Best Universities in Europe [2026 Rankings]

1

United Kingdom | England

University of Cambridge

#2 in United Kingdom #6 in the World

21% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1209 Founded

2

United Kingdom | England

University College London

#3 in United Kingdom #16 in the World

36% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1826 Founded

3

United Kingdom | England

Imperial College London

#5 in United Kingdom #38 in the World

41% Acceptance

17,565 Enrollment

1907 Founded

4

Switzerland | Zurich

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

#1 in Switzerland #52 in the World

8% Acceptance

23,420 Enrollment

5

United Kingdom | England

University of Manchester

#6 in United Kingdom #54 in the World

40% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1824 Founded

6

Belgium | Leuven

Catholic University of Leuven

#1 in Belgium #62 in the World

33% Acceptance

62,693 Enrollment

1425 Founded

7

United Kingdom | England

King’s College London

#7 in United Kingdom #64 in the World

43% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1829 Founded

8

Germany | Bavaria

University of Munich

#2 in Germany #69 in the World

55% Acceptance

52,418 Enrollment

1472 Founded

9

Netherlands | Amsterdam

University of Amsterdam

#1 in Netherlands #76 in the World

51% Acceptance

41,000 Enrollment

1632 Founded

10

Netherlands | Utrecht

Utrecht University

#2 in Netherlands #78 in the World

22% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1636 Founded

11

Finland | Helsinki

University of Helsinki

#1 in Finland #84 in the World

12% Acceptance

31,312 Enrollment

1640 Founded

12

Germany | Bavaria

Technical University of Munich

#3 in Germany #85 in the World

46% Acceptance

44,000 Enrollment

1868 Founded

13

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of Glasgow

#8 in United Kingdom #94 in the World

48% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1451 Founded

14

Sweden | Lund

Lund University

#1 in Sweden #95 in the World

58% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1666 Founded

15

United Kingdom | England

University of Bristol

#9 in United Kingdom #96 in the World

63% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1909 Founded

16

Norway | Oslo

University of Oslo

#1 in Norway #98 in the World

27% Acceptance

26,650 Enrollment

1811 Founded

17

United Kingdom | England

University of Leeds

#10 in United Kingdom #99 in the World

48% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1904 Founded

18

Sweden | Uppsala

Uppsala University

#2 in Sweden #103 in the World

69% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1477 Founded

19

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

University of Bologna

#1 in Italy #104 in the World

73% Acceptance

96,945 Enrollment

1088 Founded

20

United Kingdom | England

University of Birmingham

#11 in United Kingdom #108 in the World

38% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1900 Founded

21

Germany | Hamburg State

University of Hamburg

#4 in Germany #110 in the World

39% Acceptance

43,957 Enrollment

1919 Founded

22

Spain | Barcelona

University of Barcelona

#1 in Spain #116 in the World

69% Acceptance

64,236 Enrollment

23

Netherlands | Groningen

University of Groningen

#3 in Netherlands #118 in the World

50% Acceptance

34,000 Enrollment

1614 Founded

24

Italy | Lazio

Sapienza University of Rome

#2 in Italy #119 in the World

39% Acceptance

100,155 Enrollment

1303 Founded

25

United Kingdom | England

University of Southampton

#12 in United Kingdom #122 in the World

32% Acceptance

21,335 Enrollment

1952 Founded

26

Switzerland | Lausanne

Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

#3 in Switzerland #125 in the World

23% Acceptance

12,576 Enrollment

27

Netherlands | Nijmegen

Radboud University

#4 in Netherlands #127 in the World

43% Acceptance

34,000 Enrollment

1923 Founded

28

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Tubingen

#5 in Germany #128 in the World

33% Acceptance

28,238 Enrollment

1477 Founded

29

Germany | Brandenburg

Free University of Berlin

#6 in Germany #131 in the World

15% Acceptance

37,908 Enrollment

1948 Founded

30

Belgium | Ghent

Ghent University

#2 in Belgium #132 in the World

34% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1817 Founded

31

United Kingdom | England

University of Nottingham

#13 in United Kingdom #133 in the World

32% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1948 Founded

32

Sweden | Stockholm

Karolinska Institute

#3 in Sweden #136 in the World

57% Acceptance

8,070 Enrollment

1861 Founded

33

Netherlands | Delft

Delft University of Technology

#5 in Netherlands #137 in the World

50% Acceptance

24,703 Enrollment

1842 Founded

