Physics University Ranking UK: 2024 Ranking

Physics is a popular degree amongst students in the UK but is offered by fewer than 50 universities in the UK. In this guide, we'll take a look at two of the most popular university ranking tables in the UK to see which of these universities are the best and worst for studying Physics.

Last Updated: 10th September 2024

Author: Matthew Amalfitano-Stroud

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Physics University Ranking UK: 2024 Ranking

The UK has a limited number of Physics university degrees available, but which ones are considered the best?

The subject is one of the three core sciences and has been a cornerstone in STEM education for centuries. However, you may be surprised by how few universities actually teach it.

However, despite this, ranking tables are still available to see an overview of which universities are best at teaching this subject. In this guide, we’ll look at the two most popular university ranking tables in the UK to see how they rank these Physics degrees. Plus, we’ll explore how reliable these rankings are and in what context they should be considered when choosing university options. Let’s get started!

Who Makes The Physics University rankings?

To understand these tables, let’s first see who makes them. There are actually many different university-ranking organisations both within the UK and internationally. Annual lists will be generated on both a national-level and global-level, so it won’t be possible to review all of the data and rankings from every list. Instead, let’s look at the two most prominent UK ranking tables: the Complete University Guide and The Guardian.

You may be wondering how multiple ranking tables can exist if they’re meant to provide an object ranking. In reality, these rankings are far from objective and can vary based on how each organisation interprets data and scores the universities. Although the data used is taken from similar sources, it’s the use of the data that creates differing rankings between organisations.

We’ll discuss how reliable these tables actually are later, but let’s first take a look at the complete ranking tables for Physics, as well as how each organisation presents their data.

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The Guardian Physics Rankings

To create their university rankings rankings (including Physics), The Guardian uses the following metrics:

Guardian score/100 – rating of excellence based on a combination of the other factors.

Satisfied with the course – the rating of the overall quality of the course, given by final-year students in the latest National Students Survey (NSS) given as a percentage.

Satisfied with the teaching – the rating of the quality of teaching on the course given by final-year students in the latest NSS.

Satisfied with feedback – the rating of the feedback and assessment, given by final-year students in the latest NSS.

Student to staff ratio – number of students per member of teaching staff.

Spend-per student/10 – money spent on each student, excluding academic staff costs, given as a rating out of ten.

Average entry tariff – typical UCAS scores of young entrants to the department.

Value-added score/10 – this score compares students’ degree results with their entry qualifications, to show how effectively they are taught – given as a score out of ten.

Career after 15 months – percentage of graduates who find graduate-level jobs, or are in further study at professional or higher education level, within 15 months of graduation.

Continuation – percentage of first-year students continuing to second-year.

This data is gathered from a few different sources, including the National Student Survey (NSS) (for information on student satisfaction rates) and the universities themselves (who provide information on admissions, spending and more). Since the information is all sources externally, it means there’s no bias from The Guardian in terms of what information their rankings are based on.

The Guardian Physics University Rankings 2024

Let’s take a look at the The Guardian’s full league table for Physics degrees, including the results for 2024 and 2023 compared:

Position	University	Previous Position (2023)
1	University of Oxford	1 (=)
2	Durham University	2 (=)
3	University of Cambridge	3 (=)
4	Lancaster University	5 (>1)
5	University of St Andrews	4 (<1)
6	University of Aberdeen	6 (=)
7	Loughborough University	23 (>16)
8	University of Warwick	16 (>8)
9	University of Exeter	29 (>20)
10	Cardiff University	9 (>1)
11	University of Manchester	12 (>1)
12	University of Birmingham	7 (<5)
13	University College London (UCL)	13 (=)
14	Imperial College London	17 (>3)
15	University of Edinburgh	14 (<1)
16	University of Surrey	25 (>9)
17	Swansea University	32 (>25)
18	Heriot-Watt University	32 (>3)
19	University of Salford	11 (<8)
20	University of Portsmouth	38 (>18)
21	University of Leicester	8 (<13)
22	University of Bath	20 (<2)
23	University of Sussex	37 (>3)
24	University of Southampton	26 (>2)
25	University of Strathclyde	34 (>9)
26	Northumbria University	31 (>5)
27	Royal Holloway, University of London	35 (>8)
28	University of Nottingham	28 (=)
29	University of Lincoln	NA
30	University of Bristol	21 (<9)
31	University of Hull	10 (<21)
32	Keele University	22 (<10)
33	University of Liverpool	24 (<9)
34	University of Glasgow	15 (<19)
35	University of York	19 (<16)
36	University of Sheffield	41 (>5)
37	University of Leeds	37 (=)
38	Queen’s University Belfast	39 (>1)
39	Newcastle University	45 (>6)
40	University of East Anglia (UEA)	NA
41	University of Dundee	26 (<15)
42	University of Hertfordshire	40 (<2)
43	Nottingham Trent University	30 (<13)
44	University of Kent	44 (=)
45	Aberystwyth University	42 (<3)
46	King’s College London	46 (=)
47	Queen Mary, University of London	43 (<4)

So, what can this table tell us about the Physics degrees available in the UK in 2024? Let’s break down some of the key points.

Firstly, looking at the top ten, six of the universities are Russell Group Universities (including both Oxford and Cambridge) and two are Scottish universities. However, within this top ten, there are no London-based universities, which is unusual for a UK university ranking list.

The first London university isn’t seen until 13th (UCL), but one of London’s most popular universities – King’s College London – was ranked 46th our of 47 entries; we’ll discuss this more later.

It’s important to highlight that one of the top-ranking universities – Cambridge – doesn’t offer a dedicated undergraduate Physics degree. Instead, this table is considering the Natural Science degree, which offers students the chance to specialise in physical sciences. Whether or not the data for this placement only considers the physics aspect of the degree is unknown.

Compared to the 2023 list, we can see a few significant position changes for universities. In the top ten, we can see that Loughborough and Exeter both saw major increases in placement, rising 16 and 20 spots respectively. The biggest position change came from Swansea University, which jumped 25 spots from 32nd to 17th.

The biggest position fall was seen by the University of Hull, which dropped 21 spots from 10th to 31st. Other major drops were seen by Glasgow (down 19 spots), York (down 16) and Dundee (down 15). This is clear evidence that rankings are always changing and a high-ranking university may drop significantly the following year.

The Complete University Guide Physics Rankings

Next is The Complete University Guide. We’ve already seen that organisation collects data in a similar way to The Guardian, but do they use the data? Here are the scoring metrics that make the their ranking tables:

Overall score – the total score calculated by The Complete University Guide’s independent and trusted methodology.

Entry standards – the average UCAS tariff of new students entering university.

Student satisfaction – a guide to how satisfied students are with the quality of teaching they receive.

Research quality – a measure of the quality of the research undertaken by the university.

Research intensity – a measure of the proportion of staff involved in high-quality research at the university.

Graduate prospects – outcomes – a guide to the success of graduates after leaving university.

Graduate prospects – on track – a measure of whether recent graduates agree that their current activity fits with their future plans.

Although the Complete University Guide groups various data points into broader categories, the overall results convey similar information to The Guardian’s rankings – just with fewer metrics. Data is collected from the NSS and universities, just like The Guardian, but they use different systems for interpreting and scoring it. This is what causes the variations in university placements between the two lists.

Complete University Guide Physics University Ranking Table 2024

Now, let’s look at the Complete University Guide Physics ranking table, including the comparison to 2023’s rankings.

