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Cardiff University Rankings 2026

Cardiff, South Glamorgan, UK

3.9 /5

(9 Reviews)

190 Student Q&A

Shiksha popularity ranking

#133 in World

#25 in UK

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1 Campus
Estd. 1883

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Last updated on 8 Jul '25

Cardiff University Ranking

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Cardiff University Ranking
Cardiff University Course Ranking
Cardiff University Ranking by US News and World Report 2025
Cardiff University Ranking by The Guardian 2025
Cardiff University Ranking by The Complete University Guide 2026
Cardiff University Ranking by Quacquarelli Symonds 2026
Cardiff University Ranking by THE (Times Higher Education) 2025
Cardiff University ARWU (Shanghai Ranking) Ranking 2025
Cardiff University Student Reviews

Cardiff University
Cardiff University Ranking

Cardiff University is a pioneer in the higher education and consistently ranked among the top universities nationally and globally. Located in UK, the university aims at offering courses of high value, attracting students from different countries, including India. So if you want to study at Cardiff University, knowing its current ranking and how the trend has been when compared with previous year is critical.

According to Shiksha Popularity Ranking, the university has been ranked globally at #132 in 2025, showing dropped trend from its 2024 rank of #110. Nationally in the Shiksha Popularity Ranking, the Cardiff University has moved from #22 in 2024 to #27 in 2025.

Similarly, the QS 2026 ranked the university at #181 in the world, recoding improved trend when compared with 2025 rank of #186.

Here’s a three-year Cardiff University ranking trend for you to make a guided decision:

Ranking Body	2023	2024	2025	2026
QS	Not Ranked	154	186	181
THE	187	190	201	Not Ranked
US News	152	184	192	Not Ranked
The Guardian	35	29	46	Not Ranked
The complete Guide	Not Ranked	21	27	22

#25

Country level

Shiksha Popularity Rank

World rank by different ranking providers

Shiksha

#133

QS Ranking

#181

US News Ranking

#192

THE Ranking

#201

ARWU Ranking

#201

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Cardiff University
Cardiff University Course Ranking

Cardiff University offers a variety of UG and postgraduate programs for international students. Known for its academic rigour, the university courses in fields such as Engineering, Business and Management Studies, Law, Medicine and Health Sciences and Science, are also highly ranked and top-rated globally. The Shiksha Popularity Ranking ranks Cardiff University courses in the field of Engineering at #158 in 2025. This ranking has witnessed declined trend in comparison to its 2025 ranking of #129.

The Cardiff University courses in the field of Business & Management Studies are also ranked by Shiksha Popularity Ranking at #371. Also THE ranks its courses in Business & Management Studies at #151.

According to Shiksha Popularity Rankings 2025, here’s how some of Cardiff University degrees perform globally:

Course Category	2023	2024	2025
Engineering	#124	#129	#158
Business & Management Studies	#366	#337	#371
Law	#132	#119	#114
Medicine & Health Sciences	#98	#117	#133
Science	#132	#161	#146

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Cardiff University Ranking by US News and World Report 2025

US News & World Report is among the top ranking publishers in the world. The ranking publisher is known for its National, Global, Subject-based, and Regional rankings. US News & World Report evaluates various factors when considering top university for rankings. Some factors are Best Colleges for Veterans, most innovative schools, top performers on social mobility, average 6-year graduation rate, etc.

According to US News & World Report National Rankings, Cardiff University ranks at

According to US News & World Report National Rankings, Cardiff University ranks at #192 in 2025 and #184 in 2024 showing a decline in rankings. Check the ranking of Cardiff University under various categories that are given below:

Ranked by	2023	2024	2025
Global Universities	152	184	192

Cardiff University Comparison with Other Universities: US News and World Report

A comparison of US News Global Universities rankings of Cardiff University with other American universities is given as follows:

University Name	2024	2025
Cardiff University	184	192
University of Exeter	122	127
Nottingham Trent University	612	525
Newcastle University	159	170

