64 Best universities for Optometry 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 Optometry. A graph of 566K citations received by 22.7K academic papers made by 64 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 Optometry

#1 in Europe

#2 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

2. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For Optometry

#2 in Europe

#21 in the World

Founded: 1895

3. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Optometry

#3 in Europe

#26 in the World

Founded: 1824

4. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Optometry

#5 in Europe

#39 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

5. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Optometry

#6 in Europe

#44 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

6. City, University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#7 in Europe

#45 in the World

Founded: 1966

7. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Optometry

#11 in Europe

#62 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

8. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Optometry

#15 in Europe

#79 in the World

Founded: 1948

9. University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#17 in Europe

#82 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

10. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Optometry

#19 in Europe

#92 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

11. King's College London

England | London

For Optometry

#21 in Europe

#97 in the World

Founded: 1829

12. Glasgow Caledonian University

Scotland | Glasgow

For Optometry

#22 in Europe

#99 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1993

13. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Optometry

#23 in Europe

#102 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

14. Anglia Ruskin University

England | Cambridge

For Optometry

#24 in Europe

#105 in the World

Founded: 1858

15. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Optometry

#26 in Europe

#107 in the World

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

16. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Optometry

#27 in Europe

#108 in the World

Founded: 1997

17. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Optometry

#28 in Europe

#109 in the World

Founded: 1900

18. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Optometry

#29 in Europe

#110 in the World

Founded: 1968

19. Imperial College London

England | London

For Optometry

#30 in Europe

#111 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

20. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Optometry

#43 in Europe

#140 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

21. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Optometry

#47 in Europe

#149 in the World

Founded: 1905

22. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Optometry

#48 in Europe

#150 in the World

Founded: 1495

23. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Optometry

#50 in Europe

#156 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

24. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Optometry

#52 in Europe

#161 in the World

Founded: 1451

25. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Optometry

#56 in Europe

#177 in the World

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

26. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Optometry

#66 in Europe

#205 in the World

Founded: 1963

27. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Optometry

#73 in Europe

#226 in the World

Founded: 1893

28. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Optometry

#81 in Europe

#244 in the World

Founded: 1904

29. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Optometry

#82 in Europe

#247 in the World

Founded: 1967

30. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Optometry

#87 in Europe

#260 in the World

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

31. University of York

England | York

For Optometry

#97 in Europe

#286 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

32. Durham University

England | Durham

For Optometry

#104 in Europe

#297 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

33. St George's, University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#109 in Europe

#317 in the World

Founded: 1733

34. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Optometry

#112 in Europe

#335 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

35. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Optometry

#115 in Europe

#339 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

36. Keele University

England | Keele

For Optometry

#137 in Europe

#409 in the World

Founded: 1962

37. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Optometry

#140 in Europe

#421 in the World

Founded: 1892

38. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Optometry

#143 in Europe

#427 in the World

Founded: 1964

39. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#152 in Europe

#442 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

40. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Optometry

#158 in Europe

#454 in the World

Founded: 1920

41. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Optometry

#174 in Europe

#506 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

42. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Optometry

#178 in Europe

#523 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

43. London South Bank University

England | London

For Optometry

#182 in Europe

#528 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

44. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Optometry

#187 in Europe

#535 in the World

Founded: 1964

45. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Optometry

#189 in Europe

#543 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

46. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Optometry

#203 in Europe

#593 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

47. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Optometry

#209 in Europe

#605 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

48. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Optometry

#211 in Europe

#618 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

49. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#214 in Europe

#623 in the World

Founded: 1823

50. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Optometry

#219 in Europe

#641 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

51. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Optometry

#220 in Europe

#643 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

52. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Optometry

#225 in Europe

#652 in the World

Founded: 1849

53. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Optometry

#233 in Europe

#686 in the World

Founded: 1965

54. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Optometry

#239 in Europe

#698 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

55. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Optometry

#241 in Europe

#704 in the World

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

56. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Optometry

#246 in Europe

#723 in the World

Founded: 1992

57. University of Wolverhampton

England | Wolverhampton

For Optometry

#248 in Europe

#731 in the World

Founded: 1992

58. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Optometry

#254 in Europe

#756 in the World

Founded: 1967

59. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Optometry

#261 in Europe

#773 in the World

Founded: 1992

60. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Optometry

#276 in Europe

#827 in the World

Founded: 1954

61. Liverpool John Moores University

England | Liverpool

For Optometry

#280 in Europe

#835 in the World

Founded: 1992

62. Kingston University

England | Kingston upon Thames

For Optometry

#290 in Europe

#886 in the World

Founded: 1992

63. University of Bath

England | Bath

For Optometry

#294 in Europe

#924 in the World

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

64. University of Huddersfield

England | Huddersfield

For Optometry

#307 in Europe

#972 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

The best cities to study Optometry in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool.