100 Best Surgeons Medical schools 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 Surgery. A graph of 27.7M citations received by 663K academic papers made by 129 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 Surgery

#1 in Europe

#6 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

2. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Surgery

#4 in Europe

#30 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

3. Imperial College London

England | London

For Surgery

#11 in Europe

#58 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

4. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Surgery

#18 in Europe

#79 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

5. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Surgery

#21 in Europe

#89 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

6. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Surgery

#24 in Europe

#100 in the World

Founded: 1824

7. King's College London

England | London

For Surgery

#26 in Europe

#104 in the World

Founded: 1829

8. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Surgery

#37 in Europe

#136 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

9. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Surgery

#38 in Europe

#140 in the World

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

10. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Surgery

#41 in Europe

#148 in the World

Founded: 1900

11. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Surgery

#50 in Europe

#170 in the World

Founded: 1451

12. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Surgery

#51 in Europe

#172 in the World

Founded: 1948

13. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Surgery

#55 in Europe

#181 in the World

Founded: 1904

14. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Surgery

#59 in Europe

#191 in the World

Founded: 1963

15. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Surgery

#63 in Europe

#201 in the World

Founded: 1905

16. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Surgery

#73 in Europe

#226 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

17. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Surgery

#80 in Europe

#242 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

18. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Surgery

#89 in Europe

#264 in the World

Founded: 1495

19. St George's, University of London

England | London

For Surgery

#92 in Europe

#268 in the World

Founded: 1733

20. University of London

England | London

For Surgery

#100 in Europe

#285 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

21. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Surgery

#103 in Europe

#290 in the World

Founded: 1997

22. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Surgery

#104 in Europe

#294 in the World

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

23. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Surgery

#108 in Europe

#302 in the World

Founded: 1968

24. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Surgery

#133 in Europe

#384 in the World

Founded: 1967

25. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Surgery

#143 in Europe

#410 in the World

Founded: 1893

26. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Surgery

#144 in Europe

#411 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

27. University of York

England | York

For Surgery

#160 in Europe

#451 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

28. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Surgery

#172 in Europe

#484 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

29. Keele University

England | Keele

For Surgery

#176 in Europe

#497 in the World

Founded: 1962

30. Royal Veterinary College University of London

England | London

For Surgery

#186 in Europe

#530 in the World

Founded: 1791

31. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Surgery

#197 in Europe

#559 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

32. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Surgery

#207 in Europe

#584 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

33. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Surgery

#213 in Europe

#607 in the World

Founded: 1954

34. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Surgery

#223 in Europe

#637 in the World

Founded: 1967

35. Durham University

England | Durham

For Surgery

#229 in Europe

#662 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

36. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Surgery

#231 in Europe

#673 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

37. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Surgery

#239 in Europe

#698 in the World

Founded: 1964

38. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Surgery

#251 in Europe

#762 in the World

Founded: 1920

39. University of Bath

England | Bath

For Surgery

#259 in Europe

#792 in the World

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

40. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Surgery

#264 in Europe

#806 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

41. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Surgery

#269 in Europe

#837 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

42. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Surgery

#272 in Europe

#847 in the World

Founded: 1992

43. Aston University

England | Birmingham

For Surgery

#277 in Europe

#863 in the World

Founded: 1895

44. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Surgery

#278 in Europe

#865 in the World

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

45. City, University of London

England | London

For Surgery

#280 in Europe

#868 in the World

Founded: 1966

46. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Surgery

#282 in Europe

#873 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

47. Liverpool John Moores University

England | Liverpool

For Surgery

#285 in Europe

#881 in the World

Founded: 1992

48. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Surgery

#286 in Europe

#883 in the World

Founded: 1892

49. Glasgow Caledonian University

Scotland | Glasgow

For Surgery

#291 in Europe

#913 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1993

50. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Surgery

#298 in Europe

#934 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

51. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Surgery

#299 in Europe

#935 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

52. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Surgery