34

United Kingdom | England

University of Sheffield

#14 in United Kingdom #138 in the World

28% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1905 Founded

35

United Kingdom | England

University of Warwick

#15 in United Kingdom #140 in the World

23% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1965 Founded

36

Czech Republic | Prague

Charles University

#1 in Czech Republic #143 in the World

35% Acceptance

49,508 Enrollment

1348 Founded

37

Italy | Lombardy

University of Milan

#3 in Italy #146 in the World

21% Acceptance

65,234 Enrollment

1924 Founded

38

Germany | Lower Saxony

University of Gottingen

#8 in Germany #149 in the World

34% Acceptance

31,619 Enrollment

1734 Founded

39

Italy | Veneto

University of Padua

#4 in Italy #153 in the World

40% Acceptance

70,000 Enrollment

1222 Founded

40

United Kingdom | England

London School of Economics and Political Science

#16 in United Kingdom #154 in the World

8% Acceptance

9,218 Enrollment

1895 Founded

41

Switzerland | Geneva

University of Geneva

#4 in Switzerland #155 in the World

25% Acceptance

17,744 Enrollment

42

Germany | Brandenburg

Humboldt University of Berlin

#9 in Germany #157 in the World

34% Acceptance

36,232 Enrollment

1809 Founded

43

Netherlands | Leiden

Leiden University

#6 in Netherlands #158 in the World

30% Acceptance

33,474 Enrollment

1575 Founded

44

Spain | Madrid

Complutense University of Madrid

#2 in Spain #160 in the World

56% Acceptance

58,390 Enrollment

1508 Founded

45

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Freiburg

#10 in Germany #161 in the World

33% Acceptance

23,938 Enrollment

1457 Founded

46

United Kingdom | England

University of Liverpool

#18 in United Kingdom #164 in the World

24% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1881 Founded

47

Russia | Moscow

Moscow State University

#1 in Russia #167 in the World

12% Acceptance

20,188 Enrollment

1755 Founded

48

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

University of Cologne

#11 in Germany #168 in the World

33% Acceptance

52,204 Enrollment

1388 Founded

49

Switzerland | Bern

University of Bern

#5 in Switzerland #169 in the World

26% Acceptance

19,608 Enrollment

50

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

RWTH Aachen University

#12 in Germany #171 in the World

35% Acceptance

47,521 Enrollment

1870 Founded

51

Sweden | Gothenburg

University of Gothenburg

#4 in Sweden #181 in the World

55% Acceptance

36,003 Enrollment

1891 Founded

52

France | Ile-de-France

Pierre and Marie Curie University

#1 in France #182 in the World

20% Acceptance

35,114 Enrollment

1150 Founded

53

Denmark | Kongens Lyngby

Technical University of Denmark

#3 in Denmark #183 in the World

38% Acceptance

33,020 Enrollment

1829 Founded

54

Netherlands | Amsterdam

Free University Amsterdam

#7 in Netherlands #188 in the World

45% Acceptance

41,000 Enrollment

1880 Founded

55

Germany | Bavaria

University of Erlangen Nuremberg

#13 in Germany #190 in the World

46% Acceptance

39,658 Enrollment

1743 Founded

56

Germany | Saxony

Dresden University of Technology

#14 in Germany #196 in the World

28% Acceptance

31,517 Enrollment

1828 Founded

57

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

#15 in Germany #197 in the World

26% Acceptance

23,321 Enrollment

2009 Founded

58

Sweden | Stockholm

Stockholm University

#5 in Sweden #198 in the World

52% Acceptance

37,484 Enrollment

1878 Founded

59

Netherlands | Wageningen

Wageningen University

#8 in Netherlands #206 in the World

47% Acceptance

12,819 Enrollment

1918 Founded

60

United Kingdom | Wales

Cardiff University

#21 in United Kingdom #207 in the World

39% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1997 Founded

61

Germany | Saxony

University of Leipzig

#17 in Germany #208 in the World

10% Acceptance

31,088 Enrollment

1409 Founded

62

Spain | Cerdanyola del Valles

Autonomous University of Barcelona

#3 in Spain #210 in the World

54% Acceptance

30,926 Enrollment

63

United Kingdom | England

University of Exeter

#22 in United Kingdom #214 in the World

73% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1955 Founded

64

Germany | Rhineland-Palatinate

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

#18 in Germany #215 in the World

28% Acceptance

33,132 Enrollment

1946 Founded

65

Sweden | Stockholm

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

#6 in Sweden #218 in the World

41% Acceptance

14,278 Enrollment

1827 Founded

66

Portugal | Lisbon

University of Lisbon

#1 in Portugal #220 in the World

37% Acceptance

49,769 Enrollment

1911 Founded

67

Italy | Piedmont

University of Turin

#5 in Italy #221 in the World

37% Acceptance

5,000 Enrollment

