Best universities for engineering degrees in the UK - 2026 rankings
Discover the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings for the best engineering schools in the UK 2026.
This list of universities reveals the top-ranked 69 institutions for engineering including mechanical engineering, civil engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering and chemical engineering, offering prospective students insights into the highest-ranking universities in the field.
Universities across the UK are evaluated based on teaching, research, and international outlook.
THE’s respected rankings use a robust methodology, created by the in-house data team, relied upon by students, academics, policymakers and industry leaders worldwide.
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Top universities in the UK for engineering 2026
| UK Engineering Rank 2026 | Global Engineering Rank 2026 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
| 1 | 2 | University of Oxford | 95.9 | 95.8 | 99.7 | 92.5 | 94.6 | 95 |
| 2 | 5 | University of Cambridge | 95.6 | 95 | 99.7 | 91.6 | 97.2 | 94.7 |
| 3 | 12 | Imperial College London | 92.4 | 93.3 | 93.2 | 89.8 | 91.1 | 96.5 |
| 4 | 41 | UCL | 75.4 | 66.7 | 67.5 | 88.2 | 70.2 | 96.9 |
| 5 | 48 | University of Manchester | 73.3 | 63.7 | 66.8 | 83 | 77 | 94.1 |
| 6 | 83 | University of Edinburgh | 63.5 | 52.4 | 48 | 79.8 | 73 | 95.1 |
| 7 | =97 | University of Sheffield | 60.5 | 44.7 | 48.7 | 71 | 95.4 | 89.1 |
| 8 | 100 | University of Bristol | 60.2 | 41.3 | 49 | 73.1 | 94.6 | 90 |
| =9 | 101–125 | University of Birmingham | 57.3–60.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 | 80.1 | 88.3 | 94.8 |
| =9 | 101–125 | University of Leeds | 57.3–60.1 | 45 | 43.3 | 73.1 | 68.7 | 95 |
| =9 | 101–125 | University of Nottingham | 57.3–60.1 | 40.2 | 45.2 | 76.1 | 82.2 | 94.3 |
| =9 | 101–125 | University of Southampton | 57.3–60.1 | 45 | 47.1 | 72.5 | 77.3 | 93.6 |
| =13 | 126–150 | King’s College London | 54.8–57.1 | 44 | 33.5 | 76.9 | 68.2 | 97.2 |
| =13 | 126–150 | Queen Mary University of London | 54.8–57.1 | 31 | 27.4 | 96.3 | 69.4 | 97.7 |
| =13 | 126–150 | University of Surrey | 54.8–57.1 | 29.3 | 29.7 | 91.2 | 77.4 | 97.2 |
| =16 | 151–175 | Queen’s University Belfast | 52.9–54.7 | 24.9 | 29.2 | 90.9 | 79.6 | 98.5 |
| =16 | 151–175 | University of Glasgow | 52.9–54.7 | 37 | 34.1 | 75.6 | 67.7 | 96.2 |
| =16 | 151–175 | University of Liverpool | 52.9–54.7 | 31 | 31.3 | 87.5 | 70.2 | 97.6 |
| =19 | 176–200 | Lancaster University | 50.8–52.7 | 29.7 | 27.7 | 82.2 | 72.7 | 93.1 |
| =19 | 176–200 | University of Warwick | 50.8–52.7 | 28.6 | 28.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 | 95 |
| =21 | 201–250 | Brunel University of London | 47.5–50.7 | 20.8 | 21.5 | 88.4 | 62 | 97.5 |
| =21 | 201–250 | Cardiff University | 47.5–50.7 | 25.7 | 32.3 | 75.2 | 73.6 | 93 |
| =21 | 201–250 | Durham University | 47.5–50.7 | 28.6 | 25.9 | 80.4 | 67.5 | 91.8 |
| =21 | 201–250 | Newcastle University | 47.5–50.7 | 29 | 32.8 | 68.5 | 82.3 | 92.8 |
| =21 | 201–250 | Northumbria University | 47.5–50.7 | 18.4 | 20 | 94.7 | 49.5 | 97.9 |
| =21 | 201–250 | University of Bath | 47.5–50.7 | 30.9 | 30.4 | 71.7 | 70.1 | 89.5 |
