63 Best universities for International Relations and Diplomacy in the United Kingdom

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in the United Kingdom ranked based on their research performance in International Relations and Diplomacy. A graph of 133K citations received by 11.7K academic papers made by 63 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. London School of Economics and Political Science

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#1 in Europe

#1 in the World

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

2. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#2 in Europe

#2 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

3. King's College London

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#3 in Europe

#4 in the World

Founded: 1829

4. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#4 in Europe

#5 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

5. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#5 in Europe

#14 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

6. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#7 in Europe

#17 in the World

Founded: 1900

7. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#8 in Europe

#19 in the World

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

8. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#9 in Europe

#25 in the World

Founded: 1904

9. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#10 in Europe

#28 in the World

Founded: 1965

10. University College London

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#11 in Europe

#30 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

11. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#13 in Europe

#33 in the World

Founded: 1893

12. University of London

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#15 in Europe

#36 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

13. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#17 in Europe

#43 in the World

Founded: 1824

14. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#19 in Europe

#49 in the World

Founded: 1905

15. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#21 in Europe

#54 in the World

Founded: 1948

16. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#22 in Europe

#56 in the World

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

17. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#25 in Europe

#60 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

18. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#26 in Europe

#64 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

19. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#27 in Europe

#67 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

20. Keele University

England | Keele

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#28 in Europe

#68 in the World

Founded: 1962

21. Aberystwyth University

Wales | Aberystwyth

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#29 in Europe

#71 in the World

Founded: 1872

22. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#31 in Europe

#75 in the World

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

23. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#34 in Europe

#81 in the World

Founded: 1451

24. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#35 in Europe

#84 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

25. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#36 in Europe

#85 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

26. SOAS, University of London

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#37 in Europe

#92 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Enrollment: 6,295
Founded: 1916

27. University of Westminster

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#39 in Europe

#108 in the World

Enrollment: 19,000
Founded: 1838

28. Durham University

England | Durham

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#40 in Europe

#113 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

29. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#44 in Europe

#120 in the World

Founded: 1964

30. University of Bath

England | Bath

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#46 in Europe

#129 in the World

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

31. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#47 in Europe

#133 in the World

Founded: 1963

32. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#48 in Europe

#134 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

33. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#50 in Europe

#141 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

34. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#52 in Europe

#145 in the World

Founded: 1954

35. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#55 in Europe

#148 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

36. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#57 in Europe

#151 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

37. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#58 in Europe

#158 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

38. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#59 in Europe

#160 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

39. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#63 in Europe

#176 in the World

Founded: 1849

40. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#66 in Europe

#182 in the World

Founded: 1823

41. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#74 in Europe

#202 in the World

Founded: 1495

42. University of Reading

England | Reading

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#76 in Europe

#205 in the World

Founded: 1892

43. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#77 in Europe

#208 in the World

Founded: 1997

44. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#88 in Europe

#242 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

45. University of York

England | York

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#89 in Europe

#243 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

46. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#91 in Europe

#250 in the World

Founded: 1992

47. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#94 in Europe

#258 in the World

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

48. Oxford Brookes University

England | Oxford

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#95 in Europe

#261 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1865

49. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#96 in Europe

#263 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

50. De Montfort University

England | Leicester

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#98 in Europe

#269 in the World

Founded: 1992

51. City, University of London

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#101 in Europe

#274 in the World

Founded: 1966

52. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#102 in Europe

#275 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

53. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#106 in Europe

#284 in the World

Founded: 1920

54. London Metropolitan University

England | London

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#113 in Europe

#298 in the World

Founded: 1848

55. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#114 in Europe

#301 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

56. University of the West of England

England | Bristol

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#116 in Europe

#303 in the World

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

57. University of Salford

England | Salford

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#121 in Europe

#323 in the World

Founded: 1967

58. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#137 in Europe

#366 in the World

Founded: 1964

59. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#139 in Europe

#374 in the World

Founded: 1992

60. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#140 in Europe

#376 in the World

Founded: 1968

61. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#141 in Europe

#377 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

62. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#152 in Europe

#409 in the World

Founded: 1967

63. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For International Relations and Diplomacy

#157 in Europe

#414 in the World

Founded: 1895

The best cities to study International Relations and Diplomacy in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are London, Oxford, Coventry, and Cambridge.