Best universities in the UK for computer science degrees 2024 (2024)

Top 10 universities in the UK for computer science degrees 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities for computer science in the UK

UK computer science rank 2024	Computer science rank 2024	University	City/town
1	1	University of Oxford	Oxford
2	7	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
3	8	Imperial College London	London
4	26	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
5	28	UCL	London
6	82	University of Manchester	Manchester
7	96	King’s College London	London
8	=99	Queen Mary University of London	London
=9	101–125	University of Bristol	Bristol
=9	101–125	University of Warwick	Warwick

Computer science degrees are a good choice for students as the range of roles open to graduates continues to grow. From supporting IT infrastructure at a company, to creating apps or to working in banks and financial services, there are a huge range of paths available to computer science graduates.

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The UK is home to some of the most prestigious universities in the world, many of which are involved at the cutting edge of computer science research and are bolstered by a steady stream of dedicated grants and funding.

Universities in the UK offer a range of courses in computer science, information systems, software engineering, artificial intelligence and health informatics in single, joint or multiple subject combinations. There are full-time, part-time and flexible-study options, as well as courses with a placement year in industry, known as sandwich courses.

Below are the best universities in the UK for computer science degrees.

5. UCL

Located in the heart of London, UCL is a constituent college of the University of London, a member of the prestigious Russell Group, and a global leader in experimental computer science research.

Its degree programmes cover the use of computer systems in commerce, industry, government and science, as well as offering students industry contacts throughout their degree with UCL’s close links to London’s top finance and tech companies.

At the undergraduate level, courses in computer science at UCL include the bachelor’s in computer science, a four-year master’s in computer science and a four-year master’s in mathematical computation.

A number of student-run societies focus on technology, computing and engineering. TechSoc and the data science society organise and deliver a packed programme of talks, hackathons, competitions and socials each term for computing students to get involved with.

4. University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh School of Informatics (computer science) is the largest informatics research centre in Europe. It offers a wide range of courses, from theoretical to more applied degrees, enabling each student to tailor their learning experience to their own interests.

The university also follows an American-style model in which undergraduate degrees are typically four years long and students can study two additional subjects alongside their chosen discipline in the first two years.

The university also has a flagship master of informatics programme, on which students build foundational knowledge in the field over the first three years before moving on to advance courses, projects and work experience in years four and five.

3. Imperial College London

The undergraduate and postgraduate computer science department at Imperial College London have designed their courses in response to thetechnical and transferable skills that students need for the industry, focussing particularly on the ability to adapt to the ever changing and challenging industry of computing.

They offer courses in artificial intelligence, international computing, management and finance, security and reliability, software engineering, and virtual computing and robotics.

In their first year, students will beginlearning foundational mathematics, computer systems, databases and algorithms along with laboratory work on programming problems. As they progress to their second year, students will then begin to look atcomputer and communication systems, language processing and foundations of computation. Once they have completed these foundational years, their third year will involve optional electives followed by advanced modules and individual projects in fourth and fifth year respectively.

What can you do with a computer science degree?

2. University of Cambridge

The undergraduate computer science course at the University of Cambridge begins with a core selection of modules that provides students with the foundations of the subject. In the second and third years, students are able to specialise in their own choice of modules. All aspects of modern computer science are covered, along with the underlying theory and foundations in economics, law and business.

Students will develop practical skills, such as programming in various languages including OCaml, Java, C/C++ and Prolog.

The purpose-built department of computer science and technology is equipped with the latest technology, advanced lecture theatres, dedicated practical rooms, a well-stocked library and even a cafe.

During the course, students complete group projects in which small teams deliver a product to an external client, ensuring relevant industrial experience. Projects have often led to commercialisation, licensing or employment.

There are more than 1,000 specialist computing and advanced technology companies and commercial laboratories in the area, giving it the nickname of the “Silicon Fen”. With strong links to tech companies, computing students at Cambridge often secure internships in the field during their summer break.