US News & World Report is renowned for offering ranking to top university around the world. The ranking authority evaluates a wide range of factors such as global research reputation, conferences, total citations, highly citied papers in top 1%, international collaboration, and more. Check the table listed below to know more about US News & World Report ranking criteria they considered while determining rankings of Cardiff University:

Metric	Value
Global Score	43
Global Research Reputation	1362
Regional Research Reputation	597
Publications	1295
Books	461
Conferences	1325
Normalized Citation Impact	336
Total Citations	1087
Publications Among the Top 10% Most Cited	1058
Percentage of Publications Among the Top 10% Most Cited	418
International Collaboration (Relative to Country)	651
International Collaboration	298
Highly Cited Papers in the Top 1%	938
Percentage of Highly Cited Papers in the Top 1%	356

Also check: US News Best College Rankings Methodology

Cardiff University Ranking by The Guardian 2025

The Guardian University Guide Rankings specifies the rankings for UK-based universities. A few of the indicators that are used to compute the rankings by The Guardian are entry standards, student-staff ratio, teaching quality, feedback, career prospects, etc.According to the Guardian Rankings 2025, Cardiff University is ranked at #46 in 2025 and #29 in 2024. This shows that the ranking has improved and is also included among the Top 50 Universities in the UK in 2025.

Ranked by	2024	2025	2026
University	29	46	37
Accounting and Finance	38	63	50
Architecture	2	5	12
Business and Management	21	49	31
Civil Engineering	38	41	47
Economics	50	45	31
Electronic and Electrical Engineering	1	4	13
Journalism	14	11	14
Law	31	40	51
Mechanical Engineering	32	22	48
Media and Film Studies	13	10	13
Medicine	14	15	15
Physics	10	8	20
Politics	43	48	51
Sociology and Social Policy	31	35	30

Cardiff University Comparison with Other Universities: The Guardian Ranking

According to The Guardian Rankings, the Cardiff University is ranked #27 in 2025 and #36 in 2024. Showing a increase in the ranking position. University of Exeter is ranked #18 in “The Guardian Rankings 2025”. University of Kent is ranked #27 in 2025 and #36 in 2024, showing a major improvement compared to last year. Cardiff University is ranked #46 in 2025 and #29 in 2024 under The Guardian Rankings. Check the table below for The Guardian Rankings for the University of Greenwich alongside other top universities over the years.

University Name	The Guardian Ranking 2023	The Guardian Ranking 2024	The Guardian Ranking 2025
Cardiff University	35	29	46
University of Exeter	15	18	18
Nottingham Trent University	62	42	49
Newcastle University	63	67	63

The Guardian evaluates a large variety of parameters when ranking top universities in the United Kingdom. Some major parameters include student to staff ratio, average entry tariff, satisfied with feedback, and more. Furthermore, check the table below to see the scores attained by the Cardiff University:

Parameters	Values
Guardian score/100	41.2
Satisfied with teaching	83.2
Satisfied with feedback	79.4
Student to staff ratio	20.9
Spend per student/10	3.7
Average entry tariff	123
Value Added score/10	4.9
Career after 15 months	77
Continuation	85.8

Also check: The Guardian Ranking Methodology

Cardiff University Ranking by The Complete University Guide 2026

The Complete University Guide rankings depict the top rankings of the UK Universities. Cardiff University is ranked #22. This indicates an increased trend. Some of the popular courses like Medicine, Communication and Media Studies, Sociology, Law, Mechanical Engineering, etc are also standing in a good position.

Ranked by	2024	2025	2026
UK University	21	27	22
Accounting and Finance	19	19	21
Architecture	5	5	6
Biological Sciences	18	21	11
Business and Management Studies UK	18	19	20
Civil Engineering	18	16	20
Communication and Media Studies	10	9	5
Computer Science	26	32	25
Electrical and Electronic Engineering	18	23	24
Law	16	19	17
Mechanical Engineering	24	22	21
Medicine	11	14	13
Nursing	14	18	15
Physics and Astronomy	20	21	20
Psychology	9	10	7
Sociology	20	22	21

Cardiff University Comparison with Other Universities: The Complete University Guide Ranking

The Complete University Guide rankings of Cardiff and similar ranked universities are given as follows:

