Belfast.
Of the top universities in the UK, about 20 are in London, including well-known institutions such as Imperial College London and King’s College London. Explore more of London’s best universities here.
Top five universities in the UK
5. University of Edinburgh
Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is the sixth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Britain and Ireland’s seven ancient universities.
It is made up of three colleges: arts, humanities and social sciences; science and engineering; and medicine and veterinary medicine. Within these colleges are 20 academic schools.
A range of student clubs and societies is on offer, including a music society, a theatre society and a variety of sports teams including football, rowing, judo and rugby.
The student newspaper, The Student, is one of the oldest student newspapers in the UK. It was founded by the author Robert Louis Stevenson.
4. UCL
UCL’s main campus is in the central London area of Bloomsbury. Nearly half of all UCL students are from outside the UK, with significantly more from Asia than from continental Europe.
UCL was the first university in England to admit students irrespective of class, race or religion, and the first to admit women on equal terms with men, following the educational philosophy of Jeremy Bentham, the university’s “spiritual founder”.
For admission, undergraduate students are required to have achieved top grades in their high school exams. The most competitive degree is the BSc in philosophy, politics and economics, which receives 30 applicants for every place.
Famous alumni include Mahatma Gandhi; Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone; and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who met the other members of his band at the university.
3. Imperial College London
Imperial’s main campus is near Kensington Palace in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with other campuses around the city. The student cohort is extremely international and comprises more than 125 nationalities.
Imperial College London is consistently ranked among the best universities in the world for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business.
It was formed in 1907 from a merger of three colleges in London and now has 17,000 students and 8,000 staff.
In addition to top scientists, Fields medallists and Nobel prizewinners, Imperial also produces influential government advisers and policymakers. Many graduates go on to achieve breakthrough innovations in industry and business, and are highly sought after by blue-chip companies and start-ups.
The author H. G. Wells and Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, are among Imperial’s famous alumni.
2. University of Cambridge
In total, 117 Nobel laureates are affiliated with the University of Cambridge, and Cambridge-linked mathematicians have won 11 Fields Medals. Notable alumni include actors, athletes, politicians, royals and cultural figures, including biologist Charles Darwin, broadcaster David Attenborough, conservationist Jane Goodall and actor Olivia Colman.
Like Oxford, the University of Cambridge is fundamentally collegiate and is also one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities. The town is just an hour from London.
The university is home to more than 19,000 students and 9,000 staff. There are 31 colleges, some of which date back to the 13th century, and more than 100 academic departments.
Cambridge is particularly renowned for excellence in mathematics and has educated some of the most famous British scientists.
Undergraduates are taught via lectures and supervisions – intimate tutorials with only a couple of other students at most. The workload is heavy but terms are shorter than at many other UK universities.
Cambridge libraries are home to extensive collections of medieval manuscripts, and the university museums display collections of archaeological artefacts and zoological specimens.
1. University of Oxford
More than 30 world leaders, 27 British prime ministers, 50 Nobelists and 120 Olympic medallists were educated at Oxford. Stephen Hawking, Hugh Grant and Indira Gandhi are some of its famous graduates.
Undergraduates and postgraduates belong to one of its 44 colleges and often live in the college building or college-owned accommodation.
One of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, the University of Oxford attracts top scholars and students. Entry standards are high and admission is competitive; on average, the institution receives five applications for each available place.
Social life and recreational activities – such as rowing, cultural events and societies – also revolve around the college. Undergraduates are taught almost exclusively by tutors in their college, while postgraduate students are primarily served academically by a centralised faculty.
There are more than 100 libraries at Oxford, the most famous of which is the Bodleian, built in 1602. The city also has a number of museums, including the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, which houses the remains of a dodo, and the Museum of the History of Science, which displays a blackboard used by Albert Einstein.
