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

Switzerland | Zurich

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

#1 in Switzerland #52 in the World

8% Acceptance

23,420 Enrollment

4

United Kingdom | England

University of Manchester

#6 in United Kingdom #54 in the World

40% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1824 Founded

5

Belgium | Leuven

Catholic University of Leuven

#1 in Belgium #62 in the World

33% Acceptance

62,693 Enrollment

1425 Founded

6

United Kingdom | England

King’s College London

#7 in United Kingdom #64 in the World

43% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1829 Founded

7

Germany | Bavaria

University of Munich

#2 in Germany #69 in the World

55% Acceptance

52,418 Enrollment

1472 Founded

8

Netherlands | Amsterdam

University of Amsterdam

#1 in Netherlands #76 in the World

51% Acceptance

41,000 Enrollment

1632 Founded

9

Netherlands | Utrecht

Utrecht University

#2 in Netherlands #78 in the World

22% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1636 Founded

10

Finland | Helsinki

University of Helsinki

#1 in Finland #84 in the World

12% Acceptance

31,312 Enrollment

1640 Founded

11

Germany | Bavaria

Technical University of Munich

#3 in Germany #85 in the World

46% Acceptance

44,000 Enrollment

1868 Founded

12

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of Glasgow

#8 in United Kingdom #94 in the World

48% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1451 Founded

13

Sweden | Lund

Lund University

#1 in Sweden #95 in the World

58% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1666 Founded

14

United Kingdom | England

University of Bristol

#9 in United Kingdom #96 in the World

63% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1909 Founded

15

Norway | Oslo

University of Oslo

#1 in Norway #98 in the World

27% Acceptance

26,650 Enrollment

1811 Founded

16

United Kingdom | England

University of Leeds

#10 in United Kingdom #99 in the World

48% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1904 Founded

17

Sweden | Uppsala

Uppsala University

#2 in Sweden #103 in the World

69% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1477 Founded

18

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

University of Bologna

#1 in Italy #104 in the World

73% Acceptance

96,945 Enrollment

1088 Founded

19

Germany | Hamburg State

University of Hamburg

#4 in Germany #110 in the World

39% Acceptance

43,957 Enrollment

1919 Founded

20

Spain | Barcelona

University of Barcelona

#1 in Spain #116 in the World

69% Acceptance

64,236 Enrollment

21

Netherlands | Groningen

University of Groningen

#3 in Netherlands #118 in the World

50% Acceptance

34,000 Enrollment

1614 Founded

22

Switzerland | Lausanne

Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

#3 in Switzerland #125 in the World

23% Acceptance

12,576 Enrollment

23

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Tubingen

#5 in Germany #128 in the World

33% Acceptance

28,238 Enrollment

1477 Founded

24

Germany | Brandenburg

Free University of Berlin

#6 in Germany #131 in the World

15% Acceptance

37,908 Enrollment

1948 Founded

25

Belgium | Ghent

Ghent University

#2 in Belgium #132 in the World

34% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1817 Founded

26

United Kingdom | England

University of Nottingham

#13 in United Kingdom #133 in the World

32% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1948 Founded

27

United Kingdom | England

University of Warwick

#15 in United Kingdom #140 in the World

23% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1965 Founded

28

Czech Republic | Prague

Charles University

#1 in Czech Republic #143 in the World

35% Acceptance

49,508 Enrollment

1348 Founded

29

Italy | Lombardy

University of Milan

#3 in Italy #146 in the World

21% Acceptance

65,234 Enrollment

1924 Founded

30

Germany | Lower Saxony

University of Gottingen

#8 in Germany #149 in the World

34% Acceptance

31,619 Enrollment

1734 Founded

31

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

32

Switzerland | Geneva

University of Geneva

#4 in Switzerland #155 in the World

25% Acceptance

17,744 Enrollment

33

Germany | Brandenburg

Humboldt University of Berlin

#9 in Germany #157 in the World

34% Acceptance

36,232 Enrollment

1809 Founded

34

Netherlands | Leiden

Leiden University

#6 in Netherlands #158 in the World

30% Acceptance

33,474 Enrollment

1575 Founded

35

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Freiburg

#10 in Germany #161 in the World

33% Acceptance

23,938 Enrollment

1457 Founded

36

United Kingdom | England

University of Liverpool

#18 in United Kingdom #164 in the World

24% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1881 Founded

37

Russia | Moscow

Moscow State University

#1 in Russia #167 in the World

12% Acceptance

20,188 Enrollment

1755 Founded

38

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

University of Cologne

#11 in Germany #168 in the World

33% Acceptance

52,204 Enrollment

1388 Founded

39

Switzerland | Bern

University of Bern

#5 in Switzerland #169 in the World

26% Acceptance

19,608 Enrollment

40

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

RWTH Aachen University

#12 in Germany #171 in the World

35% Acceptance

47,521 Enrollment

1870 Founded

41

Sweden | Gothenburg

University of Gothenburg

#4 in Sweden #181 in the World

55% Acceptance

36,003 Enrollment

1891 Founded

42

France | Ile-de-France

Pierre and Marie Curie University

#1 in France #182 in the World

20% Acceptance

35,114 Enrollment

1150 Founded

43

Denmark | Kongens Lyngby

Technical University of Denmark

#3 in Denmark #183 in the World

38% Acceptance

33,020 Enrollment

1829 Founded

44

Netherlands | Amsterdam

Free University Amsterdam

#7 in Netherlands #188 in the World

45% Acceptance

41,000 Enrollment

1880 Founded

45

Germany | Bavaria

University of Erlangen Nuremberg

#13 in Germany #190 in the World

46% Acceptance

39,658 Enrollment

1743 Founded

46

Germany | Saxony

Dresden University of Technology

#14 in Germany #196 in the World

28% Acceptance

31,517 Enrollment

1828 Founded

47

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

#15 in Germany #197 in the World

26% Acceptance

23,321 Enrollment

2009 Founded

48

Sweden | Stockholm

Stockholm University

#5 in Sweden #198 in the World

52% Acceptance

37,484 Enrollment

1878 Founded

49

United Kingdom | Wales

Cardiff University

#21 in United Kingdom #207 in the World

39% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1997 Founded

50

Germany | Saxony

University of Leipzig

#17 in Germany #208 in the World

10% Acceptance

31,088 Enrollment

1409 Founded

51

Spain | Cerdanyola del Valles

Autonomous University of Barcelona

#3 in Spain #210 in the World

54% Acceptance

30,926 Enrollment

52

United Kingdom | England

University of Exeter

#22 in United Kingdom #214 in the World

73% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1955 Founded

53

Germany | Rhineland-Palatinate

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

#18 in Germany #215 in the World

28% Acceptance

33,132 Enrollment

1946 Founded

54

Sweden | Stockholm

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

#6 in Sweden #218 in the World

41% Acceptance

14,278 Enrollment

1827 Founded

55

Portugal | Lisbon

University of Lisbon

#1 in Portugal #220 in the World

37% Acceptance

49,769 Enrollment

1911 Founded

56

Italy | Piedmont

University of Turin

#5 in Italy #221 in the World

37% Acceptance

5,000 Enrollment

1404 Founded

57

Germany | Brandenburg

Technical University of Berlin

#19 in Germany #224 in the World

23% Acceptance

34,842 Enrollment

1946 Founded

58

Italy | Tuscany

University of Pisa

#6 in Italy #237 in the World

39% Acceptance

47,736 Enrollment

1343 Founded

59

Germany | Bavaria

University of Wurzburg

#20 in Germany #239 in the World

23% Acceptance

27,149 Enrollment

1402 Founded

60

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

Ruhr University Bochum

#21 in Germany #242 in the World

28% Acceptance

42,954 Enrollment

1962 Founded

61

Norway | Trondheim

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

#3 in Norway #247 in the World

27% Acceptance

44,000 Enrollment

1996 Founded

62

Italy | Lombardy

Polytechnic University of Milan

#7 in Italy #250 in the World

28% Acceptance

48,645 Enrollment

1863 Founded

63

Poland | Warsaw

University of Warsaw

#1 in Poland #254 in the World

25% Acceptance

42,700 Enrollment

1816 Founded

64

Italy | Campania

Federico II University of Naples

#8 in Italy #255 in the World

31% Acceptance

80,000 Enrollment

1224 Founded

65

United Kingdom | England

Durham University

#23 in United Kingdom #257 in the World

46% Acceptance

19,520 Enrollment

1832 Founded

66

Switzerland | Lausanne

University of Lausanne

#7 in Switzerland #259 in the World

31% Acceptance

16,908 Enrollment

67

Italy | Tuscany

University of Florence

#9 in Italy #260 in the World

30% Acceptance

96,945 Enrollment

1321 Founded

68

France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

#2 in France #262 in the World

15% Acceptance

38,007 Enrollment

