UK University Ranking 2023
Coming with information of University Foundation Courses and International Year One Programmes. Now available for download.
Why is the Good University Guide published by the Times a Better University Ranking?
The Good University Guide published by the Times takes into account of a wide range of criteria (such as student satisfaction, research quality, entry standard, graduate prospects, etc) to evaluate the quality of education in an university. The Guide’s more holistic approach is believed to be able to reflect standards in both teaching and learning, as well as academic researches, which is why we have always recommended the Good University Guide as the quantitative reference when students and parents choose the right university.
In this year’s university rankings, there are three key changes that students and parents may like to pay extra attention to:
- Three academic disciplines – Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering, Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences – now have their own subject rankings, providing better reference for students interested in these areas.
- With the publication of the latest research assessment framework (REF 2021), there are bigger changes in the research quality data within the rankings. While as a whole there aren’t a lot of big movements, some modern universities – such as Falmouth University、Nottingham Trent University、University of Portsmouth, etc – see bigger jumps in their positions, thanks to their excellent results in REF 2021!
- Services/Facilities Spend is no longer included as a ranking criteria, effecting a heavier weighting in other areas.
Overall UK University Ranking (2023)
2023 University Ranking |
2022 University Ranking |
UK University | Research Quality |
1▲ | 2 | University of Oxford | 67% |
2▼ | 1 | University of St Andrews | 53.8% |
3 | 3 | University of Cambridge | 69.7% |
4▲ | 5 | London School of Economics and Political Science | 68% |
5▼ | 4 | Imperial College London | 73.9% |
6 | 6 | Durham University | 55.9% |
7 | 7 | University College London | 66.8% |
8▲ | 9 | University of Bath | 53% |
9▼ | 8 | University of Warwick | 60.9% |
10▲ | 13 | University of Edinburgh | 61.5% |
11▼ | 10 | Loughborough University | 52.5% |
12▼ | 11 | Lancaster University | 57.4% |
13▲ | 21 | University of Exeter | 57.5% |
14▼ | 12 | University of Glasgow | 61.2% |
15▼ | 14 | University of Bristol | 66.2% |
16 | 16 | University of Southampton | 60.1% |
17▲ | 19 | University of York | 62.8% |
18▼ | 17 | University of Strathclyde | 53.1% |
19▲ | 20 | University of Aberdeen | 38.7% |
20▲ | 25 | University of Birmingham | 61.9% |
20▲ | 22 | University of Sheffield | 59.1% |
22▲ | 32 | University of Surrey | 53.3% |
23▼ | 15 | University of Leeds | 57% |
24▼ | 23 | University of Manchester | 64.4% |
25▲ | 35 | Cardiff University | 56.7% |
26▼ | 18 | King’s College London | 64.2% |
27 | 27 | University of East Anglia | 58% |
28▼ | 24 | Queen’s University, Belfast | 52% |
29▼ | 26 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 53.6% |
30▼ | 28 | University of Nottingham | 56.1% |
30▲ | 34 | University of Reading | 51.1% |
32▲ | 35 | University of Dundee | 51.1% |
33▲ | 42 | Newcastle University | 53.6% |
33▼ | 30 | University of Liverpool | 55.6% |
35▲ | 37 | University of Leicester | 53.6% |
36▲ | 40 | Queen Mary, University of London | 58.7% |
37▼ | 33 | SOAS University of London | 51.9% |
38▲ | 44 | Ulster University | 47.8% |
38▲ | 41 | University of Stirling | 43.8% |
40▲ | 74 | University of West London | 28.7% |
41▼ | 38 | Aberystwyth University | 38.7% |
42▲ | 87 | Falmouth University | 48.8% |
42▲ | 70 | Nottingham Trent University | 41.9% |
42▼ | 39 | Swansea University | 47.5% |
45 | 45 | Aston University, Birmingham | 40.9% |
45▲ | 64 | Bangor University | 51.3% |
47▼ | 29 | Harper Adams University | 19.5% |
48▼ | 46 | University of Kent | 52.9% |
49▲ | 62 | Northumbria University | 40.6% |
50▼ | 47 | University of Sussex | 52.9% |
51▲ | 67 | St Mary’s University, Twickenham | 29.4% |
52▲ | 60 | Glasgow Caledonian University | 38.5% |
53▼ | 49 | University of Lincoln | 38.4% |
54▼ | 43 | University of Essex | 50% |
55▼ | 51 | Coventry University | 33.8% |
56▼ | 52 | University of the Arts, London | 46% |
57▼ | 30 | Heriot-Watt University | 48.7% |
57▼ | 54 | Oxford Brookes University | 32.8% |
59▼ | 57 | Edinburgh Napier University | 32.9% |
60▲ | 71 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 43.7% |
61▲ | 73 | University of the West of England | 35.7% |
62▲ | 88 | University of Portsmouth | 39.1% |
63▲ | 69 | University for the Creative Arts | 41.2% |
64▼ | 48 | Keele University | 42% |
65▼ | 62 | Robert Gordon University | 20.8% |
66▼ | 50 | University of Chichester | 20.1% |
67▼ | 66 | Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh | 27.3% |