University Name	2024	2025	2026
Cardiff University	21	27	22
Exeter University	15	14	11
Nottingham Trent	42	45	46
Newcastle	30	26	31

The Complete University Guide is known for offering best ranking to top universities. Some essential factors included by the ranking publisher include student satisfaction, research quality, student-staff ration, and more. Furthermore, check the parameters table listed below to know about the score achieved by the Cardiff University:

Category	Achieved Score
Overall Score	532
Entry Standards	122
Student Satisfaction	3.08
Research Quality	2.86
Research Intensity	0.51
Academic Services Spend	1090
Facilities Spend	579
Student-Staff Ratio	20.9
Continuation	90.0
Graduate Prospects – Outcomes	73.2
Graduate Prospects – On Track	73.8

Also check: The Complete University Guide Ranking Methodology

Cardiff University Ranking by Quacquarelli Symonds 2026

QS is one of the most famous and most followed ranking bodies around the world. It published University rankings for various global universities. The inital rankings had been published in 2024 along with THE ranking body.

According to QS , Cardiff University ranks at #181 in 2026 and #186 in 2024 under the “World University Rankings”. Check the comparison listed below for Cardiff University ranking by QS under various categories:

Ranked by	2024	2025	2026
Europe	43	60	– / –
World University	154	186	181
Accounting and Finance	151	151	– / –
Architecture and Built Environment	51	51	– / –
Biological Sciences	151	150	– / –
Communication and Media Studies	40	50	– / –
Engineering and Technology	205	225	– / –
Global MBA	– / –	– / –	151
Law and Legal Studies	201	151	– / –
Masters in Supply Chain Management	– / –	– / –	44
Mathematics	251	301	– / –
Mechanical Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering	151	201	– / –
Medicine	147	155	– / –
Nursing	51	101	– / –
Pharmacy and Pharmacology	94	101	– / –
Physics and Astronomy	201	201	– / –
Politics	201	151	– / –
Sociology	101	86	– / –

Cardiff University Comparison with Other Universities: Quacquarelli Symonds

Cardiff University, Exeter, Nottingham Trent University and Newcastle are some of the most esteemed universities in UK. Check below for QS World University Rankings table for Cardiff University ranking with top universities over the past three years.

University Name	2024	2025	2026
Cardiff	154	186	181
Exeter	153	169	155
Nottingham Trent	551	592	609
Newcastle	110	129	137

Quacquarelli Symonds annual report is highly regarded by students all over the world. The annual report is based on a variety of parameters such as academic reputation sustainability, overall, faculty student ratio, etc. A few more parameters that Quacquarelli Symonds consider while ranking top universities is listed below:

Parameters	Value
Academic Reputation	4.7
Citations per Faculty	11.7
Employment Outcomes	14.9
Employer Reputation	4.1
Faculty-Student Ratio	4.1
International Faculty Ratio	91.5
International Research Network	78.2
International Student Ratio	100
Sustainability	5.4

Also Check: Quacquarelli Symonds World University Ranking Methodology

Cardiff University Ranking by THE (Times Higher Education) 2025

Times Higher Education (THE) is highly renowned for its “World University Rankings” worldwide. A few major ranking released by THE annually include World University Rankings, Business & Economics Rankings, Computer Science Rankings, and Engineering & Technology Rankings. THE evaluates various essential parameters while allotting ranking to top universities around the world. Some important parameters include Reputation Survey, Research Income, Research Productivity, Institutional Income,

According to THE, the Syracuse University ranks at #201 in 2025 and #190 in 2024 under the “World University Rankings”. Check the table listed below for Syracuse University ranking under various categories:

Ranked by	2023	2024	2025
University	187	190	201
Arts and Humanities	126	101	126
Clinical and Health	176	151	151
Engineering	151	151	201
Law	151	126	126
Life Sciences	126	126	151
PG Business and Economics	201	151	151
PG Computer Science	251	201	201
Psychology	46	64	76

Cardiff University Comparison with Other Universities: THE (Times Higher Education)

