Best Universities for Law in the UK 2026

Discover the Times Higher Education rankings for the best law schools in the UK 2026.
This list reveals the best-ranked universities in the UK for law, according to the trusted THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026. They offer prospective students insight into the highest-ranking institutions for legal studies.
Universities are scored in areas such as teaching, research and international outlook.
The ranking uses a robust methodology, created by THE’s in-house data team, which is relied on by students, academics, policymakers and industry leaders worldwide.

January 21 2026

Top universities in the UK for law 2026

UK Law Rank 2026	Global Law Rank 2026	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	3	University of Cambridge	83.2	89.7	92.7	66.3	61.9	84.9
2	5	University of Oxford	82.7	90.5	95.1	63.9	50.7	80.3
3	11	UCL	80.4	81.5	86.7	73.4	61.1	83.3
4	13	London School of Economics and Political Science	79.2	86.4	89.4	66.7	17.5	81.9
5	17	University of Edinburgh	77	77.2	89.4	62.3	65	81.9
6	26	King’s College London	71.8	75	81.1	60.3	23.3	82.4
7	44	Queen Mary University of London	62.2	60.4	66.6	56.9	36.9	80.3
8	=52	Durham University	57.7	53	50.8	64.6	53.2	80.1
9	54	University of Bristol	57.3	52.8	55.1	65	17.5	76.5
10	=63	University of Glasgow	56.4	45.8	54.2	67.1	38.4	80.5
11	=68	University of Surrey	55.2	40.8	45.1	74.4	66.2	82
12	81	University of Nottingham	52.2	49.6	36.6	63.2	50.7	83.2
13	87	University of Warwick	50.7	39.8	43	66.3	24.7	83.8
14	88	University of Leeds	50.6	36.6	43.3	67.5	45.1	80
15	=89	University of Kent	50.5	35.5	42.7	66.7	63.7	79.1
16	92	University of Manchester	50.3	35.3	42	70	35.8	83.2
17	=93	University of Birmingham	50.1	40.7	41.5	63.3	29.5	84.5
=18	101–125	Swansea University	47.3–49.4	36.5	34.3	68.9	25.8	81.5
=18	101–125	University of Liverpool	47.3–49.4	35.2	39.5	68.1	36.3	79.4
=20	126–150	Cardiff University	44.4–47.1	38.8	32.3	64.8	52.3	71.2
=20	126–150	University of Sheffield	44.4–47.1	30.9	29.2	71.5	25.5	79.9
=20	126–150	University of Sussex	44.4–47.1	31.3	33.4	64.4	30.8	78.7
=23	151–175	Queen’s University Belfast	42.5–44.3	20.2	35.8	70.2	25.1	81.6
=23	151–175	University of Essex	42.5–44.3	28.9	29.6	66.1	24.1	85
=23	151–175	University of Portsmouth	42.5–44.3	19.2	25	80.5	17.5	88.9
=26	176–200	City St George's, University of London	40.6–42.4	31.8	33.2	54.1	17.5	79.7
=26	176–200	Newcastle University	40.6–42.4	25	26.6	66.6	58.8	74.3
=26	176–200	University of East Anglia	40.6–42.4	27.2	24.5	61.9	53.2	79.9
=26	176–200	University of Southampton	40.6–42.4	26.2	23.7	68	43.5	86.1
=26	176–200	University of Strathclyde	40.6–42.4	23.7	35.2	64	34.2	73
=31	201–250	Brunel University of London	37.7–40.5	18.9	16.8	72.9	24.7	82.4
=31	201–250	De Montfort University	37.7–40.5	20.2	18.5	78	38.4	75.2
=31	201–250	Lancaster University	37.7–40.5	18.9	24.6	65.8	50.9	81.4
=31	201–250	Northumbria University	37.7–40.5	27.1	26.6	67.1	34.1	59.8
=31	201–250	University of Aberdeen	37.7–40.5	28.8	30.6	53.2	17.5	88.9
=31	201–250	University of Exeter	37.7–40.5	21.8	25.9	64	22.7	81.2
=31	201–250	University of Leicester	37.7–40.5	26	23.3	58.6	17.5	78.6
=31	201–250	University of Stirling	37.7–40.5	17.8	25.2	65.1	29.8	77.6
=31	201–250	University of York	37.7–40.5	30.1	26.3	59.4	32.8	75.7
=40	251–300	Coventry University	34.7–37.6	20.8	18.1	55.7	46.9	80.3
=40	251–300	Middlesex University	34.7–37.6	14	23	68.3	18.5	75.9
=40	251–300	Nottingham Trent University	34.7–37.6	22.3	15.4	64.5	32	82.5
=40	251–300	Royal Holloway, University of London	34.7–37.6	14.8	18.4	62.5	66.2	79.3
=40	251–300	University of Dundee	34.7–37.6	22.7	24.5	56.3	17.5	78.1
=40	251–300	University of Huddersfield	34.7–37.6	15.5	19.4	70.4	17.5	78.7
=40	251–300	University of Reading	34.7–37.6	20.4	23.4	58.7	17.5	82.7
=40	251–300	University of Westminster	34.7–37.6	25.3	22.6	61	17.6	74
=48	301–400	Keele University	24.7–34.4	18.6	18.1	59.9	17.5	73.3
=48	301–400	Liverpool John Moores University	24.7–34.4	25.9	13.1	53.6	22.5	62.8
=48	301–400	Manchester Metropolitan University	24.7–34.4	19	15.6	62.5	25	62.1
=48	301–400	The Open University	24.7–34.4	12.2	9.5	66.1	17.5	48.8
=48	301–400	University of Derby	24.7–34.4	19.1	19	61	31.2	67
=48	301–400	University of Lancashire	24.7–34.4	14.9	14.3	53.5	25.6	66.8
=48	301–400	University of Lincoln	24.7–34.4	15.8	17.4	63.3	17.5	82.9

Key insights into the best law schools in the UK 2026

The University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford take the top two positions for the best universities for law in the UK.
Nine universities in London are ranked, including UCL, King's College London and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Universities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are represented in the table, with the University of Edinburgh and Cardiff University among the top institutions.
Some 54 universities across the UK are ranked in this law school ranking.

Why these law school rankings matter

The table for the best universities for law in the UK was derived from data collected for the THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Law. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics:

Research Environment
Teaching (the learning environment)
Research Quality
Industry
International Outlook.

For further insight and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page.

Choosing the right university for law in the UK

The UK is home to some of the world’s leading law schools.

The most traditional way to become a lawyer in the UK is to study for a law degree (LLB). Students who have studied a different subject at undergraduate level can take the Graduate Diploma in Law conversion course. Most students will also need further training to specialise. This includes the Bar Practice Course (replacing the Bar Professional Training Course), which allows graduates to prepare and practise as barristers in England and Wales, and the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.

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Many universities also allow students to combine their legal studies with other subjects, making it a joint honours degree.

The legal field offers career options such as barrister, coroner, crown prosecutor, patent attorney or solicitor.

If you obtain a law degree in the UK, you can practise in other countries but you might need to undertake Practical Legal Training or the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme, depending on which country you are moving to.

For aspiring law students, selecting the right law school is crucial for career success. The UK university rankings for law can help you identify institutions with strong reputations, industry connections and high-quality teaching.

Use the league tables above to explore the best universities for law in the UK and find the right institution to support your career aspirations.