69 Best universities for Astrobiology 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 Astrobiology. A graph of 1.58M citations received by 44.6K academic papers made by 69 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.

1. University College London

England | London

For Astrobiology

#2 in Europe

#17 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

2. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Astrobiology

#3 in Europe

#18 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

3. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Astrobiology

#5 in Europe

#21 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

4. Imperial College London

England | London

For Astrobiology

#6 in Europe

#27 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

5. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Astrobiology

#11 in Europe

#46 in the World

Founded: 1824

6. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Astrobiology

#14 in Europe

#59 in the World

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

7. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Astrobiology

#15 in Europe

#62 in the World

Founded: 1904

8. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Astrobiology

#20 in Europe

#78 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

9. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Astrobiology

#23 in Europe

#85 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

10. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Astrobiology

#30 in Europe

#96 in the World

Founded: 1900

11. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Astrobiology

#36 in Europe

#104 in the World

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

12. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Astrobiology

#38 in Europe

#106 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

13. Durham University

England | Durham

For Astrobiology

#41 in Europe

#117 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

14. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Astrobiology

#45 in Europe

#123 in the World

Founded: 1905

15. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Astrobiology

#51 in Europe

#138 in the World

Founded: 1451

16. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Astrobiology

#55 in Europe

#152 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

17. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Astrobiology

#59 in Europe

#158 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

18. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Astrobiology

#69 in Europe

#193 in the World

Founded: 1892

19. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Astrobiology

#71 in Europe

#195 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

20. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Astrobiology

#79 in Europe

#208 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

21. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Astrobiology

#82 in Europe

#211 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

22. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Astrobiology

#86 in Europe

#220 in the World

Founded: 1997

23. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Astrobiology

#91 in Europe

#230 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

24. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Astrobiology

#92 in Europe

#231 in the World

Founded: 1948

25. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Astrobiology

#96 in Europe

#246 in the World

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

26. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Astrobiology

#101 in Europe

#255 in the World

Founded: 1965

27. King's College London

England | London

For Astrobiology

#109 in Europe

#273 in the World

Founded: 1829

28. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Astrobiology

#113 in Europe

#280 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

29. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Astrobiology

#121 in Europe

#303 in the World

Founded: 1963

30. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Astrobiology

#123 in Europe

#308 in the World

Founded: 1954

31. University of Bath

For Astrobiology

#130 in Europe

#326 in the World

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

32. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Astrobiology

#135 in Europe

#333 in the World

Founded: 1964

33. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Astrobiology

#138 in Europe

#340 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

34. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Astrobiology

#144 in Europe

#360 in the World

Founded: 1823

35. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Astrobiology

#146 in Europe

#362 in the World

Founded: 1893

36. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Astrobiology

#153 in Europe

#382 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

37. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Astrobiology

#168 in Europe

#409 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

38. University of London

England | London

For Astrobiology

#169 in Europe

#412 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

39. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Astrobiology

#195 in Europe

#481 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

40. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Astrobiology

#197 in Europe

#485 in the World

Founded: 1967

41. Bangor University

For Astrobiology

#198 in Europe

#488 in the World

Enrollment: 11,270
Founded: 1884

42. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Astrobiology

#200 in Europe

#495 in the World

Founded: 1495

43. University of York

For Astrobiology

#202 in Europe

#504 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

44. Keele University

England | Keele

For Astrobiology

#216 in Europe

#535 in the World

Founded: 1962

45. Aberystwyth University

Wales | Aberystwyth

For Astrobiology

#220 in Europe

#544 in the World

Founded: 1872

46. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Astrobiology

#224 in Europe

#569 in the World

Founded: 1920

47. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Astrobiology

#235 in Europe

#602 in the World

Founded: 1849

48. Cranfield University

England | Cranfield

For Astrobiology

#238 in Europe

#612 in the World

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

49. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Astrobiology

#244 in Europe

#638 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

50. University of Portsmouth

England | Portsmouth

For Astrobiology

#257 in Europe

#668 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

51. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Astrobiology

#268 in Europe

#689 in the World

Founded: 1968

52. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Astrobiology

#272 in Europe

#705 in the World

Founded: 1964

53. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Astrobiology

#276 in Europe

#717 in the World

Founded: 1992

54. University of Central Lancashire

England | Preston

For Astrobiology

#303 in Europe

#787 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1992

55. Liverpool John Moores University

England | Liverpool

For Astrobiology

#308 in Europe

#799 in the World

Founded: 1992

56. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Astrobiology

#319 in Europe

#858 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

57. St George's, University of London

England | London

For Astrobiology

#326 in Europe

#869 in the World

Founded: 1733

58. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Astrobiology

#341 in Europe

#922 in the World

Founded: 1966

59. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Astrobiology

#355 in Europe

#957 in the World

Founded: 1967

60. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Astrobiology

#375 in Europe

#1031 in the World

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

61. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Astrobiology

#382 in Europe

#1049 in the World

Founded: 1992

62. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Astrobiology

#387 in Europe

#1074 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

63. University of Buckingham

England | Buckingham

For Astrobiology

#395 in Europe

#1100 in the World

Founded: 1973

64. University of Greenwich

England | London

For Astrobiology

#396 in Europe

#1107 in the World

Founded: 1890

65. London School of Economics and Political Science

England | London

For Astrobiology

#399 in Europe

#1117 in the World

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

66. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For Astrobiology

#402 in Europe

#1139 in the World

Founded: 1895

67. Sheffield Hallam University

England | Sheffield

For Astrobiology

#409 in Europe

#1159 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

68. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Astrobiology

#412 in Europe

#1174 in the World

Founded: 1992

69. University of the West of England

England | Bristol

For Astrobiology

#430 in Europe

#1256 in the World

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

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