Red Brick Universities
Britain’s original civic universities, founded in major industrial cities to challenge the Oxbridge duopoly. Built in distinctive red brick during the Victorian and Edwardian eras, these institutions combine research excellence, historic prestige, and deep connections to their cities. The red bricks remain among the UK’s most respected universities today.
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.
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University | Badges | |
|---|---|---|
University of Birmingham | 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 |
University of Liverpool | 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 |
The University of Manchester | 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 |
University of Bristol | 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 |
University of Sheffield | 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
| 6 |
University of Leeds | 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 |
University of Nottingham | 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
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 5 |
Newcastle University | 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
Prestigious
Criteria: Ancient universities, Russell Group members, or Specialist Prestigious Institutions
| 4 |
University of Reading | 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
| 3 |
How Badges are Awarded:
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Data Source:
Last Updated: January 2025 | Our Data Sources: TEF, NSS, REF 2021
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