The Complete List of Universities in the UK: Your Guide to Higher Education

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• Why Location Matters for Higher Education in the UK
• The Full List of UK Universities by City and Rank
• Start Your UK Higher Education Journey Today!

The United Kingdom is renowned globally for its exceptional higher education system, attracting millions of students from around the world. For many, the choice of a university in the UK is closely tied to its location—whether it’s the cultural hub of London, the history of Oxford, or the bustling cities of Scotland.

This post provides the most comprehensive and useful table for your search: a full list of all officially recognized UK universities, complete with their City/Primary Location, the constituent country of the UK, and their average national ranking.

Why Location Matters for Higher Education in the UK

When choosing where to study in the UK, the city or town where the university is located plays a huge role in your overall experience:

• Cost of Living: Cities like London and the South East have higher living expenses than regions in the North of England, Scotland, or Wales.
• Culture and Lifestyle: Do you want a lively nightlife, easy access to nature, historical architecture, or a major industry hub for networking?
• Industry Links: Universities in industrial cities like Manchester or Glasgow often have stronger ties to specific sectors, which can be beneficial for graduate job prospects.

The Full List of UK Universities by City and Rank

Below is the complete list of all officially recognized UK universities. The Average UK Rank is based on a consolidation of major national league tables (like The Complete University Guide, The Guardian, and The Times/Sunday Times) for the latest available academic year.

Note: Universities with multiple campuses are generally listed by their main administrative city. Institutions marked “N/A” for rank are typically specialist or newer universities not included in all major league tables.