Position	University	Previous Position (2023)
1	University of Cambridge	1 (=)
2	University of Oxford	2 (=)
3	Durham University	3 (=)
4	University of Manchester	5 (>1)
5	University of Birmingham	4 (<1)
6	Imperial College London	6 (=)
7	University of Bath	8 (>1)
8	Lancaster University	7 (<1)
9	University of Bristol	11 (>2)
10	University of Warwick	10 (=)
11	University of St Andrews	9 (<2)
12	University of Edinburgh	13 (>1)
13	University College London (UCL)	12 (<1)
14	Queen’s University Belfast	16 (>2)
15	University of Exeter	17 (>2)
16	University of Nottingham	14 (<2)
17	University of Sheffield	18 (>1)
18	University of Glasgow	15 (<3)
19	University of York	19 (=)
20	University of Surrey	22 (>2)
21	Cardiff University	20 (<1)
22	University of Southampton	21 (<1)
23	University of Leeds	23 (=)
24	University of Dundee	30 (>6)
25	Royal Holloway, University of London	24 (<1)
26	King’s College London	26 (=)
27	Loughborough University	27 (=)
28	University of Strathclyde	25 (<3)
29	Heriot-Watt University	32 (>3)
30	University of Liverpool	28 (<2)
31	Newcastle University	33 (>2)
32	Swansea University	38 (>6)
33	University of Leicester	29 (<4)
34	University of Sussex	37 (>3)
35	University of Portsmouth	40 (>5)
36	University of Hull	35 (<1)
37	University of Lincoln	31 (<6)
38	Keele University	34 (<4)
39	Northumbria University	36 (<3)
40	University of Aberdeen	44 (>4)
41	Queen Mary, University of London	42 (>1)
42	University of Central Lancashire	43 (>1)
43	University of Salford	41 (<2)
44	Nottingham Trent University	45 (>1)
45	Aberystwyth University	46 (>1)
46	University of Hertfordshire	39 (<7)
47	Sheffield Hallam University	48 (>1)
48	University of Kent	47 (<1)

Compared to The Guardian’s table, these rankings are much more stable compared to 2023, with fewer major changes. However, one important thing to note is that this ranking table considers both Physics and Astronomy degrees. One extra university is featured on this list, but there are actually several different universities that aren’t seen on both lists, including Sheffield Hallam and UEA.

First, looking at the top ten, we can see a fairly similar selection of universities to The Guardian. Cambridge and Oxford take the top spots with Durham following after. Lancaster and Warwick are also here, but the rest of the top ten features more city universities than The Guardian’s including Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol, as well as Imperial College London.

The variance isn’t too big between the two lists, as most of the universities featured were still ranked fairly high by The Guardian. However, it’s worth nothing that the University of Aberdeen – which The Guardian placed 6th – was ranked 40th by Complete University Guide, a huge 34 place difference.

As stated, position movements were far less frequent and extreme compared to The Guardian’s list. The biggest increase was shared between Dundee and Swansea (both up 6 spots), while the biggest drop came from the University of Hertfordshire (down 7 spots).

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The Best and Worst UK Universities For Physics

Now that we’ve seen the full tables, let’s hone in on the tops and bottoms of each list. While it’s easy to label these universities as the “best” and “worst”, it’s important to consider that these rankings are only one measurement of a university’s quality. Take these assessments with a grain of salt, as you may find these universities appeal to you more or less than the rankings would suggest.

Best Universities For Physics UK

First, here are the top five universities on each list. Looking at these, we can see which universities are generally considered the best in the UK for Physics:

Complete University Guide

The Guardian

Oxford and Cambridge each take the top spot on one list, though they each appear on both top fives. Cambridge actually ranked slightly lower in The Guardian’s list, coming in 3rd behind Durham. Remember that this isn’t a dedicated Physics degree but a more general Natural Sciences degree.

Speaking of Durham, it also appears on both lists, ranking 3rd on the Complete Uni Guide List and 2nd by The Guardian. This is generally one of Durham’s best ranked degrees, as it isn’t commonly seen in the top five entires on ranking tables.

The last two universities are different on each list. Manchester and Birmingham both performed decently on The Guardian’s ranking, though they did not land in the top ten (they ranked 11th and 12th respectively).