Best universities in the UK 2025
Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2025 profile
| UK rank 2025 | WUR rank 2025 | WUR rank 2024 | University | City/town |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | University of Oxford | Oxford |
| 2 | 5 | 5 | University of Cambridge | Cambridge |
| 3 | 9 | 8 | Imperial College London | London |
| 4 | =22 | 22 | UCL | London |
| 5 | 29 | =30 | University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 6 | =36 | =38 | King’s College London | London |
| 7 | =50 | 46 | London School of Economics and Political Science | London |
| 8 | =53 | 51 | University of Manchester | Manchester |
| 9 | 78 | 81 | University of Bristol | Bristol |
| 10 | =87 | =87 | University of Glasgow | Glasgow |
| 11 | =93 | 101 | University of Birmingham | Birmingham |
| 12 | =98 | 105 | University of Sheffield | Sheffield |
| 13 | 106 | =106 | University of Warwick | Warwick |
| 14 | 115 | =97 | University of Southampton | Southampton |
| 15 | 123 | 129 | University of Leeds | Leeds |
| 16 | =136 | =130 | University of Nottingham | Nottingham |
| 17 | =141 | 135 | Queen Mary University of London | London |
| 18 | =146 | 147 | University of York | York |
| 19 | =157 | =168 | Newcastle University | Newcastle |
| 20 | =160 | =168 | University of Liverpool | Liverpool |
| 21 | =168 | =155 | Lancaster University | Lancaster |
| =22 | =172 | 174 | Durham University | Durham |
| =22 | =172 | =177 | University of Exeter | Exeter |
| 24 | =185 | =193 | University of St Andrews | St Andrews |
| 25 | =191 | 201–250 | University of Leicester | Leicester |
| =26 | 201–250 | 190 | Cardiff University | Cardiff |
| =26 | 201–250 | 201–250 | Queen’s University Belfast | Belfast |
| =26 | 201–250 | 201–250 | University of Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
| =26 | 201–250 | 201–250 | University of Reading | Reading |
| =26 | 201–250 | 251–300 | University of Surrey | Guildford |
| =26 | 201–250 | 201–250 | University of Sussex | Brighton |
| =32 | 251–300 | 251–300 | University of Bath | Bath |
| =32 | 251–300 | 251–300 | University of East Anglia | Norwich |
| =34 | 301–350 | 301–350 | Birkbeck, University of London | London |
| =34 | 301–350 | 251–300 | Loughborough University | Loughborough |
| =34 | 301–350 | 301–350 | St George’s, University of London | London |
| =34 | 301–350 | 251–300 | Swansea University | Swansea |
| =34 | 301–350 | 301–350 | University of Dundee | Dundee |
| =39 | 351–400 | 401–500 | Aston University | Birmingham |
| =39 | 351–400 | 351–400 | Brunel University London | London |
| =39 | 351–400 | 351–400 | City, University of London | London |
| =39 | 351–400 | 301–350 | University of Essex | Essex |
| =39 | 351–400 | 401–500 | University of Kent | Kent |
| =39 | 351–400 | 301–350 | University of Strathclyde | Strathclyde |
| =45 | 401–500 | 401–500 | Bangor University | Bangor |
| =45 | 401–500 | 401–500 | Bournemouth University | Bournemouth |
| =45 | 401–500 | 351–400 | Heriot-Watt University | Edinburgh |
| =45 | 401–500 | 501–600 | Northumbria University | Northumbria |
| =45 | 401–500 | 301–350 | Royal Holloway, University of London | Egham |
| =45 | 401–500 | 401–500 | SOAS University of London | London |
| =45 | 401–500 | 401–500 | University of Hull | Hull |
| =45 | 401–500 | 401–500 | University of Portsmouth | Portsmouth |
| =45 | 401–500 | 401–500 | University of Stirling | Stirling |
| =54 | 501–600 | 501–600 | Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) | East Anglia |
| =54 | 501–600 | 501–600 | Edinburgh Napier University | Edinburgh |
| =54 | 501–600 | 401–500 | Goldsmiths, University of London | London |
| =54 | 501–600 | 501–600 | Keele University | Keele |
| =54 | 501–600 | 501–600 | Middlesex University | London |
| =54 | 501–600 | 401–500 | Royal Veterinary College | London |
| =54 | 501–600 | 501–600 | University of Bradford | Bradford |
| =54 | 501–600 | 501–600 | University of Greenwich | London |
| =54 | 501–600 | 501–600 | University of Huddersfield | Huddersfield |
| =54 | 501–600 | 401–500 | University of Plymouth | Plymouth |