1809 Founded

69

United Kingdom | England

University of Leicester

#24 in United Kingdom #264 in the World

39% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1957 Founded

70

United Kingdom | Northern Ireland

Queen’s University Belfast

#26 in United Kingdom #270 in the World

31% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1849 Founded

71

Spain | Granada

University of Granada

#5 in Spain #273 in the World

53% Acceptance

56,842 Enrollment

1531 Founded

72

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of St Andrews

#27 in United Kingdom #276 in the World

33% Acceptance

10,425 Enrollment

1413 Founded

73

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of Aberdeen

#28 in United Kingdom #279 in the World

38% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1495 Founded

74

Poland | Krakow

Jagiellonian University

#2 in Poland #281 in the World

53% Acceptance

33,549 Enrollment

1364 Founded

75

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Stuttgart

#24 in Germany #286 in the World

48% Acceptance

22,616 Enrollment

1829 Founded

76

Germany | Hesse

University of Marburg

#25 in Germany #294 in the World

54% Acceptance

22,612 Enrollment

1527 Founded

77

Sweden | Gothenburg

Chalmers University of Technology

#8 in Sweden #299 in the World

79% Acceptance

10,773 Enrollment

1829 Founded

78

United Kingdom | England

University of London

#30 in United Kingdom #303 in the World

36% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1836 Founded

79

Netherlands | Enschede

University of Twente

#11 in Netherlands #305 in the World

51% Acceptance

24,703 Enrollment

1961 Founded

80

Netherlands | Maastricht

Maastricht University

#12 in Netherlands #309 in the World

53% Acceptance

18,000 Enrollment

1976 Founded

81

Germany | Hesse

Darmstadt University of Technology

#26 in Germany #312 in the World

56% Acceptance

24,969 Enrollment

1877 Founded

82

United Kingdom | England

University of Surrey

#31 in United Kingdom #317 in the World

32% Acceptance

16,900 Enrollment

1966 Founded

83

Serbia | Belgrade

University of Belgrade

#1 in Serbia #324 in the World

81% Acceptance

75,047 Enrollment

84

Germany | Thuringia

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

#27 in Germany #326 in the World

60% Acceptance

17,345 Enrollment

1558 Founded

85

Spain | Barcelona

Technical University of Catalonia

#7 in Spain #330 in the World

51% Acceptance

29,812 Enrollment

86

Germany | Hesse

University of Giessen

#28 in Germany #331 in the World

70% Acceptance

27,184 Enrollment

1607 Founded

87

Slovenia | Ljubljana

University of Ljubljana

#1 in Slovenia #332 in the World

54% Acceptance

13,500 Enrollment

1919 Founded

88

United Kingdom | England

University of East Anglia

#32 in United Kingdom #333 in the World

22% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1963 Founded

89

Spain | Seville

University of Seville

#8 in Spain #334 in the World

45% Acceptance

36,054 Enrollment

1505 Founded

90

Portugal | Coimbra

University of Coimbra

#3 in Portugal #339 in the World

13% Acceptance

25,580 Enrollment

1290 Founded

91

United Kingdom | England

Lancaster University

#33 in United Kingdom #340 in the World

22% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1964 Founded

92

Finland | Tampere

University of Tampere

#2 in Finland #342 in the World

12% Acceptance

18,400 Enrollment

1925 Founded

93

United Kingdom | England

University of Bath

#34 in United Kingdom #343 in the World

67% Acceptance

18,857 Enrollment

1966 Founded

94

Finland | Espoo

Aalto University

#3 in Finland #346 in the World

18% Acceptance

11,440 Enrollment

2010 Founded

95

Denmark | Aalborg

Aalborg University

#4 in Denmark #347 in the World

40% Acceptance

20,353 Enrollment

1974 Founded

96

France | Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur

University of Aix-Marseilles

#3 in France #351 in the World

14% Acceptance

66,378 Enrollment

2012 Founded

97

United Kingdom | England

Loughborough University

#36 in United Kingdom #356 in the World

44% Acceptance

19,449 Enrollment

1966 Founded

98

Denmark | Odense

University of Southern Denmark

#5 in Denmark #359 in the World

35% Acceptance

33,020 Enrollment

1966 Founded

99

Germany | Lower Saxony

Leibniz University of Hanover

#30 in Germany #365 in the World

50% Acceptance

28,018 Enrollment

1831 Founded

100

Hungary | Budapest

Eotvos Lorand University

#1 in Hungary #366 in the World

51% Acceptance

2,800 Enrollment

1635 Founded

100 Best Universities in Europe

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