Cardiff University, Exeter, Nottingham Trent, and Newcastle are some of the most reputed universities in UK for higher education. Students can check the Times Higher Education rankings to Syracuse University with other top universities:

University Name	2023	2024	2025
Cardiff	187	190	201
Exeter	137	177	172
Nottingham Trent	501	501	601
Newcastle	139	168	157

Times Higher Education is one of the leading ranking bodies to rank global universities on various parameters. THE ranks universities based on Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry Standards, and International Outlook. A detailed weightage used by the THE is given below:

S. No.	Ranking Parameters	Performance Indicators
1	Teaching	Reputation survey Staff-to-student-ratio Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio Institutional income
2	Research	Reputation survey Research income Research productivity
3	Citations	Field Weighted Citation Impact
4	International Outlook	Proportion of international students Proportion of international staff International collaboration
5	Industry Income	Research income from industry & commerce/ academic staff

Cardiff University
ARWU (Shanghai Ranking) Ranking 2025

Ranked by	2023	2024	2025
Universities	151	151	201
Law	201	101	– / –
Nursing	47	101	– / –
Physics	201	301	– / –
Political Sciences	101	151	– / –
Sociology	76	48	– / –

Cardiff University
Students Ratings & Reviews

3.9/5

8 Verified Reviews Info Icon

Student Views (Based on Reviews)

67% students never faced discrimination in this university

Vibe of Campus

Academically oriented

Multi-dimensional

Friendly

Sporty

Internships3.3

Part time work3.4

Post study jobs3.3

Quality of faculty4.5

Student Life4.5

Value for money3

Public transportation4.6

Safety4.8

Indian Food4.5

Permanent Immigration3.4

Aditya Kate Verified Icon

MSc in Advanced Computer Science with a Professional Placement Year - Batch of 2026

4.2

Great place to study and work.

Tips: The weather is one thing in which you experience the change as well as the lifestyle of the people around you. Also, the language is also the barrier that these people have with the accents of here. I got the scholarship of 3500 GBP which was a great help that was availed at the time of admission. It is mentioned in the CAS letter. I am very satisfied with my course and future opportunities in the country.

Likes (Public transportation): The public transport in Cardiff is very good and timely. It has a day pass option as well, which is nice. Another great feature they have is the public transport app, which tells you which buses go where, and their departure and arrival times. As far as price goes, it's reasonable -- not too cheap, not too expensive. I think it's about 4.5 GBP per day.

Dislikes (Internships): As far as the internship part is concerned, the student union helps students get jobs, but we have to be adequately skilled. Also, the Student Future department helps students. However, this assistance is only provided because students are also supposed to eagerly look for jobs, but this assistance doesn't always come through because the opportunities are limited. Therefore, you need to be patient.

Total Monthly ExpensePound 900

Prepping time for classes20 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryPound 50050

Reviewed on 9 Feb 2025Read more

Anonymous

BSc in Psychology - Batch of 2025

Multidimensional experience and advanced concepts.

Tips: You will feel lonely and it is hard to adjust but know that the university has a lot of services and resources to help you adjust better. Try and be more social in the first few weeks to break inhibitions and join social for the first year as much as possible. The university is known to have a good student community and it stands by it. There is something for everyone on the campus from club nights to arts and crafts events. Very buzzing campus. The city centre is vibrant and has many activities to do. It is not impossible to find part-time work in the city, but it is difficult. You need to look in the right places. You can look for opportunities on or off campus. In the city centre, there are many opportunities for casual or permanent work. Overall, I am certainly satisfied with my experiences.

Total Monthly ExpensePound 1200

Prepping time for classes25 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryPound 35000

Reviewed on 29 Jan 2025Read more

CHITRANSHI Singh JADON Verified Icon

MSc in Sustainable Mega-Buildings - Batch of 2022

Fun and filled with challenges!

Tips: Everything depends on your mindset and willingness to adjust, its not gonna be easy at all! Every course has some scholarships for international students. There will be lots of cultural shifts, they will change you as a person. I am satisfied with the course/country 7.5 on a scale of 1-10.

