Top UK universities for computer science 2026
| UK Computer Science Rank 2026 | Global Computer Science Rank 2026 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
| 1 | 1 | University of Oxford | 97.7 | 99.9 | 98.2 | 98.8 | 87 | 95.6 |
| 2 | 2 | University of Cambridge | 97.1 | 94.9 | 99.7 | 96.7 | 97.9 | 95.4 |
| 3 | 9 | Imperial College London | 93.5 | 90.4 | 95.2 | 94.9 | 90.9 | 96.5 |
| 4 | 35 | University of Edinburgh | 83.5 | 79.7 | 77.8 | 88.6 | 88.8 | 95.1 |
| 5 | 38 | UCL | 82.7 | 77.7 | 79.2 | 91.4 | 70.3 | 96.8 |
| 6 | 76 | University of Manchester | 65.7 | 54.6 | 52.1 | 81.1 | 72.8 | 95.9 |
| 7 | 95 | King’s College London | 60.9 | 48.8 | 43.3 | 80.5 | 66.9 | 96.3 |
| =8 | 101–125 | University of Bristol | 56.2–59.0 | 43 | 39.7 | 76.9 | 70.9 | 89.1 |
| =8 | 101–125 | University of Warwick | 56.2–59.0 | 38.3 | 41.7 | 81.4 | 70.4 | 95.4 |
| =10 | 126–150 | Queen Mary University of London | 54.0–55.9 | 30.2 | 28.3 | 95.9 | 67.1 | 96.7 |
| =10 | 126–150 | University of Glasgow | 54.0–55.9 | 37 | 36.9 | 80.7 | 68.3 | 93.1 |
| =10 | 126–150 | University of Sheffield | 54.0–55.9 | 36.1 | 36.6 | 77.1 | 71.8 | 93.6 |
| =10 | 126–150 | University of Southampton | 54.0–55.9 | 30.3 | 37.1 | 81.5 | 67.1 | 95.2 |
| =10 | 126–150 | University of Surrey | 54.0–55.9 | 27.4 | 28 | 98.6 | 68.7 | 97.2 |
| 15 | 151–175 | University of Liverpool | 52.0–53.9 | 32.2 | 28.8 | 82.1 | 58.2 | 98.6 |
| 16 | 176–200 | University of Birmingham | 49.5–51.9 | 35.5 | 29.9 | 75.3 | 64.6 | 96.7 |
| =17 | 201–250 | Brunel University of London | 47.1–49.4 | 18.5 | 19.7 | 87.9 | 60 | 97.4 |
| =17 | 201–250 | Cardiff University | 47.1–49.4 | 21.3 | 20.8 | 85.6 | 66.1 | 95.7 |
| =17 | 201–250 | Lancaster University | 47.1–49.4 | 24.3 | 26.9 | 75.6 | 68.5 | 92.9 |
| =17 | 201–250 | Newcastle University | 47.1–49.4 | 25.7 | 25.2 | 74.8 | 78.8 | 94.3 |
| =17 | 201–250 | University of Essex | 47.1–49.4 | 25.4 | 19.1 | 80.1 | 69.4 | 98.6 |
| =17 | 201–250 | University of Leeds | 47.1–49.4 | 30.4 | 25.3 | 71.2 | 67.2 | 97.8 |
| =17 | 201–250 | University of Nottingham | 47.1–49.4 | 29.4 | 26.1 | 73.7 | 67.9 | 93.1 |
| =17 | 201–250 | University of York | 47.1–49.4 | 35.5 | 28.7 | 64.7 | 65.2 | 88.2 |
| =25 | 251–300 | Loughborough University | 45.3–47.0 | 23.4 | 20.4 | 80.3 | 67.6 | 89.3 |
| =25 | 251–300 | Swansea University | 45.3–47.0 | 19.1 | 18.3 | 91 | 53.1 | 94.3 |
| =25 | 251–300 | University of Bradford | 45.3–47.0 | 16.1 | 15.6 | 89.7 | 62 | 95.7 |
| =25 | 251–300 | University of Exeter | 45.3–47.0 | 23.2 | 18.9 | 82.2 | 54.2 | 94.4 |
| =25 | 251–300 | University of Leicester | 45.3–47.0 | 16.7 | 21.6 | 85.2 | 49.2 | 99.2 |
| =30 | 301–400 | De Montfort University | 41.5–45.2 | 18.7 | 11.3 | 86.1 | 39.1 | 98.2 |
| =30 | 301–400 | Durham University | 41.5–45.2 | 28 | 20.4 | 72.7 | 49.1 | 96.9 |
| =30 | 301–400 | Heriot-Watt University | 41.5–45.2 | 20.3 | 19.5 | 64.7 | 68.1 | 92.8 |
| =30 | 301–400 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 41.5–45.2 | 14.3 | 11.6 | 91.5 | 37.5 | 88.2 |
| =30 | 301–400 | Northumbria University | 41.5–45.2 | 16.2 | 16.3 | 84.2 | 52.4 | 95.6 |
| =30 | 301–400 | Queen’s University Belfast | 41.5–45.2 | 15.6 | 18.9 | 83.2 | 62.7 | 97.4 |
| =30 | 301–400 | University of Aberdeen | 41.5–45.2 | 20.5 | 16.1 | 71.1 | 71.3 | 97.8 |
| =30 | 301–400 | University of Plymouth | 41.5–45.2 | 20.3 | 16.7 | 73.5 | 59.4 | 95.1 |
| =30 | 301–400 | University of Reading | 41.5–45.2 | 22.3 | 16.7 | 71.1 | 54.9 | 94 |
| =30 | 301–400 | University of Salford | 41.5–45.2 | 13.5 | 11 | 86.3 | 47.7 | 97.5 |
| =30 | 301–400 | University of Strathclyde | 41.5–45.2 | 23.9 | 21.1 | 73.2 | 66.6 | 82.8 |
| =41 | 401–500 | Aston University | 38.3–41.4 | 16 | 12.1 | 80.2 | 40.4 | 95.8 |
| =41 | 401–500 | City St George's, University of London | 38.3–41.4 | 19.7 | 15.5 | 68.3 | 63.8 | 93.5 |
| =41 | 401–500 | Edinburgh Napier University | 38.3–41.4 | 13.6 | 13.9 | 80.9 | 38.9 | 89.1 |
| =41 | 401–500 | Liverpool John Moores University | 38.3–41.4 | 15.3 | 11.3 | 80.2 | 47.5 | 87.9 |
| =41 | 401–500 | Nottingham Trent University | 38.3–41.4 | 13.5 | 9.5 | 82.7 | 28.9 | 93.2 |
| =41 | 401–500 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 38.3–41.4 | 22.8 | 18.1 | 60.6 | 61.8 | 92.6 |
| =41 | 401–500 | University of Bath | 38.3–41.4 | 24.9 | 18.4 | 61.9 | 60.5 | 88.6 |
