Best universities for engineering

University of Cambridge comes top for engineering, with a median salary of £39.3k 15 months after graduating and 97% of students staying on the course. Imperial College London, Oxford University and University of Sheffield complete the top four.

112 unis ranked£31.5k typical early salary78% in graduate jobs

#1 for engineering100

University of Cambridge

Satisfaction86%better than 77% of engineering unis
Stay on course97%better than 99% of engineering unis
Graduate jobs93%better than 92% of engineering unis
Early salary£39.3kbetter than 99% of engineering unis

Half of students who started had more than 231 UCAS points, counting all their qualifications

Ranked 2 to 5

2Imperial College London9084% satisfied, £37.1k salary
3Oxford University8185% satisfied, £35.5k salary
4University of Sheffield7990% satisfied, £32.7k salary
5University of Bath7684% satisfied, £33.6k salary

Scores are out of 100 and relative to other unis offering engineering. Data: Discover Uni, September 2026.

Will my grades get me in?

Enter your predicted grades to see which engineering courses you’d meet the offer for, where you’re a good match and which are a stretch.

We use each university’s typical offer from its course pages. Where we couldn’t get it, we show an estimated offer (marked ~) worked out from courses whose students had similar grades, so always check the course page. Your grades stay on this device. Jump to the table

Best for…

Happiest studentsRoyal Holloway, University of London93%positive about their course
Highest early salaryUniversity of Cambridge£39.3kmedian, 15 months after graduating
Best for graduate jobsAbertay University100%of working graduates in professional jobs
Best if you’re aiming below ABBRoyal Holloway, University of London62/100half of starters had under 108 UCAS points

Full engineering ranking

Tap a column to sort. Bars show where each uni sits between the lowest and highest for engineering. ^* Ranked on fewer than five measures because some data isn’t published. ~ estimate = we couldn’t get the university’s own offer, so it’s estimated from similar courses. Check the course page.

Find a university

Region Fits my grades Placement year Year abroad Foundation year

	University
1	University of Cambridge3 courses	AAA+ others	100	86%	97%	93%	£39.3k	231
2	Imperial College London15 courses	AAA+ others	90	84%	93%	93%	£37.1k	218
3	Oxford University7 courses	AAA	81	85%	91%	95%	£35.5k	223
4	University of Sheffield40 courses	A*AA+ others	79	90%	95%	89%	£32.7k	158
5	University of Bath40 courses	AAA+ others	76	84%	94%	92%	£33.6k	181
6	University of Southampton40 courses	A*AA+ others	75	86%	94%	90%	£33.9k	163
7	University of Warwick22 courses	AAA+ others	72	84%	94%	87%	£34.8k	169
8	Loughborough University40 courses	AAB+ others	70	86%	94%	88%	£33.5k	144
9	UCL19 courses	A*AA+ others	69	81%	94%	92%	£35.3k	164
10	University of Liverpool40 courses	AAB+ others	69	84%	96%	89%	£34k	132
11	University of Bristol12 courses	A*AA+ others	67	82%	94%	88%	£33.2k	181
12	Durham University13 courses	A*AA	66	84%	89%	86%	£33k	192
13	University of Birmingham35 courses	AAB+ others	66	84%	90%	90%	£33.4k	149
14	University of Edinburgh17 courses	AAA–ABB+ others	64	78%	94%	98%	£34.5k	186
15	University of Nottingham40 courses	AAA+ others	63	85%	90%	87%	£32.9k	138
16	Royal Holloway, University of London10 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	62	93%	95%	60%	£35k	108
16	University of Leeds40 courses	A*AA+ others	62	84%	85%	90%	£33k	156
18	Newcastle University16 courses	ABB	61	84%	93%	86%	£32.1k	133
19	University of Strathclyde40 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	60	85%	85%	84%	£32.6k	206
20	University of Manchester29 courses	AAA+ others	59	82%	87%	86%	£33.3k	167
21	University of Exeter38 courses	AAB–ABB	57	81%	92%	86%	£32.6k	149
22	University of Aberdeen25 courses	BBC+ others	55	82%	90%	88%	£34k	158
23	Lancaster University40 courses	ABB+ others	55	84%	90%	82%	£32.6k	135
24	King's College London6 courses	AAA	55	83%	89%	80%	£33.1k	155
25	University of Dundee8 courses	–	54	88%	89%	79%	£32.6k	174
26	Queen's University Belfast28 courses	ABB	54	81%	92%	90%	£30.7k	152
27	Cardiff University29 courses	AAB–BBB+ others	54	82%	88%	88%	£33.1k	132
28	University of Surrey40 courses	ABB+ others	54	86%	90%	78%	£32.2k	119
29	Heriot-Watt University20 courses	BBC+ others	54	84%	86%	86%	£32k	176
30	Harper Adams University5 courses	CCC+ others	53	81%	93%	90%	£34.5k	106
31	Bangor University^*10 courses	120–136 UCAS points	52	97%	81%	–	–	92
32	Abertay University2 courses	BCC	48	88%	90%	100%	£31.5k	141
33	Nottingham Trent University33 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	48	87%	84%	81%	£31.7k	98
34	University of Portsmouth13 courses	BBB–BBC+ others	48	84%	93%	81%	£31k	99
35	University of the Highlands and Islands7 courses	–	46	88%	85%	60%	£33.5k	173
36	University of West London^*9 courses	120 UCAS points	45	88%	83%	–	–	101
36	Aberystwyth University^*12 courses	BBB–BCC+ others	45	82%	88%	95%	–	118
38	Swansea University40 courses	ABB–BCC+ others	44	85%	88%	74%	£31.5k	110
39	University of York19 courses	ABB+ others	44	77%	85%	92%	£33k	128
40	Liverpool John Moores University21 courses	BBC+ others	43	85%	83%	80%	£31.8k	101
41	Ulster University20 courses	AAA+ others	43	83%	88%	81%	£30.4k	119
42	Aston University24 courses	BBC	43	81%	86%	87%	£30.5k	114
43	Falmouth University^*2 courses	104 UCAS points	42	87%	85%	–	–	109
44	Keele University^*20 courses	BBC+ others	42	93%	84%	–	–	97
45	Queen Mary University of London40 courses	AAB	42	82%	86%	70%	£33k	143
46	Asu London Centre for Advanced Learning^*5 courses	112–120 UCAS points	41	82%	89%	–	–	104
47	University of Glasgow29 courses	AAB–BBB	41	72%	89%	87%	£32.5k	211
48	University of Brighton31 courses	ABB–BCC+ others	41	83%	83%	78%	£33k	97
48	University of Plymouth20 courses	112 UCAS points	41	81%	88%	82%	£32.2k	93
50	Middlesex University4 courses	BBC	41	80%	75%	70%	£36.5k	107
51	University of Greenwich (Part of London and South East University Group)16 courses	120 UCAS points	40	83%	76%	76%	£35k	97
52	Robert Gordon University11 courses	CCC+ others	40	76%	76%	91%	£35.8k	143
53	University of Northumbria at Newcastle18 courses	96–112 UCAS points	39	87%	87%	66%	£31.5k	107
54	University of Reading^*4 courses	BBB+ others	39	82%	84%	–	–	114
55	University of Westminster^*2 courses	CCC	39	91%	90%	50%	–	93
56	University of Leicester31 courses	ABB+ others	38	82%	91%	75%	£30.5k	111
57	Ravensbourne University London^*5 courses	64 UCAS points+ others	38	81%	75%	–	–	120
58	Point Blank Music School^*1 course	BBC	38	85%	77%	–	–	109
58	University of East Anglia29 courses	ABB+ others	38	83%	84%	94%	£29k	99
60	The London College^*2 courses	BBC	37	94%	93%	20%	–	–
60	Manchester Metropolitan University13 courses	BCC+ others	37	82%	85%	78%	£31k	107
62	University of Derby14 courses	BBC+ others	36	87%	76%	78%	£30.8k	101
63	Anglia Ruskin University19 courses	96–112 UCAS points	36	79%	86%	75%	£34k	85
63	University of Kent (Part of London and South East University Group)11 courses	BBB	36	84%	82%	70%	£32.7k	87
65	Skyborne Airline Academy^*1 course	~AAB–ABBestimate	36	76%	85%	–	–	134
66	London South Bank University14 courses	112 UCAS points	34	88%	79%	72%	£29.9k	99
67	University of Bradford33 courses	BCC+ others	34	91%	73%	71%	£30k	102
67	Edinburgh Napier University10 courses	CCC+ others	34	81%	91%	75%	£30.5k	142
69	Liverpool Hope University^*2 courses	BBC	34	85%	70%	–	–	84
70	Blackpool and the Fylde College^*7 courses	48 UCAS points	33	86%	81%	60%	£30k	–
71	University of Gloucestershire^*1 course	BBB	33	82%	80%	–	–	70
72	London Metropolitan University^*5 courses	CCD+ others	33	88%	69%	–	–	76
73	Leeds Beckett University5 courses	120 UCAS points	32	87%	75%	83%	£28.1k	100
74	Teesside University18 courses	96–112 UCAS points	32	90%	82%	58%	£30k	85
75	New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering^*8 courses	112–144 UCAS points	31	77%	81%	–	–	101
76	Cardiff Metropolitan University^*9 courses	BCC+ others	31	78%	83%	–	–	101
77	Bournemouth University11 courses	AAB–BBB+ others	31	80%	79%	89%	£30k	93
78	University of Sussex28 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	31	78%	85%	82%	£30.2k	117
79	Southampton Solent University8 courses	104–120 UCAS points	30	83%	74%	83%	£29.5k	98
80	University of Hull30 courses	BBC+ others	30	80%	85%	82%	£28.8k	101
81	University of Essex34 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	28	85%	79%	70%	£30.8k	86
82	Edge Hill University^*5 courses	BBB–BBC	28	78%	83%	50%	–	105
83	UWE, Bristol23 courses	112 UCAS points	27	75%	89%	77%	£31.4k	103
84	University of the West of Scotland11 courses	BBC+ others	27	78%	81%	74%	£34k	120
85	Glasgow Caledonian University8 courses	CCC	27	78%	88%	77%	£30k	150
85	University of Wolverhampton19 courses	~BBC–CCCestimate	27	85%	72%	79%	£30.4k	73
87	University of Chester4 courses	BBC+ others	26	73%	83%	100%	£28k	110
88	Wrexham University^*4 courses	96–112 UCAS points	25	76%	86%	55%	–	85
89	Glasgow School of Art.^*1 course	–	25	71%	92%	55%	–	166
89	Oxford Brookes University9 courses	BBC	25	74%	80%	77%	£32.4k	123
91	Birmingham City University10 courses	BBC+ others	24	88%	84%	50%	£30.5k	86
92	Brunel University of London40 courses	ABB+ others	24	73%	87%	75%	£31.5k	117
93	University of Hertfordshire21 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	23	81%	86%	57%	£30k	122
94	Sheffield Hallam University13 courses	BBC+ others	21	76%	84%	74%	£30.8k	103
95	University of Lancashire30 courses	104–112 UCAS points	20	75%	84%	75%	£30.7k	104
96	University of Huddersfield25 courses	BBB–BBC+ others	20	78%	88%	69%	£28.3k	100
97	University of Wales: Trinity Saint David18 courses	112–128 UCAS points	20	89%	75%	58%	£28k	80
98	University of East London16 courses	112 UCAS points	20	85%	76%	58%	£30k	88
99	University of South Wales/Prifysgol De Cymru^*23 courses	BBC+ others	19	85%	–	48%	£28.8k	108
100	Coventry University37 courses	BBC+ others	18	80%	75%	69%	£31.1k	96
101	University of Staffordshire17 courses	BCC+ others	17	75%	85%	71%	£29.2k	96
102	Canterbury Christ Church University12 courses	BBC	17	83%	73%	60%	£30k	91
103	University of Lincoln11 courses	BBC–BCC+ others	14	78%	69%	72%	£30k	104
104	Buckinghamshire New University15 courses	ABB–BBC+ others	14	82%	83%	35%	£28k	99
105	University of Bedfordshire^*8 courses	112 UCAS points	13	72%	82%	60%	–	74
106	University of Greater Manchester^*14 courses	96 UCAS points+ others	12	75%	68%	80%	–	86
107	University of Sunderland6 courses	96–112 UCAS points	11	76%	83%	75%	£27.5k	72
108	City St George's, University of London18 courses	BBB+ others	10	74%	76%	66%	£31.2k	117
109	University of Northampton^*6 courses	DDE+ others	10	66%	80%	65%	–	73
110	University of Salford16 courses	104 UCAS points	9	72%	88%	62%	£30.1k	106
111	De Montfort University13 courses	BBB–BBC+ others	5	80%	77%	57%	£29.2k	86
112	Kingston University40 courses	112–128 UCAS points	0	77%	85%	44%	£29.7k	92

