Best Literature Universities in Europe [2026 Rankings]

1

United Kingdom | England

University of Cambridge

For Literature

#1 in United Kingdom #1 in the World

21% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1209 Founded

2

United Kingdom | England

University of Oxford

For Literature

#2 in United Kingdom #2 in the World

22% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1096 Founded

3

United Kingdom | England

University College London

For Literature

#3 in United Kingdom #10 in the World

36% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1826 Founded

4

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of Edinburgh

For Literature

#4 in United Kingdom #20 in the World

51% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1583 Founded

5

United Kingdom | England

University of Manchester

For Literature

#5 in United Kingdom #22 in the World

40% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1824 Founded

6

United Kingdom | England

University of Birmingham

For Literature

#6 in United Kingdom #33 in the World

38% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1900 Founded

7

United Kingdom | England

University of Leeds

For Literature

#7 in United Kingdom #37 in the World

48% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1904 Founded

8

Netherlands | Amsterdam

University of Amsterdam

For Literature

#1 in Netherlands #39 in the World

51% Acceptance

41,000 Enrollment

1632 Founded

9

Denmark | Aarhus

Aarhus University

For Literature

#1 in Denmark #43 in the World

42% Acceptance

33,020 Enrollment

1928 Founded

10

Denmark | Copenhagen

University of Copenhagen

For Literature

#2 in Denmark #44 in the World

37% Acceptance

33,020 Enrollment

1479 Founded

11

Belgium | Leuven

Catholic University of Leuven

For Literature

#1 in Belgium #48 in the World

33% Acceptance

62,693 Enrollment

1425 Founded

12

United Kingdom | England

University of Bristol

For Literature

#9 in United Kingdom #54 in the World

63% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1909 Founded

13

United Kingdom | England

University of Warwick

For Literature

#10 in United Kingdom #56 in the World

23% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1965 Founded

14

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of Glasgow

For Literature

#11 in United Kingdom #57 in the World

48% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1451 Founded

15

United Kingdom | England

University of Nottingham

For Literature

#12 in United Kingdom #60 in the World

32% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1948 Founded

16

United Kingdom | England

University of Sheffield

For Literature

#13 in United Kingdom #62 in the World

28% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1905 Founded

17

Netherlands | Utrecht

Utrecht University

For Literature

#2 in Netherlands #66 in the World

22% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1636 Founded

18

United Kingdom | England

Durham University

For Literature

#14 in United Kingdom #71 in the World

46% Acceptance

19,520 Enrollment

1832 Founded

19

France | Ile-de-France

Pierre and Marie Curie University

For Literature

#1 in France #75 in the World

20% Acceptance

35,114 Enrollment

1150 Founded

20

Finland | Helsinki

University of Helsinki

For Literature

#1 in Finland #76 in the World

12% Acceptance

31,312 Enrollment

1640 Founded

21

United Kingdom | England

Imperial College London

For Literature

#15 in United Kingdom #77 in the World

41% Acceptance

17,565 Enrollment

1907 Founded

22

United Kingdom | England

University of Exeter

For Literature

#16 in United Kingdom #78 in the World

73% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1955 Founded

23

United Kingdom | England

University of York

For Literature

#17 in United Kingdom #80 in the World

20% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1963 Founded

24

Sweden | Lund

Lund University

For Literature

#1 in Sweden #83 in the World

58% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1666 Founded

25

United Kingdom | England

University of Southampton

For Literature

#18 in United Kingdom #86 in the World

32% Acceptance

21,335 Enrollment

1952 Founded

26

United Kingdom | England

University of Sussex

For Literature

#19 in United Kingdom #89 in the World

35% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1961 Founded

27

United Kingdom | England

Lancaster University

For Literature

#20 in United Kingdom #90 in the World

22% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1964 Founded

28

Norway | Oslo

University of Oslo

For Literature

#1 in Norway #91 in the World

27% Acceptance

26,650 Enrollment

1811 Founded

29

United Kingdom | England

University of London

For Literature

#21 in United Kingdom #92 in the World

36% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1836 Founded

30

United Kingdom | Wales

Cardiff University

For Literature

#22 in United Kingdom #100 in the World

39% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1997 Founded

31

United Kingdom | England

London School of Economics and Political Science

For Literature

#23 in United Kingdom #102 in the World

8% Acceptance

9,218 Enrollment

1895 Founded

32

United Kingdom | England

University of Liverpool

For Literature

#24 in United Kingdom #105 in the World

24% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1881 Founded

33

Netherlands | Groningen

University of Groningen

For Literature

#3 in Netherlands #107 in the World

50% Acceptance

34,000 Enrollment

1614 Founded

34

Netherlands | Nijmegen

Radboud University

For Literature

#4 in Netherlands #110 in the World

43% Acceptance

34,000 Enrollment

1923 Founded

35

Switzerland | Zurich

University of Zurich

For Literature

#1 in Switzerland #111 in the World

19% Acceptance

25,732 Enrollment

36

Austria | Vienna

University of Vienna

For Literature

#1 in Austria #112 in the World

33% Acceptance

93,628 Enrollment

1365 Founded

37

Italy | Lazio

Sapienza University of Rome

For Literature

#1 in Italy #113 in the World

39% Acceptance

100,155 Enrollment

1303 Founded

38

Switzerland | Zurich

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

For Literature

#2 in Switzerland #117 in the World

8% Acceptance

23,420 Enrollment

39

Sweden | Uppsala

Uppsala University

For Literature

#2 in Sweden #118 in the World

69% Acceptance

40,000 Enrollment

1477 Founded

40

United Kingdom | England

Queen Mary University of London

For Literature

#25 in United Kingdom #120 in the World

18% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1989 Founded

41

United Kingdom | England

University of Leicester

For Literature

#26 in United Kingdom #121 in the World

39% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1957 Founded

42

Netherlands | Leiden

Leiden University

For Literature

#5 in Netherlands #122 in the World

30% Acceptance

33,474 Enrollment

1575 Founded

43

United Kingdom | Scotland

University of St Andrews

For Literature

#27 in United Kingdom #125 in the World

33% Acceptance

10,425 Enrollment

1413 Founded

44

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

University of Bologna

For Literature

#2 in Italy #134 in the World

73% Acceptance

96,945 Enrollment

1088 Founded

45

Belgium | Ghent

Ghent University

For Literature

#2 in Belgium #137 in the World

34% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1817 Founded

46

United Kingdom | England

Newcastle University

For Literature

#28 in United Kingdom #142 in the World

23% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1963 Founded

47

Spain | Madrid

Complutense University of Madrid

For Literature

#1 in Spain #145 in the World

56% Acceptance

58,390 Enrollment

1508 Founded

48

Belgium | Liege

University of Liege

For Literature

#3 in Belgium #146 in the World

34% Acceptance

27,678 Enrollment

1817 Founded

49

Sweden | Stockholm

Stockholm University

For Literature

#3 in Sweden #147 in the World

52% Acceptance

37,484 Enrollment

1878 Founded

50

United Kingdom | England

University of Reading

For Literature

#29 in United Kingdom #149 in the World

37% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1892 Founded

51

Italy | Lombardy

University of Milan

For Literature

#3 in Italy #153 in the World

21% Acceptance

65,234 Enrollment

1924 Founded

52

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

Heidelberg University – Germany

For Literature

#1 in Germany #157 in the World

45% Acceptance

28,413 Enrollment

1386 Founded

53

Sweden | Gothenburg

University of Gothenburg

For Literature

#4 in Sweden #158 in the World

55% Acceptance

36,003 Enrollment

1891 Founded

54

Spain | Barcelona

University of Barcelona

For Literature

#2 in Spain #159 in the World

69% Acceptance

64,236 Enrollment

55

Italy | Veneto

University of Padua

For Literature

#4 in Italy #161 in the World

40% Acceptance

70,000 Enrollment

1222 Founded

56

Germany | Bavaria

University of Munich

For Literature

#2 in Germany #164 in the World

55% Acceptance

52,418 Enrollment

1472 Founded

57

Germany | Brandenburg

Free University of Berlin

For Literature

#3 in Germany #166 in the World

15% Acceptance

37,908 Enrollment

1948 Founded

58

Switzerland | Lausanne

Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

For Literature

#3 in Switzerland #167 in the World

23% Acceptance

12,576 Enrollment

59

United Kingdom | England

Loughborough University

For Literature

#30 in United Kingdom #172 in the World

44% Acceptance

19,449 Enrollment

1966 Founded

60

Netherlands | Amsterdam

Free University Amsterdam

For Literature

#6 in Netherlands #173 in the World

45% Acceptance

41,000 Enrollment

1880 Founded

61

United Kingdom | England

University of Kent

For Literature

#31 in United Kingdom #177 in the World

50% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1965 Founded

62

Switzerland | Geneva

University of Geneva

For Literature

#4 in Switzerland #178 in the World

25% Acceptance

17,744 Enrollment

63

Russia | Moscow

Moscow State University

For Literature

#1 in Russia #179 in the World

12% Acceptance

20,188 Enrollment

1755 Founded

64

United Kingdom | England

Royal Holloway, University of London

For Literature

#32 in United Kingdom #183 in the World

55% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1849 Founded

65

United Kingdom | England

University of East Anglia

For Literature

#33 in United Kingdom #185 in the World

22% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1963 Founded

66

Italy | Tuscany

University of Pisa

For Literature

#5 in Italy #186 in the World

39% Acceptance

47,736 Enrollment

1343 Founded