| =21 | 201–250 | University of Exeter | 47.5–50.7 | 26.9 | 25.7 | 84.1 | 62.3 | 96.8 |
| =21 | 201–250 | University of Strathclyde | 47.5–50.7 | 34.7 | 32.7 | 66.2 | 80.6 | 89.1 |
| =21 | 201–250 | University of Sussex | 47.5–50.7 | 20.7 | 20 | 86.2 | 62.2 | 97.6 |
| =30 | 251–300 | Heriot-Watt University | 45.5–47.4 | 30.8 | 28.5 | 59.3 | 66.2 | 94.4 |
| =30 | 251–300 | Loughborough University | 45.5–47.4 | 30 | 21.9 | 69.4 | 70.7 | 83.4 |
| =30 | 251–300 | Swansea University | 45.5–47.4 | 26.2 | 21.9 | 78.4 | 61.5 | 89.3 |
| =30 | 251–300 | University of Aberdeen | 45.5–47.4 | 27 | 22.5 | 67.5 | 80.3 | 97 |
| =30 | 251–300 | University of Leicester | 45.5–47.4 | 18.9 | 21.6 | 79.3 | 62.4 | 98.4 |
| =30 | 251–300 | University of York | 45.5–47.4 | 26.3 | 24 | 70.1 | 65.9 | 94.2 |
| =36 | 301–400 | Aston University | 41.5–45.4 | 15.4 | 20.8 | 81.5 | 61.5 | 95.9 |
| =36 | 301–400 | Liverpool John Moores University | 41.5–45.4 | 14.4 | 14.9 | 86.8 | 40.4 | 94 |
| =36 | 301–400 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 41.5–45.4 | 15.1 | 17.3 | 85.8 | 50.2 | 95.3 |
| =36 | 301–400 | University of Bradford | 41.5–45.4 | 18.6 | 17.9 | 74 | 66.8 | 96.3 |
| =36 | 301–400 | University of Lincoln | 41.5–45.4 | 13.8 | 16.8 | 80.7 | 50.3 | 95.3 |
| =36 | 301–400 | University of Plymouth | 41.5–45.4 | 17.5 | 21 | 81.9 | 54.5 | 86.2 |
| =42 | 401–500 | Bangor University | 39.1–41.4 | 24.6 | 22.9 | 54.3 | 66.5 | 94.7 |
| =42 | 401–500 | City St George's, University of London | 39.1–41.4 | 21.6 | 19.5 | 63.1 | 59.4 | 96.2 |
| =42 | 401–500 | Edinburgh Napier University | 39.1–41.4 | 12.3 | 17.1 | 82.7 | 35.4 | 93 |
| =42 | 401–500 | Nottingham Trent University | 39.1–41.4 | 13.1 | 11.1 | 85.5 | 39.2 | 92.4 |
| =42 | 401–500 | Robert Gordon University | 39.1–41.4 | 15.4 | 12.6 | 78.1 | 45.5 | 95.9 |
| =42 | 401–500 | University of Huddersfield | 39.1–41.4 | 19.5 | 22.6 | 66.4 | 50.4 | 94.3 |
| =42 | 401–500 | University of Hull | 39.1–41.4 | 14.3 | 19.1 | 70.1 | 64.7 | 94.8 |
| =42 | 401–500 | University of Portsmouth | 39.1–41.4 | 13.5 | 11.7 | 75.6 | 49.2 | 95.2 |
| =42 | 401–500 | University of Salford | 39.1–41.4 | 13.2 | 11.8 | 77.3 | 48.7 | 91.2 |
| =42 | 401–500 | University of the West of Scotland | 39.1–41.4 | 15.4 | 11.4 | 81.5 | 50.5 | 97.3 |
| =52 | 501–600 | Birmingham City University | 36.5–39.0 | 12.8 | 9.9 | 76.9 | 20.9 | 96.7 |
| =52 | 501–600 | De Montfort University | 36.5–39.0 | 12.9 | 10.7 | 77 | 45.7 | 96.6 |
| =52 | 501–600 | Oxford Brookes University | 36.5–39.0 | 16.9 | 14.1 | 69.5 | 30.8 | 89 |
| =52 | 501–600 | UWE Bristol (University of the West of England) | 36.5–39.0 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 72.7 | 39 | 89.8 |
| =52 | 501–600 | University of Hertfordshire | 36.5–39.0 | 13.6 | 9.3 | 75.3 | 38.2 | 97.7 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Coventry University | 31.6–36.3 | 14.1 | 11.2 | 67.6 | 34.7 | 94.6 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Kingston University | 31.6–36.3 | 12 | 9.2 | 55.6 | 39.9 | 94.8 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Teesside University | 31.6–36.3 | 11.7 | 10.8 | 72.7 | 28.7 | 96.4 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Ulster University | 31.6–36.3 | 18.5 | 11.2 | 54.5 | 48.5 | 84.1 |
