Best universities in the UK 2021

The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge take the top two spots in the recent UK university league table by The Times Higher Education.

This UK university league table reveals the best UK universities and colleges, according to the trusted Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021.

The University of Oxford is top in a list of the best universities in the UK.

Best universities in the UK 2021

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2021 results:

World University Rank 2021	UK Rank 2021	University	City/town
1	1	University of Oxford	Oxford
6	2	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
11	3	Imperial College London	London
16	4	UCL	London
27	5	London School of Economics and Political Science	London
30	6	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
35	7	King’s College London	London
=51	8	University of Manchester	Manchester
77	9	University of Warwick	Warwick
91	10	University of Bristol	Bristol
=92	11	University of Glasgow	Glasgow
=107	12	University of Birmingham	Birmingham
110	13	Queen Mary University of London	London
=121	14	University of Sheffield	Sheffield
=127	15	University of Southampton	Southampton
=133	16	University of York	York
=136	17	Lancaster University	Lancaster
=149	18	Durham University	Durham
=158	19	University of Nottingham	Nottingham
=160	=20	University of Leeds	Leeds
=160	=20	University of Sussex	Brighton
163	22	University of Liverpool	Liverpool
=170	23	University of Leicester	Leicester
=174	24	University of Exeter	Exeter
=178	=25	University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen
=178	=25	Newcastle University	Newcastle
=191	27	Cardiff University	Cardiff
=200	=28	University of East Anglia	Norwich
=200	=28	Queen’s University Belfast	Belfast
201–250	=30	University of Bath	Bath
201–250	=30	University of Dundee	Dundee
201–250	=30	University of Reading	Reading
201–250	=30	St George’s, University of London	London
201–250	=30	University of St Andrews	St Andrews
251–300	=35	Brighton and Sussex Medical School	Brighton
251–300	=35	University of Surrey	Guildford
251–300	=35	Swansea University	Swansea
301–350	=38	Anglia Ruskin University ARU	East Anglia
301–350	=38	University of Essex	Essex
301–350	=38	University of Kent	Kent
301–350	=38	Royal Holloway, University of London	London
301–350	=38	University of Stirling	Stirling
351–400	=43	Birkbeck, University of London	London
351–400	=43	Brunel University London	London
351–400	=43	City, University of London	London
351–400	=43	Heriot-Watt University	Edinburgh
351–400	=43	Loughborough University	Loughborough
351–400	=43	Northumbria University	Northumbria
401–500	=49	Aberystwyth University	Aberystwyth
401–500	=49	Aston University	Birmingham
401–500	=49	Bangor University	Bangor
401–500	=49	Bournemouth University	Bournemouth
401–500	=49	Goldsmiths, University of London	London
401–500	=49	Liverpool John Moores University	Liverpool
401–500	=49	Middlesex University	London
401–500	=49	University of Plymouth	Plymouth
401–500	=49	Royal Veterinary College	London
401–500	=49	SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College)	Edinburgh
401–500	=49	University of Strathclyde	Strathclyde
401–500	=49	University of the West of England	Bristol
501–600	=61	University of Hull	Hull
501–600	=61	Keele University	Keele
501–600	=61	University of Lincoln	Lincoln
501–600	=61	University of Portsmouth	Portsmouth
501–600	=61	SOAS University of London	London
501–600	=61	University of the West of Scotland	Paisley
601–800	=67	Birmingham City University	Birmingham
601–800	=67	University of Bradford	Bradford
601–800	=67	University of Brighton	Brighton
601–800	=67	Coventry University	Coventry
601–800	=67	De Montfort University	Leicester
601–800	=67	Edinburgh Napier University	Edinburgh
601–800	=67	Glasgow Caledonian University	Glasgow
601–800	=67	University of Greenwich	London
601–800	=67	University of Huddersfield	Huddersfield
601–800	=67	Manchester Metropolitan University	Manchester
601–800	=67	Nottingham Trent University	Nottingham
601–800	=67	The Open University	Nationwide
601–800	=67	Oxford Brookes University	Oxford
601–800	=67	Ulster University	Ulster
801–1000	=81	University of Bedfordshire	Luton
801–1000	=81	Cardiff Metropolitan University	Cardiff
801–1000	=81	University of Central Lancashire	Preston
801–1000	=81	University of Derby	Derby
801–1000	=81	University of East London	London
801–1000	=81	University of Hertfordshire	Hatfield
801–1000	=81	Kingston University	London
801–1000	=81	Leeds Beckett University	Leeds
801–1000	=81	University of Roehampton	London
801–1000	=81	University of Salford	Salford
801–1000	=81	Sheffield Hallam University	Sheffield
801–1000	=81	Teesside University	Teesside
801–1000	=81	University of Westminster	London
801–1000	=81	University of Wolverhampton	Wolverhampton
1001+	=95	Canterbury Christ Church University	Canterbury
1001+	=95	University of Chester	Chester
1001+	=95	Edge Hill University	Ormskirk
1001+	=95	London South Bank University	London
1001+	=95	Robert Gordon University	Aberdeen
1001+	=95	University of South Wales	Pontypridd
1001+	=95	Staffordshire University	Stoke-on-Trent

University preparation courses at LSFL

At London School of Finance and Law, we offer support and online university preparation courses for international students who are going to apply to study business management, accounting, finance, taxation or law at a UK university in 2022 or 2023. Eight-month online university preparation courses run in three specialisations: Business Management / Accounting and Finance / Law and Legal Studies. The next course start date is 18 September 2021. Registration closes on 11 September 2021. 

Learn more

Image: All Souls College at the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, by Andrei Nekrassov / Adobe Stock