Top 20 UK Universities for PhD Study in 2023 | FindAPhD.com

Top 20 UK Universities for PhD Study in 2023

Written by Marcus Holt

The United Kingdom has a world-famous higher education system and a large range of degree programmes, making it a very popular destination to study in. So, it’s no surprise that British universities are some of the highest ranking in the world.

But how do you choose the best university to study your PhD at?

It’s not always as straightforward as you might think but you can start by looking at the rankings. These tell you which UK universities are the most internationally respected and renowned.


Top 20 UK Universities in 2023
University THE 2023 QS 2023 ARWU 2022
University of Oxford 1 4 7
University of Cambridge =3 2 4
Imperial College London 10 =6 23
UCL 22 8 18
University of Edinburgh 29 15 35
King's College London 35 37 48
London School of Economics and Political Science 37 56 101-150
University of Manchester =54 28 38
University of Bristol 76 =61 81
University of Glasgow =82 81 101-150
University of Warwick =104 64 101-150
University of Birmingham =108 91 101-150
University of Southampton =108 78 151-200
University of Sheffield =114 =96 101-150
Lancaster University 122 146 301-400
Queen Mary University of London =124 =125 201-300
University of Leeds =128 86 151-200
University of Nottingham 130 114 101-150
University of Exeter =137 163 101-150
Newcastle University =139 122 201-300
Information in this table is based on the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their websites for more information.

So, how good are the top universities in the UK for PhD study?

The short answer is: very good! With 10 universities in the top 100 THE ranking, the UK has more top-ranked universities than any other European country.

In fact, the only other country to beat the UK globally is the USA. But, unlike the USA, all the UK’s top universities are publicly funded, reflecting their substantial investment in higher education.

Here we’ve given a brief introduction to university rankings. For a more detailed overview of how the system works and how to get the best out of it, check our guide to PhD rankings.

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Last Updated: 24 November 2022