The University of Oxford continues its domination as the top university in the UK for 2021. The elite institution has dropped one place since last year’s ranking and is now the fifth best university in the world, while their rival institution the University of Cambridge remains in seventh place.
There is a total of 90 UK universities in the QS World University Rankings 2021 – six more than last year. Four of these institutions make it into the global top 10, with a further four in the global top 50.
Read on for more information on the top 10 universities in the UK and view the full results of the QS World University Rankings 2021 here. You can also find out more about the methodology used to compile the rankings here.
QS World University Rankings 2021 – Top 10 Universities in the UK
1. University of Oxford
2. University of Cambridge
3. Imperial College London
4. UCL (University College London)
5. University of Edinburgh
6. The University of Manchester
7. King’s College London (KCL)
8. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
9. University of Bristol
10. The University of Warwick
1. University of Oxford
Taking first place in the UK again this year is the University of Oxford, which drops one place in the global rankings to fifth. Achieving high scores across all indicators, Oxford is the highest ranked school in the UK for faculty-student ratio (eighth place) and citations per faculty (44th place).
2. University of Cambridge
As per usual, it’s a battle between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge for first place in the UK rankings. Once again, it’s Cambridge in second place, ranked seventh globally. However, Cambridge is the highest ranked university in the UK for both academic and employer reputation, in second place globally for these indicators.
3. Imperial College London
Taking the bronze medal position in the UK is Imperial College London, the highest-ranked university in the capital. It moves up one position globally this year to eighth place and takes ninth place globally for academic reputation.
4. UCL (University College London)
Just missing out on a spot in the UK top three is UCL (University College London), which drops two places in the global rankings this year to 10th. Its highest score can be found in the academic reputation indicator where it places 13th in the world.
5. University of Edinburgh
Ranking fifth in the UK, and remaining the 20th best university in the world, is the University of Edinburgh – the only Scottish institution in the UK top 10. It scores particularly highly for academic reputation and employer reputation, ranking 25th and 31st in the world respectively for these indicators.
6. The University of Manchester
The University of Manchester ranks sixth in the UK this year, taking joint 27th place in the global rankings. Manchester graduates are looked on particularly favourably by employers – the university ranks 21st in the world for the employer reputation indicator.
7. King's College London (KCL)
Seventh in the UK again this year is King’s College London (KCL), which climbs two places in the global rankings to joint 31st. One of four London-based universities in the UK top 10, KCL achieves impressive scores in all indicators, particularly academic reputation where it ranks among the top 50 universities in the world.
8. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
In eighth place in the UK is the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which drops five places this year to rank 49th globally – the first UK university in our top 10 to make it into the global top 50. LSE is ranked seventh in the world for international students, making it the most diverse UK university in our ranking.
9. University of Bristol
Ninth in the UK is the University of Bristol, which nonetheless drops nine spots in the global rankings this year to 58th place. The university achieves high scores across all ranking indicators, particularly for academic reputation where it ranks 74th globally.
10. The University of Warwick
Remaining in 10th place in the UK this year is the University of Warwick, which is also ranked 62nd globally for another year. Their success in the rankings is largely due to the global outlook of the university, which achieves near perfect scores in the international faculty and international students ranking indicators.