Worst Universities For Physics UK

Next, here are the five lowest-ranked universities for Physics. Although they appeared at the bottom of the list, it doesn’t mean they’re objectively “bad” or “the worst” Physics degrees, they’re just the ones that ranked lower on the list.

Complete University Guide

The Guardian

The bottom five of each list is mostly filled with lesser-known universities in the UK, which is typical for subject ranking tables like these. However, there are a couple of surprises here.

Firstly, we can see that three universities are shared between the two lists. This is uncommon as the two tables tend to have differing interpretations of the data at the lower end. However, the fact that these three are ranked this low on both lists lends credibility to the placements.

Secondly, and perhaps most shockingly, we can see King’s College London ranked as the second-lowest Physics degree by The Guardian. KCL is often considered one of the top universities in London (and is sometimes seen as part of the G5 collection of universities), so to see it this low on a ranking list is unusual.

Reasoning for this placement seems to be down to poor student feedback for feedback (48.1/100) an average spend per student 5/10 and an extremely low score for value added (2/10). Compared to some of the higher-ranking universities it’s easy to see how this position could be justified.

One last interesting fact is that almost all of these universities are based in England, the exception being the Welsh university Aberystwyth. However, despite all of this, remember that all of this shouldn’t be taken too seriously, as these rankings aren’t definitive and can change from year-to-year.

Which Ranking Table Should I Follow?

Lastly, we need to consider whether one of these tables is more reliable than the other, or if either is particularly reliable at all. Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear answer, as neither has significant advantages or disadvantages over the other. While the rankings differ, these variations are due to subtle differences in how the data is interpreted and scored, rather than any inherent biases or subjective factors.

The Guardian’s rankings place greater emphasis on student perspectives, while The Complete University Guide focuses more on research, employment outcomes, and overall student satisfaction. Depending on which factors are most important to you, one table may be more useful than the other, but neither is inherently superior overall.

While these tables are reliable in terms of the data that they use, the rankings of a given year can never be taken as fact. As we’ve seen, universities can sometimes see huge drops in position and, as the data being used is based on the previous year’s cohort, not all of it is actually representative of the experience you will have.

So, you probably shouldn’t be basing your decisions on the ranking tables alone, so what are they helpful for? Ideally, these tables should be used as a tool to start your research. While they’re not always consistent, both tables generally do a good job of highlighting the most well-regarded universities, so these may be the ones you wish to apply to if reputation is important to you. However, there are plenty of other factors to consider too.

For example, if you’re worried about how well you may do in your exams, you’ll need to review the entry requirements and acceptance rates for each university to see which ones you have a good chance of getting into.

If you’re aiming for top-ranking universities like Oxford and Cambridge, you’ll face a more rigorous application process, higher entry requirements and lower acceptance rates (13.8% at Oxford and 16.6% at Cambridge). It’s essential to make sure you’re a competitive candidate for these universities based on your current or predicted grades.

Statistics aren’t the only factor to consider. Keep in mind that university life involves much more than academics, as most students will spend at least three years living on campus full-time. It’s important to ensure you like the campus, facilities, and surrounding area before making a decision. Attending open days is an excellent way to get a sense of a university’s atmosphere and facilities, so be sure to visit the ones that interest you most.

The last point we’d like to emphasise is that you shouldn’t immediately overlook lower-ranking universities. While they may not match the top institutions, many still provide a high-quality education, even if there are some drawbacks. If a lower-ranked university appeals to you, it’s still worth applying, as it could be a great fit and typically comes with less competition. The key is to make sure you’ve done thorough research based on the things you value.

Conclusion

That wraps up our exploration of Physics university rankings in the UK. The main thing to take away from this guide is that, while these tables are useful tools, they only provide part of the picture. Personal preference may not outweigh scores based on data for everyone, but it’s still important to consider both when choosing a university.

Most importantly, these rankings are neither definitive nor official. Since they can significantly vary, it’s up to you to decide which one you trust and how much weight you give to rankings overall. Ultimately, if you choose a university you’re happy with, the approach you took to make that decision has been a success.

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