Are you planning to study abroad? Do you intend to move to the United Kingdom for your academic pursuits? If yes, then you are on the right page! Apart from lush greens and its rich history, what really sets the United Kingdom apart is its list of top universities.
In fact, if the QS World University Rankings 2025 is anything to go by then the UK is home to the best universities of the world. From Oxford to Cambridge – there are several other educational institutions in this picturesque part of the world that provide some of the best courses for international students seeking undergraduate or postgraduate admissions, let alone a memorable student life.
In this article, we will look at the top 10 universities in the United Kingdom with their QS World university rankings 202. Scroll down below!
1. Imperial College London
With a global rank of 2, the University of Melbourne has emerged as a leading university not just the United Kingdom but also across the world. The University website states that over 9,500 degrees are awarded by Imperial College London every year, with a staff power of 8,000. Some of the important departments in the University include the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Imperial College Business School. The QS scores are given below:
| OVERALL SCORE | 98.5 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 98.5 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 99.5 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 98.2 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 93.9 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 100 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 99.6 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 97.4 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 93.4 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 99.7 |
University website: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/
2. University of Oxford
As the name suggests, the university is located in Oxford in United Kingdom and has a global rank of 3. The world famous institution offers a range of courses for the graduate and undergraduate degrees some of which include Archaeology and Anthropology, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Biochemistry (Molecular and Cellular), Biology, and Biomedical Sciences. The rankings are as follows:
| OVERALL SCORE | 96.9 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 100 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 100 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 100 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 84.8 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 98.1 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 97.7 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 100 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 100 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 85 |
University website: https://www.ox.ac.uk/
3. University of Cambridge
Located in the picturesque greens of Cambridge, the University of Cambridge has a global rank of 5 in the QS World University Rankings 2025. The institution has been a favorite among international students since decades for the range of courses provided in the undergraduate and postgraduate classes. Some of the courses for UG are Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, Archaeology, Architecture, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Design, Economics, Education, and more. The rankings are given below:
| OVERALL SCORE | 96.7 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 100 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 100 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 100 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 84.6 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 100 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 94.8 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 99.3 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 100 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 84.8 |
University website: https://www.cam.ac.uk/
4. UCL
The University College London or UCL has been ranked 9th globally, and is located in London, United Kingdom. As stated by the University on its website, international students will have access to an extensive and flexible range of subject options. Students can also focus solely on his/her major area of academic study, and at the same time, explore a more interdisciplinary route. The rankings are given below:
| OVERALL SCORE | 91.6 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 99.5 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 98.3 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 95.9 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 72.2 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 99 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 100 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 99.9 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 70.3 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 74.8 |
University website: ucl.ac.uk
5. The University of Edinburgh
Located in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, the University of Edinburgh is ranked 27 globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025. As reported by the university on its official website, its academic structure is based on three Colleges containing a total of 21 Schools. The three colleges in question are College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, and College of Science & Engineering. The rankings of the university are as follows:
| OVERALL SCORE | 83.3 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 98.3 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 97.2 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 65.5 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 47.7 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 98.7 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 99.8 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 99.5 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 55.9 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 99 |
University website: ed.ac.uk
6. The University of Manchester
Another institute from the UK to be in the world’s top 50 universities is the University of Manchester. In the QS World University Rankings 2025, the University has been ranked 34. Some of the UG courses offered by the university include Accounting, Accounting and Finance, Accounting with Industrial/Professional Experience, Actuarial Science and Mathematics, Aerospace Engineering, Biology with a Modern Language, Biology with Entrepreneurship, Biology with Industrial/Professional Experience, and more.
| OVERALL SCORE | 82 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 95.6 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 98.1 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 51.3 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 45.1 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 93.1 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 99.2 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 99.2 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 87.6 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 99.8 |
University website: https://www.manchester.ac.uk
7. King’s College London
A popular institute in the United Kingdom, The King’s College London has been ranked 40 in the QS World University Rankings 2025. The University stated on its website that London will be an integral part of their student life, with four of the five campuses located in the heart of the city, alongside the River Thames. For UG, the institute offers students 182 courses to choose from, whether be it Arts, Culture, Digital & Media, Business, Chemistry, Engineering or Finance among others. The rankings are given below:
| OVERALL SCORE | 80.2 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 90.3 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 85.7 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 64.3 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 53.6 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 99.1 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 99.5 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 98.6 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 59.8 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 96.2 |
University website: kcl.ac.uk
8. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is ranked 50th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025. For undergraduate study, the institute offers 40 degree progammes to choose from, whereas for post-graduate study, there 160 courses ranging from diploma to taught master’s and research programmes. The QS rankings are given below:
| OVERALL SCORE | 76 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 67.2 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 97 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 35.1 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 69.4 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 100 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 100 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 81.2 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 99.6 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 91.3 |
University website: lse.ac.uk
9. University of Bristol
The University of Bristol has been ranked 54 in the QS World University Rankings 2025. Located in the heart of Bristol, the institution boasts of being a leader in global research, and making innovations in areas ranging from cot death prevention to nanotechnology. Some of the UG Courses include Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance with Professional Placement, Biochemistry, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and more. The QS Rankings are given below:
| OVERALL SCORE | 75.4 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 75.8 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 82.5 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 36.7 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 75.9 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 87.5 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 89.8 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 94.6 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 51.2 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 98.9 |
University website: bristol.ac.uk
10. The University of Warwick
Ranked 69 in the QS World University Rankings 2025, the University of Warwick is located in Coventry, United Kingdom. As per the official website of the University, 92% of its research has been assessed to be ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the Research Excellence Framework. Besides, the University also boasts of being the 6th most targeted university in the UK by the country’s top 100 graduate employers. The QS rankings of the University of Warwick is given below:
| OVERALL SCORE | 68.2 |
| ACADEMIC REPUTATION | 72.2 |
| EMPLOYER REPUTATION | 86.4 |
| FACULTY STUDENT RATIO | 35.5 |
| CITATIONS PER FACTULY | 37.7 |
| INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RATIO | 98.1 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RATIO | 99.1 |
| INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK | 94.2 |
| EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | 65.7 |
| SUSTAINAIBILITY | 89.7 |
University website: warwick.ac.uk