56 Best universities for Optometry in the United Kingdom

Updated: March 02, 2025

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 515K citations received by 21.5K 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 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

#22 in the World

Founded: 1895

3. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Optometry

#3 in Europe

#25 in the World

Founded: 1824

4. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Optometry

#4 in Europe

#39 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

5. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Optometry

#6 in Europe

#43 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

6. City, University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#7 in Europe

#44 in the World

Founded: 1966

7. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Optometry

#10 in Europe

#59 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

8. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Optometry

#14 in Europe

#76 in the World

Founded: 1948

9. University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#15 in Europe

#77 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

10. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Optometry

#18 in Europe

#89 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

11. Glasgow Caledonian University

Scotland | Glasgow

For Optometry

#20 in Europe

#96 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1993

12. King's College London

England | London

For Optometry

#21 in Europe

#97 in the World

Founded: 1829

13. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Optometry

#22 in Europe

#102 in the World

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

14. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Optometry

#23 in Europe

#104 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

15. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Optometry

#25 in Europe

#106 in the World

Founded: 1900

16. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Optometry

#27 in Europe

#109 in the World

Founded: 1997

17. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Optometry

#28 in Europe

#110 in the World

Founded: 1968

18. Imperial College London

England | London

For Optometry

#30 in Europe

#112 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

19. Anglia Ruskin University

England | Cambridge

For Optometry

#33 in Europe

#116 in the World

Founded: 1858

20. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Optometry

#43 in Europe

#138 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

21. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Optometry

#47 in Europe

#143 in the World

Founded: 1495

22. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Optometry

#48 in Europe

#149 in the World

Founded: 1905

23. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Optometry

#49 in Europe

#152 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

24. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Optometry

#50 in Europe

#154 in the World

Founded: 1451

25. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Optometry

#56 in Europe

#175 in the World

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

26. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Optometry

#66 in Europe

#209 in the World

Founded: 1963

27. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Optometry

#68 in Europe

#211 in the World

Founded: 1893

28. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Optometry

#78 in Europe

#241 in the World

Founded: 1967

29. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Optometry

#79 in Europe

#242 in the World

Founded: 1904

30. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Optometry

#85 in Europe

#253 in the World

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

31. University of York

England | York

For Optometry

#99 in Europe

#287 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

32. Durham University

England | Durham

For Optometry

#102 in Europe

#293 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

33. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Optometry

#110 in Europe

#328 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

34. St George's, University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#115 in Europe

#341 in the World

Founded: 1733

35. Keele University

England | Keele

For Optometry

#132 in Europe

#401 in the World

Founded: 1962

36. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Optometry

#133 in Europe

#404 in the World

Founded: 1892

37. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Optometry

#137 in Europe

#412 in the World

Founded: 1964

38. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Optometry

#155 in Europe

#446 in the World

Founded: 1920

39. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#156 in Europe

#452 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

40. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Optometry

#161 in Europe

#474 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

41. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Optometry

#166 in Europe

#489 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

42. London South Bank University

England | London

For Optometry

#175 in Europe

#510 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

43. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Optometry

#181 in Europe

#522 in the World

Founded: 1964

44. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Optometry

#185 in Europe

#529 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

45. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Optometry

#189 in Europe

#543 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

46. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Optometry

#198 in Europe

#579 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

47. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Optometry

#201 in Europe

#582 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

48. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Optometry

#204 in Europe

#594 in the World

Founded: 1823

49. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Optometry

#208 in Europe

#612 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

50. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Optometry

#210 in Europe

#615 in the World

Founded: 1849

51. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Optometry

#224 in Europe

#669 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

52. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Optometry

#228 in Europe

#682 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

53. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Optometry

#233 in Europe

#703 in the World

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

54. University of Wolverhampton

England | Wolverhampton

For Optometry

#236 in Europe

#708 in the World

Founded: 1992

55. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Optometry

#238 in Europe

#711 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

56. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Optometry

#239 in Europe

#715 in the World

Founded: 1965

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.