The Student Room Group

University rankings in the UK

As an international candidate, I have created and categorized a “general ranking” of top 20 UK universities based on the various rankings and websites.

←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A Imperial, LSE, UCL, Warwick, Edinburgh

B Durham, Nottingham, St Andrews, Bristol, Bath

C York, KCL, Southampton, Sheffield, Exeter, Manchester, Leeds, Lancaster

Please tell me how you feel about this ranking and category.

Please note that this ranking is based on the following.
The Complete University Guide
The Guardian University Guide
QS Ranking
THE Ranking
A lot of opinions from The Student Room and YouTube

Scroll to see replies

Original post by ajohn2222

Please tell me how you feel about this ranking and category.

:yawn:
This ranking serves no purpose.

People have their own criteria for choosing a uni. Some people prefer to study at a campus uni and others will prefer a city.

Some unis have first class teaching staff but may do less research in some areas so they gain fewer points for the 'rankings'. Some people are easily influenced by irrelevant things eg how old the buildings are or what their neighbour says.

What subject do you want to study? Where do you want to live? What is your budget?
Original post by ajohn2222
As an international candidate, I have created and categorized a “general ranking” of top 20 UK universities based on the various rankings and websites.

←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A Imperial, LSE, UCL, Warwick, Edinburgh

B Durham, Nottingham, St Andrews, Bristol, Bath

C York, KCL, Southampton, Sheffield, Exeter, Manchester, Leeds, Lancaster

Please tell me how you feel about this ranking and category.

Please note that this ranking is based on the following.
The Complete University Guide
The Guardian University Guide
QS Ranking
THE Ranking
A lot of opinions from The Student Room and YouTube


Nothing beats having a look at the websites and finding the course that perfectly suit your requirements.

As for the rankings, you might as well throw them out of the window.
Original post by ajohn2222
As an international candidate, I have created and categorized a “general ranking” of top 20 UK universities based on the various rankings and websites.

←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A Imperial, LSE, UCL, Warwick, Edinburgh

B Durham, Nottingham, St Andrews, Bristol, Bath

C York, KCL, Southampton, Sheffield, Exeter, Manchester, Leeds, Lancaster

Please tell me how you feel about this ranking and category.

Please note that this ranking is based on the following.
The Complete University Guide
The Guardian University Guide
QS Ranking
THE Ranking
A lot of opinions from The Student Room and YouTube


Boring and predictable. Also useless. Please try to use your time doing something more productive and/or fun.
Its down to the uni and what they really specialise in and job prospects at the end of it all.

People also need to take into consideration about the current crisis and how some of the unis stated above cant even house their first year students because they took to many on and sending them elsewhere to live many miles away. Some students in various years as well taking to queue over night just to get a whiff of overpriced accommodation...
(edited 1 year ago)
Aye mate here we go again lol...

Unless it's investment banking or law, rankings don't matter when it comes to UK universities (experience matters though I think) as far as I'm aware but someone with more knowledge correct me if I'm wrong here.
Original post by Talkative Toad
Aye mate here we go again lol...

Unless it's investment banking or law, rankings don't matter when it comes to UK universities (experience matters though I think) as far as I'm aware but someone with more knowledge correct me if I'm wrong here.

You are not wrong!

Consider yourself un-corrected
Original post by ajohn2222
As an international candidate, I have created and categorized a “general ranking” of top 20 UK universities based on the various rankings and websites.

←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A Imperial, LSE, UCL, Warwick, Edinburgh

B Durham, Nottingham, St Andrews, Bristol, Bath

C York, KCL, Southampton, Sheffield, Exeter, Manchester, Leeds, Lancaster

Please tell me how you feel about this ranking and category.

Please note that this ranking is based on the following.
The Complete University Guide
The Guardian University Guide
QS Ranking
THE Ranking
A lot of opinions from The Student Room and YouTube

Rankings vary per person depending on the course they are doing, the budget, accommodation, location, research and a whole slew of other factors. The only thing I would actually use a ranking table for is to compare research power between unis, and even then you would have to dive deeper to see what exactly each uni researches.

TLDR- Rankings are very subjective.

Which course are you ranking for? What basis are you ranking on? This table is very vague.
Original post by ajohn2222
As an international candidate, I have created and categorized a “general ranking” of top 20 UK universities based on the various rankings and websites.

←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A Imperial, LSE, UCL, Warwick, Edinburgh

B Durham, Nottingham, St Andrews, Bristol, Bath

C York, KCL, Southampton, Sheffield, Exeter, Manchester, Leeds, Lancaster

Please tell me how you feel about this ranking and category.

