90 Best universities for Architecture 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 Architecture. A graph of 485K citations received by 20.7K academic papers made by 90 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

#1 in Europe

#7 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

2. University College London

England | London

For Architecture

#8 in Europe

#21 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

3. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Architecture

#9 in Europe

#22 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

4. Imperial College London

England | London

For Architecture

#14 in Europe

#34 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

5. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Architecture

#20 in Europe

#50 in the World

Founded: 1824

6. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Architecture

#22 in Europe

#62 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

7. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Architecture

#30 in Europe

#84 in the World

Founded: 1905

8. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Architecture

#35 in Europe

#96 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

9. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Architecture

#40 in Europe

#115 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

10. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Architecture

#49 in Europe

#129 in the World

Founded: 1963

11. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Architecture

#58 in Europe

#155 in the World

Founded: 1997

12. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Architecture

#60 in Europe

#160 in the World

Founded: 1948

13. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Architecture

#66 in Europe

#169 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

14. University of York

For Architecture

#69 in Europe

#173 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

15. Durham University

England | Durham

For Architecture

#74 in Europe

#182 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

16. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Architecture

#75 in Europe

#184 in the World

Founded: 1964

17. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#81 in Europe

#194 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

18. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Architecture

#82 in Europe

#196 in the World

Founded: 1904

19. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Architecture

#84 in Europe

#203 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

20. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Architecture

#85 in Europe

#204 in the World

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

21. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Architecture

#92 in Europe

#212 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

22. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Architecture

#95 in Europe

#221 in the World

Founded: 1965

23. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Architecture

#98 in Europe

#225 in the World

Founded: 1900

24. King's College London

England | London

For Architecture

#99 in Europe

#226 in the World

Founded: 1829

25. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Architecture

#112 in Europe

#248 in the World

Founded: 1451

26. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Architecture

#117 in Europe

#259 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

27. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Architecture

#118 in Europe

#263 in the World

Founded: 1892

28. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Architecture

#123 in Europe

#272 in the World

Founded: 1964

29. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Architecture

#128 in Europe

#283 in the World

Founded: 1968

30. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Architecture

#134 in Europe

#294 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

31. University of the West of England

England | Bristol

For Architecture

#142 in Europe

#307 in the World

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

32. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Architecture

#146 in Europe

#317 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

33. De Montfort University

England | Leicester

For Architecture

#156 in Europe

#348 in the World

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 1992

34. Oxford Brookes University

England | Oxford

For Architecture

#164 in Europe

#362 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1865

35. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Architecture

#167 in Europe

#371 in the World

Founded: 1992

36. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Architecture

#182 in Europe

#401 in the World

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

37. University of Westminster

England | London

For Architecture

#191 in Europe

#421 in the World

Enrollment: 19,000
Founded: 1838

38. London School of Economics and Political Science

England | London

For Architecture

#204 in Europe

#455 in the World

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

39. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Architecture

#207 in Europe

#460 in the World

Founded: 1992

40. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Architecture

#208 in Europe

#461 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

41. University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#216 in Europe

#474 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

42. City, University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#217 in Europe

#475 in the World

Founded: 1966

43. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Architecture

#218 in Europe

#485 in the World

Founded: 1992

44. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Architecture

#224 in Europe

#506 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

45. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Architecture

#225 in Europe

#509 in the World

Founded: 1966

46. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Architecture

#228 in Europe

#513 in the World

Founded: 1495

47. Liverpool John Moores University

England | Liverpool

For Architecture

#236 in Europe

#528 in the World

Founded: 1992

48. University of Bath

For Architecture

#240 in Europe

#533 in the World

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

49. Cranfield University

England | Cranfield

For Architecture

#245 in Europe

#539 in the World

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

50. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Architecture

#254 in Europe

#556 in the World

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

51. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Architecture

#263 in Europe

#579 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

52. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Architecture

#264 in Europe

#580 in the World

Founded: 1967

53. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Architecture

#265 in Europe

#588 in the World

Founded: 1849

54. University of Portsmouth

England | Portsmouth

For Architecture

#284 in Europe

#637 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

55. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#301 in Europe

#678 in the World

Founded: 1823

56. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Architecture

#311 in Europe

#719 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

57. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For Architecture

#312 in Europe

#720 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

58. Edinburgh Napier University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Architecture

#314 in Europe

#729 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1992

59. University of the West of Scotland

Scotland | Paisley

For Architecture

#322 in Europe

#747 in the World

Enrollment: 15,555
Founded: 1897

60. Bournemouth University

England | Poole

For Architecture

#324 in Europe

#752 in the World

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

61. University of Huddersfield

England | Huddersfield

For Architecture

#334 in Europe

#775 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

62. Kingston University

England | Kingston upon Thames

For Architecture

#337 in Europe

#783 in the World

Founded: 1992

63. Middlesex University

England | London

For Architecture

#345 in Europe

#808 in the World

Founded: 1973

64. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Architecture

#350 in Europe

#825 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

65. Leeds Beckett University

England | Leeds

For Architecture

#351 in Europe

#828 in the World

Founded: 1992

66. Teesside University

England | Middlesbrough

For Architecture

#359 in Europe

#841 in the World

Enrollment: 19,290
Founded: 1992

67. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Architecture

#367 in Europe

#862 in the World

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

68. University of Lincoln

England | Lincoln

For Architecture

#370 in Europe

#869 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Enrollment: 19,710
Founded: 1992

69. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Architecture

#378 in Europe

#903 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

70. Keele University

England | Keele

For Architecture

#383 in Europe

#911 in the World

Founded: 1962

71. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Architecture

#384 in Europe

#917 in the World

Founded: 1954

72. University of Greenwich

England | London

For Architecture

#389 in Europe

#930 in the World

Founded: 1890

73. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Architecture

#392 in Europe

#934 in the World

Founded: 1920

74. Sheffield Hallam University

England | Sheffield

For Architecture

#395 in Europe

#948 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

75. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Architecture

#403 in Europe

#973 in the World

Founded: 1967

76. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Architecture

#408 in Europe

#985 in the World

Founded: 1893

77. Aberystwyth University

Wales | Aberystwyth

For Architecture

#409 in Europe

#988 in the World

Founded: 1872

78. Robert Gordon University

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Architecture

#421 in Europe

#1026 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1992

79. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Architecture

#436 in Europe

#1068 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

80. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For Architecture

#442 in Europe

#1088 in the World

Founded: 1895

81. Glasgow School of Art

Scotland | Glasgow

For Architecture

#446 in Europe

#1099 in the World

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

82. Birmingham City University

England | Birmingham

For Architecture

#447 in Europe

#1107 in the World

Founded: 1992

83. London Metropolitan University

England | London

For Architecture

#448 in Europe

#1108 in the World

Founded: 1848

84. Goldsmiths, University of London

England | London

For Architecture

#451 in Europe

#1118 in the World

Founded: 1904

85. London South Bank University

England | London

For Architecture

#462 in Europe

#1154 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

86. University of Wolverhampton

England | Wolverhampton

For Architecture

#472 in Europe

#1174 in the World

Founded: 1992

87. Royal College of Art

England | London

For Architecture

#474 in Europe

#1177 in the World

Founded: 1896

88. University of Derby

England | Derby

For Architecture

#478 in Europe

#1190 in the World

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

89. Glasgow Caledonian University

Scotland | Glasgow

For Architecture

#486 in Europe

#1218 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1993

90. University of East London

England | London

For Architecture

#497 in Europe

#1267 in the World

Founded: 1992

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.