56 Best universities for Polymer science and Plastics engineering 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 Polymer science and Plastics engineering. A graph of 400K citations received by 12.1K academic papers made by 56 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 of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#2 in Europe

#8 in the World

Founded: 1824

2. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#5 in Europe

#16 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

3. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#6 in Europe

#17 in the World

Founded: 1900

4. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#7 in Europe

#20 in the World

Founded: 1904

5. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#12 in Europe

#36 in the World

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

6. Imperial College London

England | London

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#15 in Europe

#42 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

7. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#18 in Europe

#49 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

8. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#22 in Europe

#60 in the World

Founded: 1905

9. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#24 in Europe

#62 in the World

Founded: 1892

10. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#35 in Europe

#96 in the World

Founded: 1948

11. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#39 in Europe

#103 in the World

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

12. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#42 in Europe

#115 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

13. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#45 in Europe

#120 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

14. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#47 in Europe

#125 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

15. Durham University

England | Durham

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#48 in Europe

#130 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

16. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#55 in Europe

#143 in the World

Founded: 1964

17. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#61 in Europe

#152 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

18. University College London

England | London

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#62 in Europe

#154 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

19. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#64 in Europe

#163 in the World

Founded: 1451

20. University of York

England | York

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#67 in Europe

#169 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

21. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#76 in Europe

#197 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

22. King's College London

England | London

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#79 in Europe

#209 in the World

Founded: 1829

23. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#81 in Europe

#217 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

24. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#85 in Europe

#225 in the World

Founded: 1895

25. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#87 in Europe

#229 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

26. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#96 in Europe

#247 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

27. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#98 in Europe

#250 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

28. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#102 in Europe

#265 in the World

Founded: 1954

29. University of London

England | London

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#109 in Europe

#277 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

30. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#123 in Europe

#305 in the World

Founded: 1997

31. University of Bath

England | Bath

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#126 in Europe

#314 in the World

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

32. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#145 in Europe

#358 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

33. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#153 in Europe

#379 in the World

Founded: 1963

34. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#158 in Europe

#386 in the World

Founded: 1965

35. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#159 in Europe

#387 in the World

Founded: 1495

36. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#168 in Europe

#421 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

37. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#169 in Europe

#422 in the World

Founded: 1966

38. London Metropolitan University

England | London

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#173 in Europe

#437 in the World

Founded: 1848

39. Cranfield University

England | Cranfield

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#176 in Europe

#446 in the World

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

40. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#177 in Europe

#448 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

41. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#191 in Europe

#483 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

42. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#197 in Europe

#493 in the World

Founded: 1967

43. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#203 in Europe

#508 in the World

Founded: 1968

44. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#207 in Europe

#517 in the World

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

45. Bangor University

Wales | Bangor

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#211 in Europe

#524 in the World

Enrollment: 11,270
Founded: 1884

46. University of Bolton

England | Bolton

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#228 in Europe

#567 in the World

Founded: 2004

47. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#232 in Europe

#571 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

48. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#251 in Europe

#625 in the World

Founded: 1893

49. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#264 in Europe

#661 in the World

Founded: 1992

50. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#274 in Europe

#695 in the World

Founded: 1920

51. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#275 in Europe

#700 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

52. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#278 in Europe

#708 in the World

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

53. Keele University

England | Keele

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#291 in Europe

#738 in the World

Founded: 1962

54. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#295 in Europe

#754 in the World

Founded: 1967

55. University of Portsmouth

England | Portsmouth

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#309 in Europe

#816 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

56. Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London

England | London

For Polymer science and Plastics engineering

#333 in Europe

#898 in the World

Founded: 1932

The best cities to study Polymer science and Plastics engineering in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are Manchester, Cambridge, Birmingham, and Leeds.