53 Best universities for Nuclear 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 Nuclear Engineering. A graph of 303K citations received by 14.1K academic papers made by 53 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. Imperial College London

England | London

For Nuclear Engineering

#4 in Europe

#20 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

2. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Nuclear Engineering

#14 in Europe

#52 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

3. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Nuclear Engineering

#17 in Europe

#68 in the World

Founded: 1824

4. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Nuclear Engineering

#18 in Europe

#69 in the World

Founded: 1948

5. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Nuclear Engineering

#23 in Europe

#84 in the World

Founded: 1900

6. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Nuclear Engineering

#29 in Europe

#94 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

7. University College London

England | London

For Nuclear Engineering

#38 in Europe

#113 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

8. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Nuclear Engineering

#41 in Europe

#125 in the World

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

9. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Nuclear Engineering

#49 in Europe

#142 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

10. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Nuclear Engineering

#50 in Europe

#145 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

11. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Nuclear Engineering

#52 in Europe

#154 in the World

Founded: 1905

12. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Nuclear Engineering

#54 in Europe

#160 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

13. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Nuclear Engineering

#56 in Europe

#165 in the World

Founded: 1904

14. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Nuclear Engineering

#57 in Europe

#168 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

15. Cranfield University

England | Cranfield

For Nuclear Engineering

#64 in Europe

#202 in the World

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

16. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Nuclear Engineering

#65 in Europe

#205 in the World

Founded: 1997

17. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Nuclear Engineering

#79 in Europe

#234 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

18. University of London

England | London

For Nuclear Engineering

#81 in Europe

#239 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

19. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Nuclear Engineering

#89 in Europe

#265 in the World

Founded: 1968

20. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Nuclear Engineering

#92 in Europe

#274 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

21. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Nuclear Engineering

#95 in Europe

#288 in the World

Founded: 1963

22. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Nuclear Engineering

#98 in Europe

#298 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

23. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Nuclear Engineering

#120 in Europe

#364 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

24. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Nuclear Engineering

#122 in Europe

#370 in the World

Founded: 1964

25. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Nuclear Engineering

#123 in Europe

#373 in the World

Founded: 1954

26. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Nuclear Engineering

#126 in Europe

#381 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

27. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Nuclear Engineering

#128 in Europe

#387 in the World

Founded: 1451

28. University of Bath

England | Bath

For Nuclear Engineering

#145 in Europe

#448 in the World

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

29. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Nuclear Engineering

#149 in Europe

#467 in the World

Founded: 1920

30. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Nuclear Engineering

#153 in Europe

#478 in the World

Founded: 1892

31. Durham University

England | Durham

For Nuclear Engineering

#154 in Europe

#481 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

32. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For Nuclear Engineering

#162 in Europe

#503 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

33. London South Bank University

England | London

For Nuclear Engineering

#163 in Europe

#506 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

34. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Nuclear Engineering

#167 in Europe

#516 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

35. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For Nuclear Engineering

#170 in Europe

#520 in the World

Founded: 1895

36. City, University of London

England | London

For Nuclear Engineering

#171 in Europe

#521 in the World

Founded: 1966

37. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Nuclear Engineering

#172 in Europe

#524 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

38. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Nuclear Engineering

#183 in Europe

#556 in the World

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

39. University of York

England | York

For Nuclear Engineering

#186 in Europe

#564 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

40. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Nuclear Engineering

#194 in Europe

#581 in the World

Founded: 1966

41. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Nuclear Engineering

#197 in Europe

#586 in the World

Founded: 1967

42. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Nuclear Engineering

#203 in Europe

#606 in the World

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

43. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Nuclear Engineering

#213 in Europe

#639 in the World

Founded: 1893

44. King's College London

England | London

For Nuclear Engineering

#220 in Europe

#652 in the World

Founded: 1829

45. University of Huddersfield

England | Huddersfield

For Nuclear Engineering

#241 in Europe

#714 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

46. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Nuclear Engineering

#263 in Europe

#773 in the World

Founded: 1965

47. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Nuclear Engineering

#294 in Europe

#873 in the World

Founded: 1495

48. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Nuclear Engineering

#312 in Europe

#927 in the World

Founded: 1992

49. Bangor University

Wales | Bangor

For Nuclear Engineering

#321 in Europe

#969 in the World

Enrollment: 11,270
Founded: 1884

50. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Nuclear Engineering

#329 in Europe

#988 in the World

Founded: 1992

51. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Nuclear Engineering

#339 in Europe

#1015 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

52. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Nuclear Engineering

#357 in Europe

#1091 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

53. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Nuclear Engineering

#360 in Europe

#1102 in the World

Founded: 1849

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