In this article
- QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE) and The Guardian: three rankings, three methodologies.
- Times Higher Education (THE):
- QS World University Rankings:
- Our admission results
The United Kingdom is home to some of the most prestigious universities in the world. Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, LSE, UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh… Who hasn’t heard of these legendary names? Studying at one of these top institutions means joining an international, innovative environment and benefiting from an education system refined over decades, even centuries, of academic excellence.
Want to get into a prestigious UK university? To help you get a clearer picture, Your Dream School presents three versions of the top 10 UK universities in 2019.
QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE) and The Guardian: three rankings, three methodologies.
Ranking the best higher education institutions in the UK is a complex exercise that follows a strict protocol. Several organisations publish a ranking of the best British universities every year. Each applies its own methodology and relies on the performance indicators it considers essential.
The Guardian:
In its ranking of the 120 best universities in the UK, the well-known British daily The Guardian focuses on the criteria that matter most to students, including:
- The quality of teaching
- Feedback from students who attended the university
- Career prospects and how quickly graduates find work
- Tuition fees
- The student-to-staff ratio
- The percentage of students who continue into the second year
This ranking does not take published research into account, because The Guardian considers it of little relevance to students.
Times Higher Education (THE):
Every year, Times Higher Education publishes a ranking of the 100 best UK universities, using a methodology based on thirteen performance indicators grouped into five categories:
- Teaching quality and the learning environment
- International outlook, which measures the share of international staff and students at the university, and the number of research papers it publishes that were written or co-written by an international author.
- Citations, which measure the impact and influence of the university’s published research, nationally and internationally.
- Research, which takes into account the volume of published work as well as the university’s reputation and recognition in the UK and beyond.
- Knowledge transfer, which measures the university’s impact on industry and its ability to bring innovative, effective solutions to the problems companies face.
QS World University Rankings:
The QS World University Rankings publish an annual ranking of the best UK universities based on six main criteria, including:
- The university’s academic reputation
- Its reputation among employers
- The share of international staff and students
Here is a summary table of the top 10 UK universities in 2019 according to each of these methodologies.
| Rank | The Guardian | THE | QS |
| 1 | Cambridge University | Oxford University | Oxford University |
| 2 | Oxford University | Cambridge University | Cambridge University |
| 3 | University of St Andrews | Imperial College London | Imperial College London |
| 4 | Loughborough University | UCL | UCL |
| 5 | Durham University | LSE | University of Edinburgh |
| 6 | University of Bath | University of Edinburgh | University of Manchester |
| 7 | Imperial College | King’s College London | King’s College London |
| 8 | University of Warwick | University of Manchester | LSE |
| 9 | Lancaster University | University of Bristol | University of Bristol |
| 10 | University of Leeds | University of Warwick | University of Warwick |
The Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings place the same universities in their top 10, in slightly different positions. In both rankings, the top four places go to Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and UCL, in that order.
The reputation of British universities reaches far beyond the UK, and the admissions committees of these prestigious institutions handle a huge number of applications every year. To maximise your chances of joining one of these top universities, work with the Your Dream School admissions coaches!
With unrivalled know-how and a proven method, the Your Dream School team guides and supports you throughout your bachelor’s application to one of the most prestigious universities in the UK: guidance on your study choices, standardised test preparation, help writing your CV and your personal statement…
Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Your Dream School, let’s make your dreams come true together.
Our admission results
1,100+ admission offers at 107 universities and 1,000+ students supported since 2018.
Figures taken from our admissions database, 2019 to 2025 intakes. They are minimums: the 2017-2018 and 2025-2026 intakes are not yet consolidated.
See also: also considering Ireland? Read our guide to studying at Trinity College Dublin, the leading alternative to Oxbridge.
Need help with your plans to study abroad? Our advisers support you from choosing your path to getting admitted.
Author
With a Bachelor's (LLB) from UCL and Assas, and the Grande Ecole program at HEC Paris, Adam co-founded Your Dream School in 2018. Since then the company has coached more than 1,000 students through university admissions and interview preparation for top global institutions.
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