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17 Best PhD Universities in the United Kingdom

University of Edinburgh leads the 17 PhD universities in the United Kingdom at #34 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. It is followed by University of Bath (QS World #132) and The Queen's University Belfast (QS World #199). The universities on this list offer 29 matching courses between them.

17 universities · ranked best first

how we rank
15Ranked
AU The American University in London logo
#142 in United Kingdom United Kingdom

The American University in London

Public University · 4 courses in PhD

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#142 in United Kingdom · by research impact
2,299 citations · h-index 25
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Universities at other levels

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Public Universities Public Bachelor's Universities Bachelor's Universities Public Business & Management Universities Business & Management Universities Public Medicine & Health Sciences Universities Medicine & Health Sciences Universities Public Professional Accounting & Finance Universities Professional Accounting & Finance Universities Public Computer Science & IT Universities

How these universities are ranked

7 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #34 (University of Edinburgh) to #474 (University of Wales, Bangor); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. University of Edinburgh has the largest research record in this group, with 26,649,933 citations and an h-index of 1,347. 2 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".

Public, private and where they are

The split is 17 public to 0 private institutions. By location, Scotland (1) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583. University of Edinburgh is the largest, with 40,000 students.

Inside the course list

The most common subjects are Professional Accounting & Finance (5), Science (5), Education (3) and Medicine & Health Sciences (3). The usual length is 4–6 years and 4 years. 89% are full-time. Start dates lean to Fall (100% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (11% of courses with a stated intake). Royal Holloway and Bedford New College offers the widest choice, with 7 of these courses.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities for PhD in the United Kingdom?

University of Edinburgh (QS World #34), University of Bath (QS World #132) and The Queen's University Belfast (QS World #199) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

How many public universities offer PhD in the United Kingdom?

17 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a PhD course take in the United Kingdom?

Most listed courses run 4–6 years, with 4 years the next most common.

When do PhD courses start in the United Kingdom?

Fall is the main intake — 100% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Which university has the most PhD courses in the United Kingdom?

Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, with 7, ahead of The American University in London (4).

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