| =64 | 601–800 | 501–600 | Aberystwyth University | Aberystwyth |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | Coventry University | Coventry |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | De Montfort University | Leicester |
| =64 | 601–800 | 501–600 | Liverpool John Moores University | Liverpool |
| =64 | 601–800 | NR | London Metropolitan University | London |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | London South Bank University | London |
| =64 | 601–800 | 501–600 | Manchester Metropolitan University | Manchester |
| =64 | 601–800 | 501–600 | Nottingham Trent University | Nottingham |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | Oxford Brookes University | Oxford |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) | Edinburgh |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | Ulster University | Ulster |
| =64 | 601–800 | 801–1000 | University of Brighton | Brighton |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | University of Derby | Derby |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | University of Hertfordshire | Hatfield |
| =64 | 601–800 | 501–600 | University of Lincoln | Lincoln |
| =64 | 601–800 | 501–600 | University of the West of England | Bristol |
| =64 | 601–800 | 601–800 | University of the West of Scotland | Paisley |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 601–800 | Birmingham City University | Birmingham |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 601–800 | Glasgow Caledonian University | Glasgow |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | Kingston University | Kingston |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | Leeds Beckett University | Leeds |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | Robert Gordon University | Aberdeen |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | Sheffield Hallam University | Sheffield |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 1001–1200 | Teesside University | Teesside |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 601–800 | The Open University | Nationwide |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 1001–1200 | University of Central Lancashire | Preston |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | University of Roehampton | Roehampton |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | University of Salford | Salford |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | University of Westminster | London |
| =81 | 801–1000 | 601–800 | University of Wolverhampton | Wolverhampton |
| =94 | 1001–1200 | 1201–1500 | Cardiff Metropolitan University | Cardiff |
| =94 | 1001–1200 | 1001–1200 | Edge Hill University | Ormskirk |
| =94 | 1001–1200 | 1001–1200 | University of Bedfordshire | Luton |
| =94 | 1001–1200 | 1001–1200 | University of East London | London |
| =94 | 1001–1200 | 801–1000 | University of Gloucestershire | Cheltenham |
| =94 | 1001–1200 | 1001–1200 | University of West London | London |
| =100 | 1201–1500 | 1001–1200 | Canterbury Christ Church University | Kent |
| =100 | 1201–1500 | 1001–1200 | Staffordshire University | Stoke-on-Trent |
| =100 | 1201–1500 | NR | University of Northampton | Northampton |
| =100 | 1201–1500 | 1001–1200 | University of South Wales | Pontypridd |
| =100 | 1201–1500 | 1201–1500 | University of Sunderland | Sunderland |
| =100 | 1201–1500 | 1001–1200 | University of Winchester | Winchester |
| =100 | 1201–1500 | NR | University of Worcester | Worcester |
| 107 | 1501+ | 1201–1500 | University of Chester | Chester |
Study in the UK
The UK remains one of the most popular destinations for international students. The application process is quite straightforward for international students because the UK has a central application system called Ucas. Students can apply to up to five universities in the UK through Ucas. More information on applying to study in the UK and applying for a UK student visa can be found here.
Tuition fees vary depending on whether you are taking an undergraduate or postgraduate course and which subject you are choosing to study. We’ve created guides on how much it costs to study in the UK and scholarships for international students in the UK.