1404 Founded

68

Switzerland | Basel

University of Basel

#6 in Switzerland #222 in the World

28% Acceptance

12,896 Enrollment

69

Germany | Brandenburg

Technical University of Berlin

#19 in Germany #224 in the World

23% Acceptance

34,842 Enrollment

1946 Founded

70

Belgium | Liege

University of Liege

#3 in Belgium #226 in the World

34% Acceptance

27,678 Enrollment

1817 Founded

71

Greece | Athens

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

#1 in Greece #228 in the World

19% Acceptance

70,461 Enrollment

1837 Founded

72

Netherlands | Rotterdam

Erasmus University Rotterdam

#9 in Netherlands #231 in the World

53% Acceptance

18,000 Enrollment

1913 Founded

73

Italy | Tuscany

University of Pisa

#6 in Italy #237 in the World

39% Acceptance

47,736 Enrollment

1343 Founded

74

Germany | Bavaria

University of Wurzburg

#20 in Germany #239 in the World

23% Acceptance

27,149 Enrollment

1402 Founded

75

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

Ruhr University Bochum

#21 in Germany #242 in the World

28% Acceptance

42,954 Enrollment

1962 Founded

76

Norway | Trondheim

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

#3 in Norway #247 in the World

27% Acceptance

44,000 Enrollment

1996 Founded

77

Italy | Lombardy

Polytechnic University of Milan

#7 in Italy #250 in the World

28% Acceptance

48,645 Enrollment

1863 Founded

78

Poland | Warsaw

University of Warsaw

#1 in Poland #254 in the World

25% Acceptance

42,700 Enrollment

1816 Founded

79

Italy | Campania

Federico II University of Naples

#8 in Italy #255 in the World

31% Acceptance

80,000 Enrollment

1224 Founded

80

Belgium | Louvain-la-Neuve

Catholic University of Louvain

#4 in Belgium #256 in the World

34% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1425 Founded

81

United Kingdom | England

Durham University

#23 in United Kingdom #257 in the World

46% Acceptance

19,520 Enrollment

1832 Founded

82

Switzerland | Lausanne

University of Lausanne

#7 in Switzerland #259 in the World

31% Acceptance

16,908 Enrollment

83

Italy | Tuscany

University of Florence

#9 in Italy #260 in the World

30% Acceptance

96,945 Enrollment

1321 Founded

84

France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

#2 in France #262 in the World

15% Acceptance

38,007 Enrollment

1809 Founded

85

United Kingdom | England

University of Leicester

#24 in United Kingdom #264 in the World

39% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1957 Founded

86

United Kingdom | England

University of Sussex

#25 in United Kingdom #268 in the World

35% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1961 Founded

87

United Kingdom | Northern Ireland

Queen’s University Belfast

#26 in United Kingdom #270 in the World

31% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1849 Founded

88

Spain | Granada

University of Granada

#5 in Spain #273 in the World

53% Acceptance

56,842 Enrollment

1531 Founded

89

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of St Andrews

#27 in United Kingdom #276 in the World

33% Acceptance

10,425 Enrollment

1413 Founded

90

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of Aberdeen

#28 in United Kingdom #279 in the World

38% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1495 Founded

91

Poland | Krakow

Jagiellonian University

#2 in Poland #281 in the World

53% Acceptance

33,549 Enrollment

1364 Founded

92

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Stuttgart

#24 in Germany #286 in the World

48% Acceptance

22,616 Enrollment

1829 Founded

93

Spain | Madrid

Autonomous University of Madrid

#6 in Spain #293 in the World

53% Acceptance

58,390 Enrollment

1968 Founded

94

Germany | Hesse

University of Marburg

#25 in Germany #294 in the World

54% Acceptance

22,612 Enrollment

1527 Founded

95

Sweden | Linkoping

Linkoping University

#7 in Sweden #298 in the World

41% Acceptance

22,441 Enrollment

1975 Founded

96

Sweden | Gothenburg

Chalmers University of Technology

#8 in Sweden #299 in the World

79% Acceptance

10,773 Enrollment

1829 Founded

97

Ireland | Dublin

Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin

#2 in Ireland #302 in the World

48% Acceptance

20,430 Enrollment

1592 Founded

98

United Kingdom | England

University of London

#30 in United Kingdom #303 in the World

36% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1836 Founded

99

Netherlands | Enschede

University of Twente

#11 in Netherlands #305 in the World

51% Acceptance

24,703 Enrollment

1961 Founded

100

Netherlands | Maastricht

Maastricht University

#12 in Netherlands #309 in the World

53% Acceptance

18,000 Enrollment

1976 Founded

100 Best Universities in Europe

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