Best Sports Universities in United Kingdom [2026 Rankings]

1

England | London

University College London

#3 in Europe #16 in the World

36% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1826 Founded

2

England | Oxford

University of Oxford

#1 in Europe #3 in the World

22% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1096 Founded

3

England | London

Imperial College London

#5 in Europe #38 in the World

41% Acceptance

17,565 Enrollment

1907 Founded

4

England | Cambridge

University of Cambridge

#2 in Europe #6 in the World

21% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1209 Founded

5

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle University

#52 in Europe #159 in the World

23% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1963 Founded

6

England | Birmingham

University of Birmingham

#27 in Europe #108 in the World

38% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1900 Founded

7

England | Loughborough

Loughborough University

#144 in Europe #356 in the World

44% Acceptance

19,449 Enrollment

1966 Founded

8

England | Southampton

University of Southampton

#32 in Europe #122 in the World

32% Acceptance

21,335 Enrollment

1952 Founded

9

England | Nottingham

University of Nottingham

#38 in Europe #133 in the World

32% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1948 Founded

10

England | Bristol

University of Bristol

#20 in Europe #96 in the World

63% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1909 Founded

11

Scotland | Glasgow

University of Glasgow

#18 in Europe #94 in the World

48% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1451 Founded

12

England | Liverpool

University of Liverpool

#55 in Europe #164 in the World

24% Acceptance

28,693 Enrollment

1881 Founded

13

England | Leeds

University of Leeds

#22 in Europe #99 in the World

48% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1904 Founded

14

England | Manchester

University of Manchester

#8 in Europe #54 in the World

40% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1824 Founded

15

Scotland | Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh

#4 in Europe #36 in the World

51% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1583 Founded

16

England | Liverpool

Liverpool John Moores University

#280 in Europe #675 in the World

46% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1992 Founded

17

England | Manchester

Manchester Metropolitan University

#244 in Europe #599 in the World

53% Acceptance

22,980 Enrollment

1992 Founded

18

England | Exeter

University of Exeter

#75 in Europe #214 in the World

73% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1955 Founded

19

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

Ulster University

#206 in Europe #512 in the World

55% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1968 Founded

20

England | Sheffield

University of Sheffield

#41 in Europe #138 in the World

28% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1905 Founded

21

Scotland | Glasgow

University of Strathclyde

#143 in Europe #354 in the World

47% Acceptance

18,857 Enrollment

1964 Founded

22

England | Keele

Keele University

#256 in Europe #628 in the World

52% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1962 Founded

23

England | London

Queen Mary University of London

#65 in Europe #191 in the World

18% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1989 Founded

24

Wales | Cardiff

Cardiff University

#72 in Europe #207 in the World

39% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1997 Founded

25

England | Bath

University of Bath

#136 in Europe #343 in the World

67% Acceptance

18,857 Enrollment

1966 Founded

26

England | Uxbridge

Brunel University London

#200 in Europe #494 in the World

54% Acceptance

19,449 Enrollment

1966 Founded

27

England | Leicester

University of Leicester

#101 in Europe #264 in the World

39% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1957 Founded

28

England | Norwich

University of East Anglia

#131 in Europe #333 in the World

22% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1963 Founded

29

England | Leeds

Leeds Beckett University

#438 in Europe #1136 in the World

68% Acceptance

4,270 Enrollment

1992 Founded

30

England | London

University of London

#120 in Europe #303 in the World

36% Acceptance

50,000 Enrollment

1836 Founded

31

England | Coventry

University of Warwick

#43 in Europe #140 in the World

23% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1965 Founded

32

England | Colchester

University of Essex

#195 in Europe #472 in the World

52% Acceptance

29,000 Enrollment

1964 Founded

33

England | Preston

University of Central Lancashire

#370 in Europe #920 in the World

72% Acceptance

19,290 Enrollment

1992 Founded

34

England | Guildford

University of Surrey

#124 in Europe #317 in the World

32% Acceptance

16,900 Enrollment

1966 Founded

35

England | Sheffield

Sheffield Hallam University

#313 in Europe #763 in the World

69% Acceptance

19,290 Enrollment

1992 Founded

36

England | Canterbury

University of Kent

#177 in Europe #416 in the World

50% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1965 Founded

37

England | Kingston upon Hull

University of Hull

#235 in Europe #578 in the World

55% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1954 Founded

38

England | Oxford

Oxford Brookes University

#328 in Europe #802 in the World

62% Acceptance

16,900 Enrollment

1865 Founded

39

England | York

University of York

#66 in Europe #193 in the World

20% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1963 Founded

40

Wales | Cardiff

University of Wales

#552 in Europe #1462 in the World

78% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1893 Founded

41

England | Durham

Durham University

#97 in Europe #257 in the World

46% Acceptance

19,520 Enrollment

1832 Founded

42

England | Reading

University of Reading

#113 in Europe #288 in the World

37% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1892 Founded

43

England | Nottingham

Nottingham Trent University

#279 in Europe #672 in the World

22% Acceptance

19,710 Enrollment

1992 Founded

44

England | Poole

Bournemouth University

#364 in Europe #901 in the World

55% Acceptance

14,293 Enrollment

1992 Founded

45

England | Lancaster, ENG

Lancaster University

#134 in Europe #340 in the World

22% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1964 Founded

46

England | Brighton

University of Sussex

#103 in Europe #268 in the World

35% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1961 Founded

47

England | London

London School of Economics and Political Science

#48 in Europe #154 in the World

8% Acceptance

9,218 Enrollment

1895 Founded

48

Scotland | St Andrews

University of St Andrews

#107 in Europe #276 in the World

33% Acceptance

10,425 Enrollment

1413 Founded

49

England | London

University of Roehampton

#530 in Europe #1390 in the World

72% Acceptance

6,863 Enrollment

2004 Founded

50

England | London

City, University of London

#204 in Europe #508 in the World

55% Acceptance

22,980 Enrollment

1966 Founded

51

England | Bradford

University of Bradford

#319 in Europe #775 in the World

63% Acceptance

27,278 Enrollment

1966 Founded

52

England | London

University of Westminster

#357 in Europe #877 in the World

56% Acceptance

19,000 Enrollment

1838 Founded

53

England | Egham

Royal Holloway, University of London

#222 in Europe #544 in the World

55% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1849 Founded

54

England | Canterbury

Canterbury Christ Church University

#627 in Europe #1719 in the World

82% Acceptance

10,798 Enrollment

2005 Founded

55

England | London

Birkbeck, University of London

#255 in Europe #626 in the World

50% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1823 Founded

56

Wales | Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth University

#287 in Europe #691 in the World

63% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1872 Founded

57

England | London

Goldsmiths, University of London

#312 in Europe #761 in the World

64% Acceptance

6,863 Enrollment

1904 Founded

58

England | Carlisle

University of Cumbria

#785 in Europe #2393 in the World

67% Acceptance

14,000 Enrollment

2007 Founded

59

England | Bristol

University of the West of England

#284 in Europe #683 in the World

57% Acceptance

30,732 Enrollment

1992 Founded

60

England | Luton

University of Bedfordshire

#537 in Europe #1419 in the World

82% Acceptance

30,732 Enrollment

2006 Founded

61

England | Chichester

University of Chichester

#850 in Europe #2686 in the World

73% Acceptance

11,340 Enrollment

2005 Founded

62

England | Lincoln

University of Lincoln

#407 in Europe #1026 in the World

78% Acceptance

19,710 Enrollment

1992 Founded

63

Scotland | Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen

#109 in Europe #279 in the World

38% Acceptance

24,409 Enrollment

1495 Founded

64

England | York

York St John University

#756 in Europe #2261 in the World

86% Acceptance

4,270 Enrollment

1841 Founded

65

England | Birmingham

Aston University

#273 in Europe #660 in the World

44% Acceptance

16,900 Enrollment

1895 Founded

66

England | Middlesbrough

Teesside University

#500 in Europe #1293 in the World

76% Acceptance

19,290 Enrollment

1992 Founded

67

Northern Ireland | Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast

