Which are the best universities in the UK?
The best Universities in the UK?
To give you an insight into the wide variety of rankings available in the best UK universities leagues, applytouni.com have produced our own university league table, averaging out the scores to give you an at-a-glance guide to the best universities in the UK.
In this article, we provide a snapshot of which universities are the best in the country, according to all the different league tables. We look at the scores you probably expected, some surprises and evidence that different league tables really don’t always agree.
Oxbridge top the rankings – no surprise there
It’s not going to be a shock to anyone that Oxford University and Cambridge University are counted among the best universities in the UK. Both top the rankings published by The Times, the Sunday Times and the Guardian.
With Oxford ranked 3rd in the world and Cambridge not far behind in 7th, this opinion is clearly shared across the globe. Ancient colleges, proud traditions and healthy competition between the two have helped keep Oxford and Cambridge unchallenged as major educational forces while becoming less elitist in recent years.
Up there with the best UK universities
- The University of Durham and St Andrew’s University, score more evenly in the league tables. Durham scores fifth in The Times, fourth in the Sunday Times and seventh in the Guardian, while St Andrews scores sixth, fifth and fourth respectively.
- Warwick University is highly regarded, given fifth place by The Guardian and tenth place by The Sunday Times.
- The University of Bath is third in the Sunday Times league of the best UK universities, and ninth in both the Guardian and The Times leagues.
- Apply to Uni gives third place to The London School of Economics, agreeing with the league tables published by the Guardian and The Times. The Sunday Times marks it down slightly, regarding it as the sixth best UK university.
University College London, is ranked 17th in the world, which is reflected in its position of 13th in The Sunday Times league table, seventh in The Times and sixth in the Guardian)- Exeter University also ranks evenly high, scoring tenth in The Times, seventh in the Sunday Times and tenth in the Guardian.
Not all league tables are equal in their opinions
Looking at the next best UK universities, things get a little more contentious.
- Imperial Collegeis ranked fourth of the best universities in the UK by The Times, yet is only 13th in the Guardian tables, despite being ranked eighth in the world.
Heriot-Watt Universityin Edinburgh suffers even more from a lack of agreement. The Sunday Times table of best UK universities ranks Heriot-Watt in ninth place, while The Guardian ranks it 20th andThe Times ranks it 42nd.- Despite a world university league ranking of 32nd, the University of Edinburgh only ranks 39th in the best UK universities league from the Sunday Times.
Use league tables wisely
It’s important to remember that league tables are a guide. What is more important is the course offered by the university and what you think of it when you go there for an open day. The best university for you is the one where you will spend a happy and productive three or four years.
