Oldest Universities in the United Kingdom

Oldest Universities in the United Kingdom

Introduction

What are the oldest Universities in the United Kingdom? uniRank answers this question by publishing a list of 166 UK Universities sorted by year of foundation and meeting the following uniRank selection criteria:

  • being chartered, licensed or accredited by the appropriate UK higher education-related organization
  • offering at least three-year bachelor's degrees or postgraduate master's or doctoral degrees
  • delivering courses predominantly in a traditional, non-distance education format

uniRank aims to highlight which UK Universities have the longest history and tradition and whether this correlates to their uniRank University Ranking.

Oldest Universities in the United Kingdom


sort by: rank a-z town oldest
filter by: public private non-profit for-profit

# University Town
1 University of Oxford Oxford
2 University of Cambridge Cambridge
19 University of St Andrews St Andrews
8 University of Glasgow Glasgow ...
33 University of Aberdeen Aberdeen
4 University of Edinburgh Edinburgh
113 St George's, University of London London
102 The Royal Veterinary College University of London London ...
129 The Royal Academy of Music, University of London London
44 Birkbeck, University of London London
6 University of Manchester Manchester
3 University College London London
12 King's College London London
21 Durham University Durham ...
75 University of London London
81 University of Westminster London
128 York St John University York
93 University of South Wales Pontypridd ...
145 Norwich University of the Arts Norwich
109 The Glasgow School of Art Glasgow
159 Leeds Arts University Leeds
91 London Metropolitan University London
41 Royal Holloway, University of London Egham ...
30 Queen's University Belfast Belfast
133 St Mary's University, Twickenham Twickenham
147 Arts University Plymouth Plymouth
57 Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge ...
152 Bishop Grosseteste University Lincoln
62 Oxford Brookes University Oxford
59 Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth
134 Guildhall School of Music and Drama London
15 University of Liverpool Liverpool ...
120 Royal College of Music London
60 Bangor University Bangor ...
144 Arts University Bournemouth Poole
71 University of Greenwich London ...
29 University of Reading Reading ...
90 London South Bank University London ...
162 Writtle University College Chelmsford
153 University of Wales Cardiff ...
66 Aston University Birmingham
5 The London School of Economics and Political Science London
86 Royal College of Art London
119 University of the West of Scotland Paisley ...
139 Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool
50 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London London
10 University of Birmingham Birmingham
45 Goldsmiths, University of London London
13 University of Leeds Leeds
23 University of Sheffield Sheffield ...
148 The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama London
9 Imperial College London London
25 University of Bristol Bristol
58 SOAS, University of London London
39 Swansea University Swansea
158 Plymouth Marjon University Plymouth
106 The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London London
155 Hartpury University and Hartpury College Gloucester
16 University of Nottingham Nottingham ...
163 Rose Bruford College London
7 University of Southampton Southampton ...
72 University of Hull Hull ...
20 University of Exeter Exeter ...
160 University College Birmingham Birmingham
27 University of Leicester Leicester
26 University of Sussex Brighton
122 The University of Law Guildford ...
136 Ravensbourne University London London
63 Keele University Keele
17 The University of York York
14 Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne ...
32 University of East Anglia Norwich
80 London Business School London ...
18 Lancaster University Lancaster
38 University of Essex Colchester ...
34 University of Strathclyde Glasgow
161 Leeds Conservatoire Leeds
11 University of Warwick Coventry
35 University of Kent Canterbury ...
24 University of Bath Bath
100 University of Bradford Bradford
49 Brunel University London Uxbridge
36 City, University of London London
40 Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh ...
37 Loughborough University Loughborough ...
28 University of Surrey Guildford
54 University of Stirling Stirling ...
64 University of Salford Salford
42 University of Dundee Dundee
157 Birmingham Newman University Birmingham
65 Ulster University Coleraine ...
156 Richmond, The American International University in London London ...
138 Royal Northern College of Music Manchester
70 Middlesex University London
118 The University of Buckingham Buckingham
107 Bath Spa University Bath
140 Regent's University London London
164 Northern School of Contemporary Dance Leeds
55 University of the Arts London London ...
149 The London Institute of Banking and Finance London
22 Queen Mary University of London London
165 European School of Economics London ...
126 University of West London Ealing ...
Un BPP University London ...
48 De Montfort University Leicester ...
53 Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester ...
95 Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent ...
52 Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield
87 University of East London London ...
73 Bournemouth University Poole ...
68 Coventry University Coventry ...
77 Kingston University Kingston upon Thames
78 Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh
85 Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool
88 Leeds Beckett University Leeds ...
97 Robert Gordon University Aberdeen
51 Nottingham Trent University Nottingham
56 University of Hertfordshire Hatfield ...
46 University of the West of England Bristol
82 Birmingham City University Birmingham
69 University of Central Lancashire Preston ...
92 University of Derby Derby ...
83 University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ...
61 University of Brighton Brighton ...
96 Teesside University Middlesbrough ...
94 University of Sunderland Sunderland ...
79 University of Huddersfield Huddersfield
43 University of Portsmouth Portsmouth
47 University of Plymouth Plymouth ...
76 University of Lincoln Lincoln ...
67 Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne
146 Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Glasgow
74 Cranfield University Cranfield ...
103 Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow ...
89 School of Advanced Study, University of London London
111 Abertay University Dundee
154 The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts Liverpool
31 Cardiff University Cardiff
150 Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe ...
115 University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham ...
121 University of Bolton Bolton
99 University of Roehampton London
116 Solent University Southampton ...
142 Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance London
132 University of Chichester Chichester
114 University for the Creative Arts Farnham ...
125 University of Winchester Winchester
108 University of Chester Chester ...
112 University of Worcester Worcester
105 Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury ...
101 The University of Northampton Northampton
124 Liverpool Hope University Liverpool
104 Edge Hill University Ormskirk ...
84 University of Bedfordshire Luton ...
141 University of Suffolk Ipswich
135 Queen Margaret University Edinburgh ...
127 University of Cumbria Carlisle ...
131 Wrexham University Wrexham ...
110 University of Wales Trinity Saint David Carmarthen ...
98 University of the Highlands and Islands Inverness ...
123 Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff
143 Leeds Trinity University Leeds
117 Scotland's Rural College Edinburgh ...
130 Falmouth University Falmouth
137 Harper Adams University Newport
151 The Royal Agricultural University Cirencester
Legend: Un Unranked + Add University

Country Featured Universities

Unlock your University's potential: spotlight your Institution on UniRank for leads, local recognition and branding. Enquiry now to feature your University here.

Share Oldest Universities

Interesting? Don't forget to share the oldest UK Universities with your friends now.

Feedback, Errors

We appreciate your feedback and error reports.

Feedback / Error Report

Related UK University resources


Since 2005, with uniRank's World Universities Search Engine and rankings, you can easily find information about UK Universities and Colleges and explore higher education opportunities in Europe.

© uniRank since 2005