#301 in Europe

#940 in the World

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

53. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Surgery

#306 in Europe

#958 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

54. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Surgery

#311 in Europe

#977 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

55. University of the West of England

England | Bristol

For Surgery

#315 in Europe

#988 in the World

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

56. Middlesex University

England | London

For Surgery

#317 in Europe

#990 in the World

Founded: 1973

57. University of Central Lancashire

England | Preston

For Surgery

#321 in Europe

#1009 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1992

58. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Surgery

#323 in Europe

#1012 in the World

Founded: 1992

59. Bangor University

Wales | Bangor

For Surgery

#325 in Europe

#1018 in the World

Enrollment: 11,270
Founded: 1884

60. Anglia Ruskin University

England | Cambridge

For Surgery

#338 in Europe

#1085 in the World

Founded: 1858

61. University of Portsmouth

England | Portsmouth

For Surgery

#347 in Europe

#1125 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

62. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Surgery

#348 in Europe

#1127 in the World

Founded: 1849

63. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Surgery

#350 in Europe

#1136 in the World

Founded: 1992

64. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For Surgery

#353 in Europe

#1152 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

65. Staffordshire University

England | Stoke-on-Trent

For Surgery

#361 in Europe

#1176 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1992

66. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Surgery

#364 in Europe

#1195 in the World

Founded: 1965

67. Bournemouth University

England | Poole

For Surgery

#365 in Europe

#1198 in the World

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

68. London School of Economics and Political Science

England | London

For Surgery

#367 in Europe

#1209 in the World

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

69. Teesside University

England | Middlesbrough

For Surgery

#370 in Europe

#1224 in the World

Enrollment: 19,290
Founded: 1992

70. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Surgery

#375 in Europe

#1242 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

71. Sheffield Hallam University

England | Sheffield

For Surgery

#379 in Europe

#1255 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

72. University of Wolverhampton

England | Wolverhampton

For Surgery

#381 in Europe

#1268 in the World

Founded: 1992

73. University of Huddersfield

England | Huddersfield

For Surgery

#382 in Europe

#1273 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

74. Oxford Brookes University

England | Oxford

For Surgery

#385 in Europe

#1281 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1865

75. Leeds Beckett University

England | Leeds

For Surgery

#393 in Europe

#1308 in the World

Founded: 1992

76. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Surgery

#394 in Europe

#1313 in the World

Founded: 1964

77. University of South Wales

Wales | Pontypridd

For Surgery

#404 in Europe

#1360 in the World

Founded: 1841

78. De Montfort University

England | Leicester

For Surgery

#417 in Europe

#1421 in the World

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 1992

79. London South Bank University

England | London

For Surgery

#424 in Europe

#1459 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

80. University of Greenwich

England | London

For Surgery

#451 in Europe

#1564 in the World

Founded: 1890

81. Cranfield University

England | Cranfield

For Surgery

#454 in Europe

#1576 in the World

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

82. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Surgery

#456 in Europe

#1579 in the World

Founded: 1823

83. Edge Hill University

England | Ormskirk

For Surgery

#459 in Europe

#1587 in the World

Founded: 2006

84. Cardiff Metropolitan University

Wales | Cardiff

For Surgery

#467 in Europe

#1631 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Enrollment: 31,517
Founded: 2011

85. University of Bedfordshire

England | Luton

For Surgery

#468 in Europe

#1632 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Founded: 2006

86. University of West London

England | Ealing

For Surgery

#478 in Europe

#1674 in the World

Founded: 1990

87. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Surgery

#481 in Europe

#1687 in the World

Founded: 1966

88. Kingston University

England | Kingston upon Thames

For Surgery

#485 in Europe

#1698 in the World

Founded: 1992

89. University of East London

England | London

For Surgery

#495 in Europe

#1734 in the World

Founded: 1992

90. Canterbury Christ Church University

England | Canterbury

For Surgery

#499 in Europe

#1748 in the World

Founded: 2005

91. Edinburgh Napier University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Surgery

#505 in Europe

#1769 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1992

92. Royal Agricultural University

England | Cirencester

For Surgery

#507 in Europe

#1773 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Enrollment: 1,100
Founded: 2013

93. Robert Gordon University

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Surgery

#509 in Europe

#1776 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1992

94. University of Westminster

England | London

For Surgery

#516 in Europe

#1807 in the World

Enrollment: 19,000
Founded: 1838

95. Queen Margaret University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Surgery

#517 in Europe

#1808 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 2007

96. University of Sunderland

England | Sunderland

For Surgery

#519 in Europe

#1813 in the World

Enrollment: 19,090
Founded: 1992

97. Birmingham City University

England | Birmingham

For Surgery

#521 in Europe

#1826 in the World

Founded: 1992

98. University of Roehampton

England | London

For Surgery

#525 in Europe

#1835 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 2004

99. University of Derby

England | Derby

For Surgery

#528 in Europe

#1858 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1992

100. University of Lincoln

England | Lincoln

For Surgery

#532 in Europe

#1874 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Enrollment: 19,710
Founded: 1992

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