69 Best universities for Petroleum 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 Petroleum Engineering. A graph of 525K citations received by 20.6K 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. Imperial College London

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#1 in Europe

#8 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

2. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Petroleum Engineering

#4 in Europe

#34 in the World

Founded: 1966

3. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Petroleum Engineering

#5 in Europe

#36 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

4. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Petroleum Engineering

#6 in Europe

#40 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

5. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Petroleum Engineering

#8 in Europe

#48 in the World

Founded: 1824

6. University College London

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#12 in Europe

#79 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

7. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Petroleum Engineering

#19 in Europe

#128 in the World

Founded: 1904

8. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Petroleum Engineering

#23 in Europe

#151 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

9. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Petroleum Engineering

#25 in Europe

#159 in the World

Founded: 1948

10. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Petroleum Engineering

#28 in Europe

#170 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

11. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Petroleum Engineering

#31 in Europe

#176 in the World

Founded: 1495

12. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Petroleum Engineering

#32 in Europe

#177 in the World

Founded: 1451

13. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Petroleum Engineering

#34 in Europe

#182 in the World

Founded: 1900

14. Durham University

England | Durham

For Petroleum Engineering

#35 in Europe

#183 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

15. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Petroleum Engineering

#38 in Europe

#194 in the World

Founded: 1963

16. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For Petroleum Engineering

#46 in Europe

#216 in the World

Founded: 1895

17. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Petroleum Engineering

#48 in Europe

#220 in the World

Founded: 1905

18. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Petroleum Engineering

#49 in Europe

#222 in the World

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

19. Cranfield University

England | Cranfield

For Petroleum Engineering

#59 in Europe

#252 in the World

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

20. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Petroleum Engineering

#65 in Europe

#262 in the World

Founded: 1964

21. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Petroleum Engineering

#77 in Europe

#286 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

22. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Petroleum Engineering

#82 in Europe

#300 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

23. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Petroleum Engineering

#91 in Europe

#329 in the World

Founded: 1997

24. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Petroleum Engineering

#104 in Europe

#372 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

25. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Petroleum Engineering

#106 in Europe

#375 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

26. University of Bath

England | Bath

For Petroleum Engineering

#114 in Europe

#395 in the World

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

27. Glasgow Caledonian University

Scotland | Glasgow

For Petroleum Engineering

#121 in Europe

#421 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1993

28. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#124 in Europe

#428 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

29. Robert Gordon University

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Petroleum Engineering

#126 in Europe

#437 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1992

30. King's College London

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#130 in Europe

#452 in the World

Founded: 1829

31. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Petroleum Engineering

#133 in Europe

#457 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

32. City, University of London

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#142 in Europe

#472 in the World

Founded: 1966

33. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Petroleum Engineering

#145 in Europe

#478 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

34. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Petroleum Engineering

#148 in Europe

#486 in the World

Founded: 1920

35. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Petroleum Engineering

#149 in Europe

#487 in the World

Founded: 1968

36. University of Portsmouth

England | Portsmouth

For Petroleum Engineering

#151 in Europe

#490 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

37. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Petroleum Engineering

#155 in Europe

#496 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

38. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Petroleum Engineering

#157 in Europe

#498 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

39. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Petroleum Engineering

#160 in Europe

#507 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

40. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Petroleum Engineering

#165 in Europe

#523 in the World

Founded: 1967

41. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Petroleum Engineering

#166 in Europe

#527 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

42. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Petroleum Engineering

#171 in Europe

#541 in the World

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

43. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#181 in Europe

#575 in the World

Founded: 1823

44. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Petroleum Engineering

#182 in Europe

#579 in the World

Founded: 1892

45. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Petroleum Engineering

#188 in Europe

#595 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

46. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Petroleum Engineering

#204 in Europe

#635 in the World

Founded: 1849

47. University of London

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#211 in Europe

#650 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

48. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Petroleum Engineering

#214 in Europe

#664 in the World

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

49. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Petroleum Engineering

#222 in Europe

#684 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

50. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Petroleum Engineering

#227 in Europe

#701 in the World

Founded: 1967

51. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Petroleum Engineering

#238 in Europe

#740 in the World

Founded: 1992

52. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For Petroleum Engineering

#248 in Europe

#761 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

53. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Petroleum Engineering

#250 in Europe

#769 in the World

Founded: 1893

54. University of York

England | York

For Petroleum Engineering

#254 in Europe

#780 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

55. University of Huddersfield

England | Huddersfield

For Petroleum Engineering

#256 in Europe

#783 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

56. De Montfort University

England | Leicester

For Petroleum Engineering

#259 in Europe

#788 in the World

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 1992

57. London South Bank University

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#264 in Europe

#804 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

58. London School of Economics and Political Science

England | London

For Petroleum Engineering

#265 in Europe

#805 in the World

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

59. Teesside University

England | Middlesbrough

For Petroleum Engineering

#267 in Europe

#808 in the World

Enrollment: 19,290
Founded: 1992

60. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Petroleum Engineering

#280 in Europe

#849 in the World

Founded: 1954

61. Bangor University

Wales | Bangor

For Petroleum Engineering

#307 in Europe

#935 in the World

Enrollment: 11,270
Founded: 1884

62. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Petroleum Engineering

#320 in Europe

#982 in the World

Founded: 1964

63. Aberystwyth University

Wales | Aberystwyth

For Petroleum Engineering

#327 in Europe

#1015 in the World

Founded: 1872

64. University of the West of England

England | Bristol

For Petroleum Engineering

#331 in Europe

#1047 in the World

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

65. Keele University

England | Keele

For Petroleum Engineering

#341 in Europe

#1094 in the World

Founded: 1962

66. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Petroleum Engineering

#379 in Europe

#1227 in the World

Founded: 1965

67. Anglia Ruskin University

England | Cambridge

For Petroleum Engineering

#392 in Europe

#1285 in the World

Founded: 1858

68. Liverpool John Moores University

England | Liverpool

For Petroleum Engineering

#397 in Europe

#1299 in the World

Founded: 1992

69. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Petroleum Engineering

#419 in Europe

#1413 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

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