#104 in Europe #270 in the World

31% Acceptance

27,513 Enrollment

1849 Founded

68

England | Cambridge

Anglia Ruskin University

#403 in Europe #1016 in the World

57% Acceptance

30,732 Enrollment

1858 Founded

69

England | Liverpool

Liverpool Hope University

#739 in Europe #2171 in the World

96% Acceptance

6,863 Enrollment

2005 Founded

70

England | Salford

University of Salford

#265 in Europe #648 in the World

49% Acceptance

19,449 Enrollment

1967 Founded

71

England | Derby

University of Derby

#499 in Europe #1292 in the World

76% Acceptance

25,000 Enrollment

1992 Founded

72

Scotland | Inverness

University of the Highlands and Islands

#728 in Europe #2114 in the World

86% Acceptance

14,000 Enrollment

2011 Founded

73

England | Huddersfield

University of Huddersfield

#374 in Europe #927 in the World

69% Acceptance

22,980 Enrollment

1992 Founded

74

England | Winchester

University of Winchester

#709 in Europe #2055 in the World

69% Acceptance

6,863 Enrollment

2005 Founded

75

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

Northumbria University

#251 in Europe #620 in the World

50% Acceptance

22,980 Enrollment

1992 Founded

76

England | Stoke-on-Trent

Staffordshire University

#496 in Europe #1283 in the World

73% Acceptance

25,000 Enrollment

1992 Founded

77

Scotland | Dundee

Abertay University

#700 in Europe #2016 in the World

70% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1994 Founded

78

England | London

University of Greenwich

#355 in Europe #872 in the World

55% Acceptance

22,980 Enrollment

1890 Founded

79

England | Worcester

University of Worcester

#666 in Europe #1873 in the World

89% Acceptance

10,798 Enrollment

2005 Founded

80

England | Portsmouth

University of Portsmouth

#241 in Europe #593 in the World

69% Acceptance

17,319 Enrollment

1992 Founded

81

England | London

London Metropolitan University

#490 in Europe #1265 in the World

74% Acceptance

19,000 Enrollment

1848 Founded

82

Scotland | Edinburgh

Queen Margaret University

#667 in Europe #1874 in the World

73% Acceptance

10,798 Enrollment

2007 Founded

83

England | London

Middlesex University

#353 in Europe #870 in the World

63% Acceptance

30,732 Enrollment

1973 Founded

84

England | Northampton

University of Northampton

#649 in Europe #1816 in the World

73% Acceptance

10,798 Enrollment

2005 Founded

85

England | Plymouth

University of Plymouth

#239 in Europe #587 in the World

77% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1992 Founded

86

England | Birmingham

Birmingham City University

#456 in Europe #1178 in the World

75% Acceptance

25,000 Enrollment

1992 Founded

87

Scotland | Aberdeen

Robert Gordon University

#563 in Europe #1495 in the World

73% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1992 Founded

88

Wales | Cardiff

Cardiff Metropolitan University

#578 in Europe #1538 in the World

86% Acceptance

31,517 Enrollment

2011 Founded

89

England | Brighton

University of Brighton

#351 in Europe #859 in the World

63% Acceptance

22,980 Enrollment

1992 Founded

90

England | Cheltenham

University of Gloucestershire

#641 in Europe #1773 in the World

74% Acceptance

16,900 Enrollment

2001 Founded

91

England | London

King’s College London

#11 in Europe #64 in the World

43% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1829 Founded

92

England | London

London South Bank University

#452 in Europe #1169 in the World

83% Acceptance

22,980 Enrollment

1892 Founded

93

Scotland | Paisley

University of the West of Scotland

#558 in Europe #1481 in the World

78% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1897 Founded

94

Wales | Pontypridd

University of South Wales

#519 in Europe #1353 in the World

75% Acceptance

22,980 Enrollment

1841 Founded

95

England | London

St George’s, University of London

#340 in Europe #829 in the World

64% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1733 Founded

96

England | Ealing

University of West London

#619 in Europe #1695 in the World

88% Acceptance

30,732 Enrollment

1990 Founded

97

England | High Wycombe

Buckinghamshire New University

#870 in Europe #2779 in the World

96% Acceptance

10,798 Enrollment

2007 Founded

98

England | London

University of East London

#444 in Europe #1149 in the World

70% Acceptance

19,000 Enrollment

1992 Founded

99

Scotland | Edinburgh

Edinburgh Napier University

#445 in Europe #1151 in the World

60% Acceptance

15,555 Enrollment

1992 Founded

100

Wales | Bangor

Bangor University

#237 in Europe #582 in the World

58% Acceptance

11,270 Enrollment

1884 Founded

100 Best Universities in United Kingdom for Sports

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