1. University of Oxford

Although computer science is a relatively modern discipline, the University of Oxford has one of the oldest departments in the country, formerly known as the Oxford University Computing Laboratory.

Courses in computer science at Oxford cover a range of fields, including computational biology, quantum computing, computational linguistics, information systems, software verification and software engineering.

Undergraduates can choose from three degrees: single honours computer science, mathematics and computer science, and computer science and philosophy. Each will give students a grounding in the field before allowing them to specialise. They will also gain practical problem-solving and program design skills; the majority of subjects within the course are linked with practical work in the well-equipped laboratories.

The MSc in advanced computer science is just one of the many postgraduate computer science-related courses available at the University of Oxford. The course combines theory and practice, and students must complete a dissertation as part of the course.

Like other students, computer science students – whether undergraduate or postgraduate – will belong to one of Oxford’s colleges, where they live, eat, socialise and study.

Top universities in the UK for computer science degrees 2024

Click each institution to view itsWorld University Ranking 2024profile

UK computer science rank 2024	Computer science rank 2024	University	City/town
1	1	University of Oxford	Oxford
2	7	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
3	8	Imperial College London	London
4	26	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
5	28	UCL	London
6	82	University of Manchester	Manchester
7	96	King’s College London	London
8	=99	Queen Mary University of London	London
=9	101–125	University of Bristol	Bristol
=9	101–125	University of Warwick	Warwick
=11	126–150	University of Southampton	Southampton
=11	126–150	University of Surrey	Guildford
=13	151–175	University of Birmingham	Birmingham
=13	151–175	University of Glasgow	Glasgow
=13	151–175	Lancaster University	Lancaster
=13	151–175	University of Leeds	Leeds
=17	176–200	Loughborough University	Loughborough
=17	176–200	University of Nottingham	Nottingham
=19	201–250	University of Bradford	Bradford
=19	201–250	Brunel University London	London
=19	201–250	Cardiff University	Cardiff
=19	201–250	University of Essex	Essex
=19	201–250	University of Liverpool	Liverpool
=19	201–250	Swansea University	Swansea
=19	201–250	University of York	York
=26	251–300	University of Exeter	Exeter
=26	251–300	Heriot-Watt University	Edinburgh
=26	251–300	University of Leicester	Leicester
=26	251–300	Newcastle University	Newcastle
=26	251–300	Queen’s University Belfast	Belfast
=31	301–400	University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen
=31	301–400	Aston University	Birmingham
=31	301–400	University of Bath	Bath
=31	301–400	City, University of London	London
=31	301–400	De Montfort University	Leicester
=31	301–400	Durham University	Durham
=31	301–400	University of Plymouth	Plymouth
=31	301–400	University of Reading	Reading
=31	301–400	Royal Holloway, University of London	Surrey
=31	301–400	University of Salford	Salford
=31	301–400	University of Strathclyde	Strathclyde
=31	301–400	University of Sussex	Brighton
=43	401–500	Edinburgh Napier University	Edinburgh
=43	401–500	University of Kent	Kent
=43	401–500	University of Lincoln	Lincoln
=43	401–500	Liverpool John Moores University	Liverpool
=43	401–500	Manchester Metropolitan University	Manchester
=43	401–500	Northumbria University	Northumbria
=43	401–500	Nottingham Trent University	Nottingham
=50	501–600	Coventry University	Coventry
=50	501–600	University of Huddersfield	Huddersfield
=50	501–600	Middlesex University	London
=50	501–600	University of Portsmouth	Portsmouth
=50	501–600	University of the West of England	Bristol
=55	601–800	Birmingham City University	Birmingham
=55	601–800	University of Greenwich	London
=55	601–800	University of Hertfordshire	Hatfield
=55	601–800	The Open University	Nationwide
=55	601–800	University of St Andrews	St Andrews
=55	601–800	Ulster University	Ulster
61	801–1000	Bournemouth University	Bournemouth