| =41 | 401–500 | University of Kent | 38.3–41.4 | 20.2 | 15.4 | 63.5 | 61.7 | 92 |
| =41 | 401–500 | University of Lincoln | 38.3–41.4 | 19.4 | 13.1 | 71.9 | 52.6 | 90.8 |
| =41 | 401–500 | University of Portsmouth | 38.3–41.4 | 16.6 | 10.2 | 79.1 | 45 | 94.5 |
| =41 | 401–500 | University of Sussex | 38.3–41.4 | 21.5 | 18.3 | 65.7 | 52.2 | 94.1 |
| =41 | 401–500 | University of the West of Scotland | 38.3–41.4 | 13.1 | 11 | 74.5 | 56.1 | 93.4 |
| =53 | 501–600 | Birmingham City University | 35.5–38.2 | 14.3 | 11.8 | 69.4 | 28.7 | 95.9 |
| =53 | 501–600 | University of Greenwich | 35.5–38.2 | 11.8 | 9.2 | 74.5 | 29.9 | 97.1 |
| =53 | 501–600 | University of Hertfordshire | 35.5–38.2 | 10.7 | 8.5 | 76.8 | 38.1 | 96.1 |
| =53 | 501–600 | University of Huddersfield | 35.5–38.2 | 15.3 | 13.9 | 65.6 | 41.3 | 94.8 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Bournemouth University | 30.0–35.4 | 14.7 | 8.4 | 55.5 | 41.3 | 93.4 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Coventry University | 30.0–35.4 | 12.6 | 10.9 | 61.2 | 35.7 | 91.5 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Middlesex University | 30.0–35.4 | 17.1 | 9.7 | 62 | 42.8 | 93.8 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Teesside University | 30.0–35.4 | 10.4 | 7.7 | 59.7 | 27.4 | 90.1 |
| =57 | 601–800 | The Open University | 30.0–35.4 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 62.3 | 38.8 | 62.9 |
| =57 | 601–800 | UWE Bristol (University of the West of England) | 30.0–35.4 | 14.7 | 9.8 | 63.9 | 41.4 | 88.2 |
| =57 | 601–800 | Ulster University | 30.0–35.4 | 11.9 | 13.8 | 40.3 | 65.1 | 86.4 |
| =57 | 601–800 | University of St Andrews | 30.0–35.4 | 32.4 | 17.3 | 31.4 | 52.7 | 85.1 |
Highlights of the Computer Science Rankings for the UK 2026
- The University of Oxford holds the top position both in the UK and globally, with the highest teaching score.
- While the University of Cambridge also maintains it position as second in the UK and the global ranking.
- Four London universities appear in the top 10 best institutions in the UK for computer science, led by Imperial College London which takes the third place postition.
- Scotland also shows strong representation with four universities included in the rankings. The University of Edinburgh is the top-ranked Scottish university and is the only to feature in the top 10, coming in at number four.
- Wales and Northern Ireland also feature in the rankings, with Cardiff University and Queen’s University Belfast standing out as their top institutions.
Choosing the right UK university for computer science
Computer science degrees are a good choice for students as the range of roles open to graduates continues to grow. From supporting IT infrastructure at a company, to creating apps or to working in banks and financial services, there are a huge range of paths available to computer science graduates.
The UK is home to some of the most prestigious universities in the world, many of which are involved at the cutting edge of computer science research and are bolstered by a steady stream of dedicated grants and funding.
Universities in the UK offer a range of courses in computer science, information systems, software engineering, artificial intelligence and health informatics in single, joint or multiple subject combinations. There are full-time, part-time and flexible-study options, as well as courses with a placement year in industry, known as sandwich courses.
The data from the table offers valuable insights for those students considering undergraduate or postgraduate programmes in computer science in the UK. These rankings evaluate excellence across multiple computer science disciplines including:
- Software development and engineering
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Data science and analytics
- Information systems
- Cybersecurity and networks
- Theoretical computing
The table for the best universities for computer science in the UK was derived from data collected for the THE World University Rankings by subject: Computer Science. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics. For further insight and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.
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