68▼ | 55 | City, University of London | 51.5% |
69▼ | 52 | University of Hull | 42.4% |
70▼ | 56 | Norwich University of the Arts | 38.8% |
71▲ | 103 | Leeds Arts University | 6% |
71▲ | 93 | Liverpool John Moores University | 32.8% |
73▲ | 75 | University of Huddersfield | 31.1% |
74▼ | 58 | University of Plymouth | 38.6% |
75▲ | 82 | Bishop Grosseteste University | 11.3% |
76▲ | 79 | Arts University Bournemouth | 23% |
77▲ | 103 | Bath Spa University | 29.3% |
78▼ | 58 | Edge Hill University | 26.3% |
79▲ | 83 | York St John University | 19.6% |
80▲ | 81 | Liverpool Hope University | 22.3% |
80▲ | 101 | Plymouth Marjon University | 17.4% |
82▼ | 72 | Sheffield Hallam University | 36% |
82▼ | 78 | St George’s, University of London | 48.8% |
84▲ | 89 | University of Greenwich | 32.9% |
85▲ | 89 | University of Buckingham | n/a% |
86▲ | 118 | Teesside University | 28% |
87▲ | 106 | University of Winchester | 22% |
88▲ | 98 | University of Salford | 37.8% |
89▲ | 94 | Abertay University | 24.6% |
89▲ | 106 | Bournemouth University | 30.7% |
91▲ | 96 | University of Hertfordshire | 39.2% |
92▲ | 101 | Kingston University | 34.6% |
93▼ | 79 | Cardiff Metropolitan University | 32% |
94▼ | 83 | Birmingham City University | 29% |
95▼ | 89 | University of Bradford | 29.9% |
96▼ | 94 | University of Derby | 21% |
97▼ | 68 | University of Chester | 21.1% |
98▲ | 117 | University of Brighton | 41.4% |
98▼ | 77 | University of Sunderland | 30.5% |
100▲ | 124 | Leeds Trinity University | 15.1% |
101▼ | 65 | University of Roehampton | 45.9% |
102▲ | 116 | Royal Agricultural University | 24.2% |
103▼ | 99 | University of South Wales | 27.5% |
104▼ | 83 | University of Wales Trinity St David | 23.8% |
105▲ | 112 | Hartpury University | 15.8% |
106▼ | 76 | Staffordshire University | 30% |
107▲ | 108 | University of Central Lancashire | 30.4% |
108▼ | 61 | Goldsmiths, University of London | 45.5% |
109▲ | 115 | Anglia Ruskin University | 30.2% |
110▲ | 121 | Brunel University London | 34% |
110▼ | 86 | University of Worcester | 15.3% |
112▼ | 96 | University of Gloucestershire | 21% |
113▼ | 112 | Leeds Beckett University | 26.7% |
114▼ | 112 | Solent University | 12.6% |
115▲ | 123 | Middlesex University | 30.4% |
115▼ | 105 | University of Suffolk | 21.8% |
115▲ | 129 | University of Westminster | 39.7% |
118▲ | 122 | Newman University | 13.3% |
119 | 119 | Canterbury Christ Church University | 26.1% |
120▼ | 110 | Wrexham Glyndwr University | 13.3% |
121▼ | 119 | Buckinghamshire New University | 17.6% |
122▲ | 126 | De Montfort University | 27.4% |
122▼ | 110 | University of the West of Scotland | 19.2% |
124▼ | 89 | University of Bolton | 10.6% |
125▼ | 108 | University of Northampton | 13.8% |
126▲ | 127 | London South Bank University | 28.8% |
127▲ | 128 | University of Wolverhampton | 21.6% |
128▼ | 100 | London Metropolitan University | 29.2% |
129▼ | 125 | University of Cumbria | 13.6% |
130▲ | 131 | Ravensbourne University, London | 13.5% |
131▼ | 130 | University of East London | 22.8% |
132 | 132 | University of Bedfordshire | 30% |
The Importance of Subject Ranking
When looking at the university ranking table, students should be aware that it is based on overall performance of the universities, and therefore may not necessarily reflects a university’s strength in a specific subject area. For many reasons, some universities that are leading in a specific subject area might be ranked relatively low in the overall ranking table. This phenomenon is more common in newly developed subjects (such as hospitality & tourism). For students who have chosen a specific subject, subject ranking tables will be a better reference.
Subject Ranking |
Overall Ranking |
Accounting & Finance |
1 | 4 | LSE |
2 | 18 | Strathclyde |
3 | 9 | Warwick |
4 | 8 | Bath |
5 | 23 | Leeds |
Subject Ranking |
Overall Ranking |
Architecture |
1 | 3 | Cambridge |
2 | 11 | Loughborough |
3 | 25 | Cardiff |
4 | 20 | Sheffield |
5 | 8 | Bath |
Subject Ranking |
Overall Ranking |
Bioengineering |
1 | 1 | Oxford |
2 | 32 | Dundee |
2 | 5 | Imperial College |
4 | 23 | Leeds |
5 | 20 | Sheffield |
Subject Ranking |
Overall Ranking |
Hospitality & Tourism |
1 | 20 | Birmingham |
2 | 10 | Edinburgh |
3 | 71 | Liverpool John Moores |
4 | 22 | Surrey |
5 | 62 | Portsmouth |
Subject Ranking |
Overall Ranking |
Physiotherapy |
1 | 52 | Glasgow Caledonian |
2 | 65 | Robert Gordon |
3 | 16 | Southampton |
4 | 27 | East Anglia |
5 | 49 | Northumbria |
Subject Ranking |
Overall Ranking |
Politics |
1 | 2 | St Andrews |
2 | 9 | Warwick |
2 | 1 | Oxford |
4 | 3 | Cambridge |
5 | 4 | LSE |
Downloading
the Subject Ranking Tables
In order to help students choose the most suitable university, we have gathered information on subject ranking, entry requirement and pathway programmes for the subject areas below, which you can download for free!
Updated: 2022-9-22