Picking your university can feel like a daunting task. Your next three to four years and potentially your future career could be largely shaped by the institution you choose.
Related: Find out more about university rankings
You don’t have to make your decision without help however, and one of the most useful tools for comparing universities are university rankings. We have collated two of the highest regarded rankings, the Guardian University League Tables and the Times Good University Guide. Explore them below and visit their institution profiles to find out more:
| Times 2021 | Guardian 2021 | Institution |
|---|
| 1 | 3 | University of Cambridge |
| 2 | 1 | University of Oxford |
| 3 | 2 | University of St Andrews |
| 4 | 5 | London School of Economics and Political Science |
| 5 | 9 | Imperial College London |
| 6 | 4 | Durham University |
| 7 | 7 | Loughborough University |
| 8 | 14 | University College London |
| 9 | 6 | University of Bath |
| 10= | 10 | Lancaster University |
| 10= | 8 | University of Warwick |
| 12 | 16= | University of Exeter |
| 13 | 11 | University of Bristol |
| 14 | 12 | University of Glasgow |
| 15= | 18 | University of Leeds |
| 15= | 23 | University of Southampton |
| 17 | 13 | University of Edinburgh |
| 18 | 25 | University of Manchester |
| 19 | 21= | University of Birmingham |
| 20 | 16= | University of York |
| 21 | 38= | University of East Anglia |
| 22 | 32 | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| 23= | 19 | University of Dundee |
| 23= | 31 | University of Sheffield |
| 23= | 15 | University of Strathclyde |
| 26 | 38= | University of Nottingham |
| 27 | 20 | University of Aberdeen |
| 28 | N/A | Harper Adams University |
| 29 | 59= | University of Liverpool |
| 30 | 42 | King’s College London |
| 31= | 51 | Newcastle University |
| 31= | 46 | Queen’s University, Belfast |
| 31= | 62= | University of Reading |
| 34 | 37 | Cardiff University |
| 35 | 35= | Heriot-Watt University |
| 36 | 24 | Swansea University |
| 37 | 77= | University of Leicester |
| 38 | 28 | University of Stirling |
| 39 | 54 | University of Surrey |
| 40 | 85 | Essex, University of |
| 41 | 68= | Queen Mary, University of London |
| 42 | 49 | Aberystwyth University |
| 43 | 30 | Aston University |
| 44 | 59= | University of Sussex |
| 45 | 52 | University of Lincoln |
| 46= | 29 | University of Chichester |
| 46= | 26 | Coventry University |
| 48 | 82 | University of Kent |
| 49 | N/A | St George’s, University of London |
| 50 | 86 | SOAS University of London |
| 51= | 35= | Keele University |
| 51= | 61 | Ulster University |
| 53 | 41 | Nottingham Trent University |
| 54 | N/A | Arts University Bournemouth |
| 55 | N/A | Leeds Arts University |
| 56 | 43= | Oxford Brookes University |
| 57 | 27 | Northumbria University |
| 58 | 21= | University of the West of England |
| 59 | 53 | Plymouth University |
| 60= | 72= | University of Hull |
| 60= | 34 | University of West London |
| 62 | 75= | Bangor University |
| 63 | 62= | Edinburgh Napier University |
| 64 | N/A | Bishop Grosseteste University |
| 65 | 70= | Manchester Metropolitan University |
| 66 | 43= | Robert Gordon University |
| 67 | 47 | Sheffield Hallam University |
| 68 | 56= | Bournemouth University |
| 69 | 81 | University of Chester |
| 70 | 75= | Edge Hill University |
| 71 | 33 | University for the Creative Arts |
| 72 | 66= | University of Portsmouth |
| 73= | 64 | University of Huddersfield |
| 73= | N/A | Royal Agricultural University |
| 75 | 77= | Glasgow Caledonian University |
| 76 | 55 | Staffordshire University |
| 77 | N/A | Norwich University of the Arts |
| 78 | 116 | University of Roehampton |
| 79 | 72= | Cardiff Metropolitan University |
| 80= | 48 | Abertay University |
| 80= | 84 | Liverpool Hope University |
| 82 | 95= | City, University of London |
| 83= | 45 | University of the Arts, London |
| 83= | 91 | York St John University |
| 85 | 70= | Liverpool John Moores University |
| 86 | 101 | St Mary’s University, Twickenham |
| 87 | 79 | University of Central Lancashire |
| 88 | 110 | Brunel University London |
| 89 | 65 | Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh |
| 90= | 83 | Birmingham City University |
| 90= | 66= | University of South Wales |
| 92 | 68= | Teesside University |
| 93 | 74 | Solent University |
| 94= | 56= | University of Derby |
| 94= | 88= | Falmouth University |
| 96 | 94 | University of Winchester |
| 97 | 105 | Goldsmiths, University of London |
| 98 | 95= | University of Greenwich |
| 99 | 103= | University of Hertfordshire |
| 100 | 103= | University of Salford |
| 101= | 56= | University of Wales Trinity St David |
| 101= | 87 | University of Worcester |
| 103 | 100 | University of Sunderland |
| 104= | 109 | Bath Spa University |
| 104= | 40 | Kingston University |
| 106 | 99 | University of Bradford |
| 107 | 106 | Leeds Beckett University |
| 108 | N/A | University of Buckingham |
| 109 | 88= | University of Gloucestershire |
| 110 | 115 | Leeds Trinity University |
| 111 | 90 | University of Northampton |
| 112= | 92 | Bucks New University |
| 112= | 108 | Newman University |
| 114 | 98 | University of Cumbria |
| 115 | N/A | Plymouth Marjon University |
| 116 | 120 | University of the West of Scotland |
| 117 | 80 | Anglia Ruskin University |
| 118 | 50 | University of Bolton |
| 119 | 119 | De Montfort University |
| 120 | 102 | University of Brighton |
| 121 | 111 | Middlesex University |
| 122 | 97 | University of Suffolk |
| 123 | 93 | London South Bank University |
| 124 | 107 | Wrexham Glyndwr University |
| 125 | 118 | London Metropolitan University |
| 126 | 117 | University of Westminster |
| 127 | 114 | Canterbury Christ Church University |
| 128 | 112= | University of Wolverhampton |
| 129 | 112= | University of East London |
| 130 | N/A | Ravensbourne University, London |
| 131 | 121 | University of Bedfordshire |
Updated October 2020
