Best universities in the UK 2024 – University Rankings

The University of Oxford is top of a list of the best universities in the UK 2024, which includes institutions in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Top 10 universities in the UK 2024

UK Rank 2024	World University 2024 Rank	World University 2023 Rank	University	City/town
1	1	1	University of Oxford	Oxford
2	5	=3	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
3	8	10	Imperial College London	London
4	22	22	UCL	London
5	=30	29	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
6	=38	35	King’s College London	London
7	46	37	London School of Economics and Political Science	London
8	51	=54	University of Manchester	Manchester
9	81	76	University of Bristol	Bristol
10	=87	=82	University of Glasgow	Glasgow

Three universities in Scotland appear in the top 25 – the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, and the University of St Andrews – while Cardiff University is the top-ranked Welsh university, sitting in 24th place.

For students looking to study in Northern Ireland, the best university in the ranking is Queen’s University Belfast.

Top 5 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 is made up of 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, Field 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 actress 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.

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 centralized faculty.