48 Best universities for Animation in the United Kingdom

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in the United Kingdom ranked based on their research performance in Animation. A graph of 177K citations received by 6.5K academic papers made by 48 universities in the United Kingdom was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Animation

#3 in Europe

#24 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

2. Imperial College London

England | London

For Animation

#4 in Europe

#28 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

3. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Animation

#5 in Europe

#36 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

4. University College London

England | London

For Animation

#12 in Europe

#70 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

5. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Animation

#21 in Europe

#100 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

6. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Animation

#24 in Europe

#108 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

7. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Animation

#27 in Europe

#113 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

8. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Animation

#29 in Europe

#123 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Enrollment: 27,513
Founded: 1909

9. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Animation

#43 in Europe

#157 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

10. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Animation

#46 in Europe

#163 in the World

Founded: 1905

11. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Animation

#47 in Europe

#166 in the World

Founded: 1824

12. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Animation

#55 in Europe

#177 in the World

Founded: 1451

13. Bournemouth University

England | Poole

For Animation

#62 in Europe

#192 in the World

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

14. University of Bath

For Animation

#76 in Europe

#222 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment: 18,857
Male:Female: 53:47
Founded: 1966

15. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Animation

#88 in Europe

#243 in the World

Founded: 1948

16. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Animation

#89 in Europe

#248 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

17. King's College London

England | London

For Animation

#93 in Europe

#258 in the World

Founded: 1829

18. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Animation

#94 in Europe

#259 in the World

Founded: 1997

19. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Animation

#95 in Europe

#262 in the World

Founded: 1904

20. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Animation

#99 in Europe

#272 in the World

Founded: 1920

21. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Animation

#100 in Europe

#273 in the World

Enrollment: 24,409
Male:Female: 46:54
Founded: 1957

22. University of York

For Animation

#105 in Europe

#293 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

23. Aberystwyth University

Wales | Aberystwyth

For Animation

#108 in Europe

#296 in the World

Founded: 1872

24. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Animation

#119 in Europe

#314 in the World

Founded: 1963

25. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Animation

#138 in Europe

#363 in the World

Founded: 1964

26. Durham University

England | Durham

For Animation

#139 in Europe

#367 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

27. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Animation

#142 in Europe

#373 in the World

Founded: 1967

28. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Animation

#143 in Europe

#374 in the World

Founded: 1892

29. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Animation

#144 in Europe

#375 in the World

Founded: 1893

30. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Animation

#145 in Europe

#376 in the World

Founded: 1900

31. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Animation

#148 in Europe

#386 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

32. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Animation

#151 in Europe

#392 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

33. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Animation

#156 in Europe

#404 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

34. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Animation

#166 in Europe

#431 in the World

Enrollment: 17,319
Male:Female: 44:56
Founded: 1961

35. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Animation

#169 in Europe

#437 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

36. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Animation

#171 in Europe

#439 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

37. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Animation

#183 in Europe

#463 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

38. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Animation

#186 in Europe

#471 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

39. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Animation

#203 in Europe

#520 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

40. Cranfield University

England | Cranfield

For Animation

#206 in Europe

#524 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Enrollment: 4,825
Founded: 1993

41. University of London

England | London

For Animation

#208 in Europe

#533 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

42. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Animation

#213 in Europe

#543 in the World

Founded: 1965

43. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Animation

#232 in Europe

#598 in the World

Founded: 1964

44. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Animation

#257 in Europe

#669 in the World

Founded: 1823

45. Teesside University

England | Middlesbrough

For Animation

#261 in Europe

#674 in the World

Enrollment: 19,290
Founded: 1992

46. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Animation

#265 in Europe

#692 in the World

Founded: 1968

47. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Animation

#274 in Europe

#712 in the World

Founded: 1966

48. University of Portsmouth

England | Portsmouth

For Animation

#279 in Europe

#726 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

The best cities to study Animation in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are Oxford, London, Cambridge, and Guildford.