What engineering graduates earn

Typical (median) earnings for engineering graduates, across the universities we rank.

£31.5kAfter 15 months
£30.4kAfter 3 years
£37.7kAfter 5 years

Highest earnings five years after graduating

The 15-month figure comes from the Graduate Outcomes survey and covers graduates in full-time work. The 3 and 5-year figures come from tax records and include everyone in work, including part-time, so they can be lower than the 15-month figure. Pay also depends on where people live. Compare earnings across all subjects or see what you’d repay on your student loan.

What the measures mean

Student satisfaction: Average share of final-year students answering positively across the seven themes of the National Student Survey: teaching, learning opportunities, assessment, support, organisation, resources and student voice.
Stay on course: Share of students still studying or having qualified a year after starting. Lower numbers mean more people drop out.
Graduate-level jobs: Of graduates in work 15 months after finishing, the share in professional or managerial roles.
Salary after 15 months: Median salary of graduates in full-time work in the UK, 15 months after finishing.
Entry points (median): The middle UCAS tariff score of students who started: half had more, half had less. It counts all their qualifications (a fourth A-level, EPQ, AS levels, music grades and so on), so it usually sits above the published offer, especially at selective universities. It shows how competitive entry is. Always check the real offer on the university’s course page.

See exactly how the overall score is calculated

Not ranked yet

These offer engineering but don’t yet have enough published data to rank fairly, often because the course is new or small.

University College Birmingham, University Centre Somerset College Group, Calderdale College, Farnborough College of Technology, Lakes College West Cumbria, Loughborough College, East Lancashire Learning Group, West Lancashire College, Norwich University of the Arts, Oaklands College, Plumpton College, Solihull College and University Centre, University of the Arts, London, West Suffolk College, Roehampton University, University of Buckingham, Pembrokeshire College, University of Cumbria, St Mary's University, Twickenham, Coleg Sir Gar, Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology, University Centre Peterborough, Engineering College of Technology