List of Universities in UK

University Name	City/Primary Location	Country/Region	Average UK Rank
University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen	Scotland	22.7
Abertay University	Dundee	Scotland	91.3
Aberystwyth University	Aberystwyth	Wales	51.7
Anglia Ruskin University	Cambridge / Chelmsford	England	88
Arden University	Coventry (HQ) / Multiple Centres	England	N/A
Arts University Bournemouth	Poole/Bournemouth	England	N/A
Aston University	Birmingham	England	30.7
Bangor University	Bangor	Wales	67.7
Bath Spa University	Bath	England	102.7
University of Bath	Bath	England	7.7
University of Bedfordshire	Luton / Bedford	England	114.7
BIMM University	Brighton / Multiple Campuses	England	N/A
Birkbeck, University of London	London	England	108.7
Birmingham City University	Birmingham	England	86
University of Birmingham	Birmingham	England	19.3
Bishop Grosseteste University	Lincoln	England	N/A
University of Bolton	Bolton	England	109.3
Bournemouth University	Bournemouth	England	68.7
BPP University	London / Multiple Campuses	England	N/A
University of Bradford	Bradford	England	87.3
University of Brighton	Brighton	England	75.7
University of Bristol	Bristol	England	13.3
Brunel University of London	Uxbridge (London)	England	77
University of Buckingham	Buckingham	England	N/A
Buckinghamshire New University	High Wycombe	England	118
University of Cambridge	Cambridge	England	2.7
Canterbury Christ Church University	Canterbury	England	106.3
Cardiff Metropolitan University	Cardiff	Wales	70
Cardiff University	Cardiff	Wales	35
University of Chester	Chester	England	63.7
University of Chichester	Chichester	England	55.7
City, University of London	London	England	42
Coventry University	Coventry	England	54.3
Cranfield University	Cranfield	England	N/A
University for the Creative Arts	Farnham / Multiple Campuses	England	N/A
University of Cumbria	Carlisle / Multiple Campuses	England	101.3
De Montfort University	Leicester	England	75.3
University of Derby	Derby	England	72.3
University of Dundee	Dundee	Scotland	46.3
Durham University	Durham	England	4.3
University of East Anglia (UEA)	Norwich	England	33
University of East London (UEL)	London	England	102.3
Edge Hill University	Ormskirk	England	60.7
University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh	Scotland	18.7
Edinburgh Napier University	Edinburgh	Scotland	78
University of Essex	Colchester	England	33
University of Exeter	Exeter	England	14
Falmouth University	Falmouth	England	76.3
University of Glasgow	Glasgow	Scotland	25.7
Glasgow Caledonian University	Glasgow	Scotland	55
University of Gloucestershire	Cheltenham / Gloucester	England	90.7
Goldsmiths, University of London	London	England	81
University of Greenwich	London / Chatham	England	96
Harper Adams University	Newport	England	43
Heriot-Watt University	Edinburgh	Scotland	52.3
University of Hertfordshire	Hatfield	England	77
University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)	Inverness (HQ) / Highlands	Scotland	120.3
University of Huddersfield	Huddersfield	England	70.3
University of Hull	Hull	England	69.3
Hult International Business School	London / Multiple	England	N/A
Imperial College London	London	England	6
Keele University	Keele (near Newcastle-under-Lyme)	England	63.3
University of Kent	Canterbury	England	50.7
King's College London	London	England	19.7
Kingston University	Kingston upon Thames (London)	England	104.7
Lancaster University	Lancaster	England	13
Leeds Beckett University	Leeds	England	84.7
Leeds Trinity University	Leeds	England	114.7
University of Leeds	Leeds	England	25
University of Leicester	Leicester	England	32.3
University of Lincoln	Lincoln	England	51.3
Liverpool Hope University	Liverpool	England	97.7
Liverpool John Moores University	Liverpool	England	67
University of Liverpool	Liverpool	England	20.7
London Metropolitan University	London	England	122.7
London School of Economics (LSE)	London	England	2.7
London South Bank University	London	England	99.7
Loughborough University	Loughborough	England	10
University of Manchester	Manchester	England	25.7
Manchester Metropolitan University	Manchester	England	53
Middlesex University	London	England	98.7
Newcastle University	Newcastle upon Tyne	England	39.7
Newman University	Birmingham	England	N/A
University of Northampton	Northampton	England	97.7
Northumbria University	Newcastle upon Tyne	England	38.3
Norwich University of the Arts	Norwich	England	N/A
University of Nottingham	Nottingham	England	40.7
Nottingham Trent University	Nottingham	England	45.3
The Open University	Milton Keynes (HQ)	England	N/A
Oxford Brookes University	Oxford	England	44.7
University of Oxford	Oxford	England	2.3
Plymouth Marjon University	Plymouth	England	N/A
University of Plymouth	Plymouth	England	73
University of Portsmouth	Portsmouth	England	48.3
Queen Margaret University	Edinburgh	Scotland	89
Queen Mary University of London	London	England	54.3
Queen's University Belfast	Belfast	Northern Ireland	31.3
Ravensbourne University London	London	England	N/A
University of Reading	Reading	England	31.3
Regent's University London	London	England	N/A
Robert Gordon University	Aberdeen	Scotland	79.3
University of Roehampton	London	England	91
Royal Agricultural University	Cirencester	England	N/A
Royal College of Art	London	England	N/A
Royal College of Music	London	England	N/A
Royal Holloway, University of London	Egham (near London)	England	41.3
Royal Veterinary College (RVC)	London / Hatfield	England	N/A
University of Salford	Salford (Manchester)	England	76
University of Sheffield	Sheffield	England	15
Sheffield Hallam University	Sheffield	England	74
SOAS, University of London	London	England	75.3
Solent University	Southampton	England	93.3
University of Southampton	Southampton	England	18
St Mary's University, Twickenham	London	England	66.3
University of St Andrews	St Andrews	Scotland	2.7
Staffordshire University	Stoke-on-Trent	England	98.7
University of Stirling	Stirling	Scotland	70
University of Strathclyde	Glasgow	Scotland	22.7
University of Suffolk	Ipswich	England	117.7
University of Sunderland	Sunderland	England	71
University of Surrey	Guildford	England	24.3
University of Sussex	Brighton	England	51
Swansea University	Swansea	Wales	34.3
Teesside University	Middlesbrough	England	85
Ulster University	Belfast / Coleraine / Multiple	Northern Ireland	37
University College London (UCL)	London	England	10.7
University of the Arts London (UAL)	London	England	27.3
University of Wales Trinity Saint David	Swansea / Lampeter / Cardiff	Wales	111
University of Warwick	Coventry / Warwick	England	8
University of West London	London	England	48.3
University of the West of England (UWE)	Bristol	England	69
University of the West of Scotland (UWS)	Paisley / Multiple	Scotland	91
University of Westminster	London	England	92.7
University of Winchester	Winchester	England	109.3
University of Wolverhampton	Wolverhampton	England	114.3
University of Worcester	Worcester	England	103
Wrexham University	Wrexham	Wales	125.7
University of York	York	England	23.3
York St John University	York	England	101.7
Courtauld Institute of Art	London	England	N/A
Glasgow School of Art	Glasgow	Scotland	N/A
Guildhall School of Music and Drama	London	England	N/A
Institute of Cancer Research	London	England	N/A
London Business School	London	England	N/A
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine	London	England	N/A
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama	London	England	N/A
Royal Northern College of Music	Manchester	England	N/A
St George's, University of London	London	England	42
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance	London	England	N/A
University College Birmingham	Birmingham	England	100.7
Writtle University College	Chelmsford	England	N/A

Start Your UK Higher Education Journey Today!

Whether you prioritize high UK university rankings or a specific city, this list is your essential tool. Use the City/Primary Location column to narrow down your options based on your ideal student life and region of the UK.

Don’t forget to check out specialized colleges and conservatoires, which often offer world-leading training in niche subjects! Your future in higher education in the UK is waiting.

What city are you thinking of studying in? Share your thoughts in the comments below!