Please note that this ranking is based on the following.
The Complete University Guide
The Guardian University Guide
QS Ranking
THE Ranking
A lot of opinions from The Student Room and YouTube


Always view rankings with caution and a critical mindset. But generally speaking, I look at the QS and THES World rankings for university standing, and the latter in particular. Any university that falls within the top 200 or thereabouts in the World should be viewed more favourably in these rankings. Don't try to group universities, as that is impossible to do, given how diverse UK universities are (barring Oxbridge perhaps).
Original post by ajohn2222
As an international candidate, I have created and categorized a “general ranking” of top 20 UK universities based on the various rankings and websites.

←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A Imperial, LSE, UCL, Warwick, Edinburgh

B Durham, Nottingham, St Andrews, Bristol, Bath

C York, KCL, Southampton, Sheffield, Exeter, Manchester, Leeds, Lancaster

Please tell me how you feel about this ranking and category.

Please note that this ranking is based on the following.
The Complete University Guide
The Guardian University Guide
QS Ranking
THE Ranking
A lot of opinions from The Student Room and YouTube


Looks very weak.

Once you start using local UK league tables to assess prestige, it is like using the education of women to assess beauty.

No way Warwick and Edinburgh are at the same the other 3.

Your rankings are just not it.


←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A LSE, Imperial, UCL

B Edinburgh, KCL

C Durham, Bristol, Warwick, St Andrews, Manchester

D Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds, Exeter, Bath, York, Southampton, Sheffield, Lancaster, Cardiff, QML
Reply 11
Thank you for your answer. :smile:
You have a point.
Original post by RoyalBeams
Looks very weak.

Once you start using local UK league tables to assess prestige, it is like using the education of women to assess beauty.

No way Warwick and Edinburgh are at the same the other 3.

Your rankings are just not it.


←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A LSE, Imperial, UCL

B Edinburgh, KCL

C Durham, Bristol, Warwick, St Andrews, Manchester

D Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds, Exeter, Bath, York, Southampton, Sheffield, Lancaster, Cardiff, QML


And some may say your rankings look very weak.

There is no one way to rank unis.
Original post by RoyalBeams
Looks very weak.

Once you start using local UK league tables to assess prestige, it is like using the education of women to assess beauty.

No way Warwick and Edinburgh are at the same the other 3.

Your rankings are just not it.


←better
S Cambridge, Oxford

A LSE, Imperial, UCL

B Edinburgh, KCL

C Durham, Bristol, Warwick, St Andrews, Manchester

D Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds, Exeter, Bath, York, Southampton, Sheffield, Lancaster, Cardiff, QML

1. Oxford, Cambridge

2. LSE, Imperial, UCL

3. Edinburgh, KCL

4. Manchester

5. Bristol, Glasgow, Warwick

6. Durham, St Andrews, Nottingham, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Exeter, York, Newcastle, Bath

7. Cardiff, Liverpool, QUB, QMUL, Lancaster, Aberdeen, Sussex, Leicester, UEA


I said earlier that grouping universities is difficult and unwise, but this is probably as accurate as I can see it, based mainly on international rankings, and domestic reputation. Lancaster and QMUL are a bit underrated IMO, and probably deserve to be in the 6. grouping, but their domestic reputation isn't as good as their international one. Likewise, Bath is highly regarded in the UK, but is not well known globally, and could easily have been placed in the 7. grouping.

There is more to choosing a university than these groupings and rankings, however. I don't like the city centre set-up of Manchester, and Durham seems like a nicer place to study for 3 years. Nottingham and Birmingham have lovely campuses, plus Edinburgh is just a gorgeous city. And I could go on and on.
(edited 1 year ago)

Like the fact that you got 4 reps for this
Original post by Oxford Mum
You are not wrong!

Consider yourself un-corrected


Thanks, yeah these ranking threads pop up all the time on TSR.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by Talkative Toad
Thanks, yeah these ranking threads pop up all the time on TSR.


They ought to be shut down as soon as they appear.
Original post by StarLinyx
They ought to be shut down as soon as they appear.


You're not wrong or maybe a pinned thread in educational debate giving clarity on rankings.
Original post by Talkative Toad
You're not wrong or maybe a pinned thread in educational debate giving clarity on rankings.


In fairness, I do respect the QS and THES World rankings, as they take into account the size of an institution, and weight STEM and non-STEM subjects equally for research. They aren't perfect, but they give a snapshot of where universities stand globally, which is useful.
Original post by StarLinyx
In fairness, I do respect the QS and THES World rankings, as they take into account the size of an institution, and weight STEM and non-STEM subjects equally for research. They aren't perfect, but they give a snapshot of where universities stand globally, which is useful.

The ranking criteria will be of relevance and importance to some people but not to others.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/world-university-rankings-2023-methodology

Many unis have flagship departments which are well known and respected by people in these fields if not by the wider public.