67

Denmark | Aalborg

Aalborg University

For Literature

#3 in Denmark #187 in the World

40% Acceptance

20,353 Enrollment

1974 Founded

68

Germany | Hesse

Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

For Literature

#4 in Germany #188 in the World

50% Acceptance

43,461 Enrollment

1914 Founded

69

Portugal | Lisbon

University of Lisbon

For Literature

#1 in Portugal #194 in the World

37% Acceptance

49,769 Enrollment

1911 Founded

70

Germany | Bavaria

Technical University of Munich

For Literature

#5 in Germany #195 in the World

46% Acceptance

44,000 Enrollment

1868 Founded

71

Spain | Cerdanyola del Valles

Autonomous University of Barcelona

For Literature

#3 in Spain #197 in the World

54% Acceptance

30,926 Enrollment

72

Greece | Athens

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

For Literature

#1 in Greece #198 in the World

19% Acceptance

70,461 Enrollment

1837 Founded

73

Netherlands | Delft

Delft University of Technology

For Literature

#7 in Netherlands #200 in the World

50% Acceptance

24,703 Enrollment

1842 Founded

74

Ireland | Dublin

Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin

For Literature

#1 in Ireland #203 in the World

48% Acceptance

20,430 Enrollment

1592 Founded

75

Germany | Hamburg State

University of Hamburg

For Literature

#6 in Germany #206 in the World

39% Acceptance

43,957 Enrollment

1919 Founded

76

Italy | Piedmont

University of Turin

For Literature

#6 in Italy #210 in the World

37% Acceptance

5,000 Enrollment

1404 Founded

77

Poland | Warsaw

University of Warsaw

For Literature

#1 in Poland #211 in the World

25% Acceptance

42,700 Enrollment

1816 Founded

78

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

University of Tubingen

For Literature

#7 in Germany #221 in the World

33% Acceptance

28,238 Enrollment

1477 Founded

79

Ireland | Dublin

University College Dublin

For Literature

#2 in Ireland #222 in the World

42% Acceptance

33,321 Enrollment

1854 Founded

80

United Kingdom | England

Birkbeck, University of London

For Literature

#36 in United Kingdom #223 in the World

50% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1823 Founded

81

Italy | Tuscany

University of Florence

For Literature

#7 in Italy #225 in the World

30% Acceptance

96,945 Enrollment

1321 Founded

82

Sweden | Stockholm

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

For Literature

#5 in Sweden #227 in the World

41% Acceptance

14,278 Enrollment

1827 Founded

83

United Kingdom | England

University of Surrey

For Literature

#37 in United Kingdom #229 in the World

32% Acceptance

16,900 Enrollment

1966 Founded

84

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

University of Cologne

For Literature

#8 in Germany #233 in the World

33% Acceptance

52,204 Enrollment

1388 Founded

85

Netherlands | Rotterdam

Erasmus University Rotterdam

For Literature

#8 in Netherlands #237 in the World

53% Acceptance

18,000 Enrollment

1913 Founded

86

Germany | Brandenburg

Humboldt University of Berlin

For Literature

#9 in Germany #239 in the World

34% Acceptance

36,232 Enrollment

1809 Founded

87

Netherlands | Tilburg

Tilburg University

For Literature

#9 in Netherlands #241 in the World

57% Acceptance

19,178 Enrollment

1927 Founded

88

Spain | Granada

University of Granada

For Literature

#4 in Spain #245 in the World

53% Acceptance

56,842 Enrollment

1531 Founded

89

Sweden | Linkoping

Linkoping University

For Literature

#6 in Sweden #247 in the World

41% Acceptance

22,441 Enrollment

1975 Founded

90

United Kingdom | England

Goldsmiths, University of London

For Literature

#38 in United Kingdom #249 in the World

64% Acceptance

6,863 Enrollment

1904 Founded

91

Norway | Trondheim

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

For Literature

#2 in Norway #254 in the World

27% Acceptance

44,000 Enrollment

1996 Founded

92

Spain | Valencia

University of Valencia

For Literature

#5 in Spain #257 in the World

51% Acceptance

58,390 Enrollment

93

Switzerland | Bern

University of Bern

For Literature

#5 in Switzerland #261 in the World

26% Acceptance

19,608 Enrollment

94

United Kingdom | England

Keele University

For Literature

#40 in United Kingdom #263 in the World

52% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1962 Founded

95

Norway | Bergen

University of Bergen

For Literature

#3 in Norway #269 in the World

28% Acceptance

16,900 Enrollment

1946 Founded

96

Spain | Barcelona

Pompeu Fabra University

For Literature

#6 in Spain #271 in the World

55% Acceptance

15,801 Enrollment

97

Poland | Krakow

Jagiellonian University

For Literature

#2 in Poland #273 in the World

53% Acceptance

33,549 Enrollment

1364 Founded

98

United Kingdom | England

University of Essex

For Literature

#41 in United Kingdom #274 in the World

52% Acceptance

29,000 Enrollment

1964 Founded

99

Spain | Madrid

Autonomous University of Madrid

For Literature

#7 in Spain #275 in the World

53% Acceptance

58,390 Enrollment

1968 Founded

100

Greece | Thessaloniki

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

For Literature

#2 in Greece #276 in the World

20% Acceptance

92,090 Enrollment

1925 Founded

100 Best Universities in Europe for Literature

Academic Filters

Academic Filters

Join our global network