The Best Universities in London
London’s 37 universities represent the most diverse and prestigious concentration of higher education in the UK. From world-leading institutions like Imperial College, LSE, and UCL to specialist conservatoires, the capital offers unmatched academic choice. Studying in London means access to world-class cultural venues, global career networks, and opportunities you won’t find anywhere else.
QUICK GUIDE:
Sort the table below by badges to find universities that excel in those areas. Each in the table represents a university strength. Hover or click over any badge to see what it means.
FILTER BY BADGE:
University | Badges | |
|---|---|---|
Guildhall School of Music & Drama | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
Student Favourite
Criteria: 4 percentage points or more above benchmark in NSS categories T1 or T2
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 8 |
London School of Economics and Political Science | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
Global Leader
Criteria: Ranked in ARTU (Aggregate Ranking Of Top Universities) top 400
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 7 |
Imperial College London | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
Global Leader
Criteria: Ranked in ARTU (Aggregate Ranking Of Top Universities) top 400
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 7 |
Royal College of Music | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 7 |
University College London | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
Global Leader
Criteria: Ranked in ARTU (Aggregate Ranking Of Top Universities) top 400
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 6 |
The Royal Central School of Speech And Drama | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 6 |
King’s College London | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
Global Leader
Criteria: Ranked in ARTU (Aggregate Ranking Of Top Universities) top 400
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 6 |
Royal Academy of Music | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 6 |
Queen Mary University of London | High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
Global Leader
Criteria: Ranked in ARTU (Aggregate Ranking Of Top Universities) top 400
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 5 |
The Royal Veterinary College | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
| 5 |
Rose Bruford College | High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
Student Favourite
Criteria: 4 percentage points or more above benchmark in NSS categories T1 or T2
| 5 |
University of the Arts London | High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 5 |
The City University | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
| 5 |
Royal College of Art (The) | Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 4 |
School of Oriental And African Studies | High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
| 4 |
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music And Dance Ltd | High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
Specialist Institution
Criteria: Focused expert teaching in a specific field
| 4 |
University of East London | High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
| 4 |
Middlesex University | High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
| 4 |
London Metropolitan University | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Satisfied Students
Criteria: Positive performance above benchmark in National Student Survey (NSS) categories T1 and T2
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
| 4 |
University of Greenwich | Outstanding Teaching
Criteria: Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
High Quality Teaching
Criteria: Gold or Silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Research Power
Criteria: Produced 4-star research recognized in REF 2021 (Research Excellence Framework)
International Mix
Criteria: 25% or higher international student population
| 4 |
How Badges are Awarded:
How to use our website:
Data Source:
Last Updated: January 2025 | Our Data Sources: TEF, NSS, REF 2021
Similar Rankings
Best Universities
The UK’s best universities ranked by badges earned. Each badge represents proven excellence in a specific area – teaching quality,
Russell Group Universities
The UK’s 24 Russell Group universities ranked by badges earned. Russell Group membership signals research excellence and academic prestige. These
Universities Awarded TEF Gold
Universities achieving Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the UK government’s official assessment of teaching quality. TEF Gold is
Universities Awarded TEF Silver
Universities achieving Silver in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the UK government’s official assessment of teaching quality. TEF Silver recognises
Universities Awarded TEF Bronze
Universities awarded Bronze in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the UK government’s official assessment of teaching quality. TEF Bronze recognises
South East
The South East of England is home to 18 universities, from the world-renowned University of Oxford to modern institutions in