87 Best universities for Architecture in the United Kingdom

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in the United Kingdom ranked based on their research performance in Architecture. A graph of 266K citations received by 18K academic papers made by 87 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 Architecture

#6 in Europe

#17 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

2. University College London

England | London

For Architecture

#7 in Europe

#18 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

3. Imperial College London

England | London

For Architecture

#10 in Europe

#26 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

4. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Architecture

#11 in Europe

#29 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

5. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Architecture

#15 in Europe

#38 in the World

Founded: 1824

6. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Architecture

#24 in Europe

#64 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

7. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Architecture

#32 in Europe

#87 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

8. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Architecture

#35 in Europe

#95 in the World

Founded: 1905

9. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Architecture

#40 in Europe

#108 in the World

Founded: 1963

10. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Architecture

#43 in Europe

#113 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

11. University of York

For Architecture

#57 in Europe

#143 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

12. Durham University

England | Durham

For Architecture

#60 in Europe

#149 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

13. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Architecture

#62 in Europe

#152 in the World

Founded: 1997

14. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Architecture

#66 in Europe

#161 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

15. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Architecture

#68 in Europe

#166 in the World

Founded: 1948

16. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Architecture

#81 in Europe

#191 in the World

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

17. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Architecture

#88 in Europe

#204 in the World

Founded: 1964

18. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Architecture

#92 in Europe

#209 in the World

Founded: 1904

19. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Architecture

#93 in Europe

#211 in the World

Founded: 1964

20. King's College London

England | London

For Architecture

#95 in Europe

#213 in the World

Founded: 1829

21. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Architecture

#96 in Europe

#216 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

22. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Architecture

#100 in Europe

#224 in the World

Founded: 1965

23. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Architecture

#102 in Europe

#227 in the World

Founded: 1900

24. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Architecture

#109 in Europe

#238 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

25. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Architecture

#110 in Europe

#239 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

26. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Architecture

#111 in Europe

#240 in the World

Founded: 1968

27. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Architecture

#117 in Europe

#253 in the World

Founded: 1451

28. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Architecture

#133 in Europe

#289 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

29. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Architecture

#137 in Europe

#295 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

30. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#141 in Europe

#304 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

31. De Montfort University

England | Leicester

For Architecture

#149 in Europe

#318 in the World

Founded: 1992

32. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Architecture

#152 in Europe

#330 in the World

Founded: 1892

33. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Architecture

#169 in Europe

#365 in the World

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

34. University of Westminster

England | London

For Architecture

#171 in Europe

#367 in the World

Enrollment: 19,000
Founded: 1838

35. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Architecture

#172 in Europe

#369 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

36. Oxford Brookes University

England | Oxford

For Architecture

#176 in Europe

#376 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1865

37. University of the West of England

England | Bristol

For Architecture

#188 in Europe

#413 in the World

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

38. London School of Economics and Political Science

England | London

For Architecture

#197 in Europe

#434 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 9,218
Founded: 1895

39. City, University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#198 in Europe

#437 in the World

Founded: 1966

40. Liverpool John Moores University

England | Liverpool

For Architecture

#210 in Europe

#462 in the World

Founded: 1992

41. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Architecture

#217 in Europe

#479 in the World

Founded: 1966

42. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Architecture

#225 in Europe

#497 in the World

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

43. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Architecture

#229 in Europe

#507 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

44. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Architecture

#234 in Europe

#518 in the World

Founded: 1849

45. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Architecture

#235 in Europe

#521 in the World

Founded: 1992

46. University of Bath

For Architecture

#237 in Europe

#524 in the World

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

47. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Architecture

#240 in Europe

#529 in the World

Founded: 1992

48. Cranfield University

England | Cranfield

For Architecture

#242 in Europe

#534 in the World

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

49. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Architecture

#243 in Europe

#539 in the World

Founded: 1495

50. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Architecture

#246 in Europe

#547 in the World

Founded: 1967

51. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Architecture

#270 in Europe

#592 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

52. University of Portsmouth

England | Portsmouth

For Architecture

#281 in Europe

#619 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

53. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Architecture

#283 in Europe

#623 in the World

Founded: 1992

54. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#289 in Europe

#637 in the World

Founded: 1823

55. University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#291 in Europe

#641 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

56. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For Architecture

#305 in Europe

#687 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

57. Kingston University

England | Kingston upon Thames

For Architecture

#309 in Europe

#711 in the World

Founded: 1992

58. University of the West of Scotland

Scotland | Paisley

For Architecture

#312 in Europe

#719 in the World

Enrollment: 15,555
Founded: 1897

59. Teesside University

England | Middlesbrough

For Architecture

#317 in Europe

#731 in the World

Enrollment: 19,290
Founded: 1992

60. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Architecture

#318 in Europe

#734 in the World

Founded: 1893

61. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Architecture

#319 in Europe

#735 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

62. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Architecture

#325 in Europe

#750 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 14,000
Founded: 1967

63. Middlesex University

England | London

For Architecture

#328 in Europe

#756 in the World

Founded: 1973

64. University of Huddersfield

England | Huddersfield

For Architecture

#329 in Europe

#759 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

65. Keele University

England | Keele

For Architecture

#335 in Europe

#772 in the World

Founded: 1962

66. Edinburgh Napier University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Architecture

#336 in Europe

#774 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1992

67. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Architecture

#339 in Europe

#783 in the World

Founded: 1954

68. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Architecture

#344 in Europe

#794 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

69. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Architecture

#351 in Europe

#812 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

70. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Architecture

#358 in Europe

#828 in the World

Founded: 1920

71. Bournemouth University

England | Poole

For Architecture

#371 in Europe

#861 in the World

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

72. University of Greenwich

England | London

For Architecture

#381 in Europe

#888 in the World

Founded: 1890

73. Sheffield Hallam University

England | Sheffield

For Architecture

#390 in Europe

#910 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

74. Aberystwyth University

Wales | Aberystwyth

For Architecture

#392 in Europe

#920 in the World

Founded: 1872

75. University of Lincoln

England | Lincoln

For Architecture

#393 in Europe

#923 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Founded: 1992

76. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Architecture

#403 in Europe

#952 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

77. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For Architecture

#405 in Europe

#955 in the World

Founded: 1895

78. Robert Gordon University

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Architecture

#423 in Europe

#1006 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1992

79. Birmingham City University

England | Birmingham

For Architecture

#425 in Europe

#1014 in the World

Founded: 1992

80. Leeds Beckett University

England | Leeds

For Architecture

#432 in Europe

#1046 in the World

Founded: 1992

81. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Architecture

#436 in Europe

#1056 in the World

Founded: 1967

82. London South Bank University

England | London

For Architecture

#440 in Europe

#1069 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

83. Goldsmiths, University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#444 in Europe

#1083 in the World

Founded: 1904

84. London Metropolitan University

England | London

For Architecture

#455 in Europe

#1114 in the World

Founded: 1848

85. University of Derby

England | Derby

For Architecture

#456 in Europe

#1125 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1992

86. Glasgow School of Art

Scotland | Glasgow

For Architecture

#457 in Europe

#1132 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 1,500
Founded: 1845

87. Royal College of Art

England | London

For Architecture

#470 in Europe

#1178 in the World

Founded: 1896

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