| =57 | 601–800 | University of Derby | 31.6–36.3 | 13.4 | 8.6 | 76.7 | 24.9 | 86.7 |
| =57 | 601–800 | University of Dundee | 31.6–36.3 | 20.9 | 14.9 | 47.8 | 55.7 | 94.4 |
| =57 | 601–800 | University of Greenwich | 31.6–36.3 | 13.6 | 10.8 | 66.8 | 41.7 | 96.9 |
| =57 | 601–800 | University of South Wales | 31.6–36.3 | 12.8 | 10.5 | 49.5 | 57.5 | 89.7 |
| =65 | 801–1000 | London South Bank University | 27.1–31.5 | 12.1 | 10 | 56.5 | 28.6 | 94.9 |
| =65 | 801–1000 | Sheffield Hallam University | 27.1–31.5 | 13.4 | 9.3 | 39.3 | 37.4 | 90.8 |
| =65 | 801–1000 | University of Brighton | 27.1–31.5 | 12.4 | 13.7 | 40.4 | 43.8 | 94 |
| =68 | 1001–1250 | Glasgow Caledonian University | 21.4–27.0 | 13.4 | 10.5 | 36.1 | 36.3 | 90.3 |
| =68 | 1001–1250 | The Open University | 21.4–27.0 | 16.9 | 7.2 | 45.1 | 30.7 | 65.6 |
Key insights into the best engineering schools in the UK
- The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge maintain their first and second place positions with strong scores across all five metrics.
- The top 10 features universites based in London, Edinburgh, Sheffield and Birmingham among others.
- There are 69 universities featured in the ranking.
- There are two new entries this year: the University of Lincoln and City St Georges, University of London
Choosing the right university for engineering in the UK
From the London Underground to the Channel Tunnel, the UK’s list of engineering feats is endless. Almost everything you see around you, from cars to skyscrapers, was designed by a team of engineers, and studying an engineering degree can put you on the first step to working on such projects.
In the UK, it is common for students on all undergraduate engineering degrees to follow the same course in the first two years. After that, students are able to pursue their interests and specialise in the branch of engineering they enjoy most. Unlike most undergraduate degrees in the UK, engineering programmes are four years long, often with a year in industry in the middle.
There are many branches of engineering that students can choose to specialise in, including civil engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering and many others. Many students will embark on further education in order to deepen their specialist expertise.
Choosing where to study engineering in the UK requires considering a range of factors including teaching and research. These rankings provide critical insights based on:
- Research environment – focuses on research reputation and productivity
- Teaching quality – the student learning experience and faculty strength
- Research quality – influence and innovation in the engineering field
- Industry collaboration – how institutions work with businesses and apply practical knowledge
- International outlook – global diversity of students and faculty
The table for the best universities for engineering in the UK was derived from data collected for the THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Engineering. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.
