Best UK universities for computer science research
Ranked by the share of research rated world-leading (4★) in the REF 2021 — UoA 11: Computer Science and Informatics.
| # | University | World-leading (4★) | Internationally excellent (3★) | FTE staff submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imperial College London Kensington and Chelsea | 93.0% | 7.0% | 58.5 |
| 2 | University of Oxford Oxford | 81.0% | 19.0% | 73.7 |
| 3 | University of Birmingham Birmingham | 77.0% | 23.0% | 42.7 |
| 4 | UCL (University College London) London | 77.0% | 21.0% | 100.2 |
| 5 | University of Warwick Coventry | 76.0% | 23.0% | 41.6 |
| 6 | The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh | 76.0% | 21.0% | 144.0 |
| 7 | University of Cambridge Cambridge | 73.0% | 21.0% | 80.8 |
| 8 | University of Bristol Bristol | 68.0% | 32.0% | 59.1 |
| 9 | Queen Mary University of London London | 66.0% | 33.0% | 68.8 |
| 10 | University of York York | 64.0% | 34.0% | 44.4 |
| 11 | University of Leeds Leeds | 63.0% | 36.0% | 34.3 |
| 12 | University of Glasgow Glasgow | 63.0% | 35.0% | 46.6 |
| 13 | University of Manchester Manchester | 62.0% | 37.0% | 53.1 |
| 14 | University of Southampton Southampton | 62.0% | 35.0% | 47.3 |
| 15 | University of Sheffield Sheffield | 60.0% | 39.0% | 56.8 |
| 16 | King's College London, University of London Westminster | 58.0% | 40.0% | 48.5 |
| 17 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham | 55.0% | 40.0% | 38.1 |
| 18 | Lancaster University Lancaster | 55.0% | 39.0% | 49.5 |
| 19 | University of Nottingham Nottingham | 52.0% | 46.0% | 46.2 |
| 20 | University of Liverpool Liverpool | 52.0% | 36.0% | 40.8 |
| 21 | Birkbeck, University of London London | 50.0% | 41.0% | 25.6 |
| 22 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne | 49.0% | 46.0% | 49.8 |
| 23 | University of Sussex Brighton | 47.0% | 49.0% | 26.9 |
| 24 | Durham University Durham | 46.0% | 52.0% | 26.2 |
| 25 | Cardiff University Cardiff | 45.0% | 51.0% | 45.5 |
| 26 | University of Kent Canterbury | 45.0% | 49.0% | 34.7 |
| 27 | University of Essex Colchester | 41.0% | 50.0% | 73.0 |
| 28 | University of Dundee Dundee | 38.0% | 62.0% | 13.5 |
| 29 | University of Surrey Guildford | 38.0% | 50.0% | 22.5 |
| 30 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh | 38.0% | 37.0% | 39.4 |
| 31 | University of Bath Bath | 37.0% | 61.0% | 29.0 |
| 32 | University of Exeter Exeter | 33.0% | 50.0% | 27.9 |
| 33 | City (City St George's, University of London) City of London | 32.0% | 62.0% | 36.2 |
| 34 | Swansea University Swansea | 32.0% | 58.0% | 32.9 |
| 35 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow | 32.0% | 57.0% | 31.8 |
| 36 | Loughborough University Loughborough | 31.0% | 62.0% | 26.0 |
| 37 | University of Lincoln Lincoln | 30.0% | 56.0% | 28.8 |
| 38 | Aberystwyth University Wales | 29.0% | 59.0% | 27.8 |
| 39 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen | 28.0% | 64.0% | 15.5 |
| 40 | University of Leicester Leicester | 28.0% | 55.0% | 19.7 |
| 41 | Brunel University of London Uxbridge | 27.0% | 42.0% | 37.3 |
| 42 | University of Reading Reading | 26.0% | 55.0% | 10.4 |
| 43 | University of East Anglia UEA Norwich | 25.0% | 67.0% | 28.3 |
| 44 | University of Hertfordshire Hatfield | 25.0% | 65.0% | 31.2 |
| 45 | University of St Andrews St Andrews | 25.0% | 65.0% | 30.1 |
| 46 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh | 22.0% | 70.0% | 31.7 |
| 47 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth | 21.0% | 47.0% | 29.8 |
| 48 | University of Plymouth Plymouth | 21.0% | 44.0% | 14.6 |
| 49 | Ulster University Coleraine | 20.0% | 72.0% | 69.6 |
| 50 | Bristol, UWE Bristol | 20.0% | 49.0% | 28.6 |
Source: REF 2021 Overall profile — results2021.ref.ac.uk. 4★ research is "world-leading"; 3★ is "internationally excellent".