Likes (Post study jobs): Not many companies would want to give you a sponsored visa if you don't have work experience in the UK depending on your niche, sponsored jobs can vary from 4-6% (i.e only that % of your course strength might actually land in a sponsored job).

Dislikes (Part time work): In this economy and high rate of immigrants, finding a job part-time isn't that easy. It might take you a few months 3-6 depending on your applications and effort. You can earn about 700-800 3 per month if you work 20 hrs per week. Very manageable with studies if you're a hard worker.

Total Monthly ExpensePound 1350

Prepping time for classes31 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryPound 30850

Reviewed on 12 Mar 2024Read more

Aditi Girish Kallanagoudar Verified Icon

BSc in Physics with Astronomy - Batch of 2026

4.2

Cardiff University is amazing in terms of study and student life.

Tips: The transition was very smooth, my peers and teachers were very friendly and I was able to make amazing friends. I had a scholarship for academic excellence (90% in 10th and 85% in 12th). It was a scholarship of fee education by 33000. My University caters to my every need, the faculty on my course is spectacular and Cardiff is very easy to travel in and amazing for student life.

Likes (Quality of faculty): The faculty are all very experienced, pioneers of their fields, friendly and helpful with students. There is so much to learn from them. We have office hours for doubt clarification and professors frequently reply to all your doubts by email. The teaching method is very interactive and makes the subject really interesting, the professors like using real life examples to connect us with the concept. The faculty is very diverse and they are friendly.

Dislikes (Value for money): The international fees is obviously quite a lot but you do get some very good opportunities and interact with some of the leading researchers in Physics which kind of makes it worth it. The fee is reasonable compared to other UK universities and hence provides fairly decent value for money.

Total Monthly ExpensePound 950

Prepping time for classes25 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryPound

Reviewed on 20 Feb 2024Read more

Anonymous

MSc in Data Science and Analytics - Batch of 2023

2.6

The struggle is real. Not fit for freshers, come with experience.

Tips: The course was pretty basic. So I think just know how to struggle. I am not satisfied with the course and country due to bad situations. Also, housing crisis is going on. No scholarships were provided. Cultural shift is real. Please don't come if you are fresher. They charge for graduate VISA as well. Now they have increased the fee to 3000 pounds.

Likes (Student Life): Overall student life is fun. There are Bollywood parties, you can play football in the park and enjoy with your friends roaming in the UK. There are multiple events like diwali, holi for Indian students. Also, lot more things, you can play cricket, go to trips etc.

Dislikes (Value for money): No part time jobs are available. No professional jobs, as a fresher, you need 1-3 years of experience. You should not come to UK for I think the next 3 years. Also, teaching is okayish. Don't come if you are expecting salaries like USA. You have to buy graduate Visa for 3000 which is valid for 2 years. Public transportation buses are cheap, trains are costly.

Total Monthly ExpensePound 1000

Prepping time for classes15 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryPound 30000

Reviewed on 20 Feb 2024Read more

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1 person found this helpful

Ashish Yadav Verified Icon

MBA - Batch of 2018

University of quality education with best ethics.

Tips: You should have confidence in your choice of course. You should figure out a way to do some part time work so that you’ll be able to fulfill your needs. You should also check out things about the environment near the college/ university like discrimination etc. Also, research the programme you want to enroll in.

Likes (Internships): Discrimination free environment with helpful folks. Student life of university was very good as everything what student needs during their time at the university like problem solving environment, sports activities both indoor & outdoor games, library, cafeteria & other activities are provided.

Dislikes (Permanent Immigration): I experienced best in quality of faculty. Faculty of the university, focus on practical things more than the theory works. The best part of faculty is that they are very helpful in nature and they suggest and guide very clearly that help students.

Total Monthly ExpensePound 1223

Prepping time for classes16 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryPound 35851

Reviewed on 3 Jul 2022Read more

View All 9 Reviews

Comments

Cardiff University

Student Forum

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What are the entry requirements for Cardiff University LLB course?

Answered 5 months ago

Cardiff University entry requirements for LLB course are that Indian students should have a School leaving certificate with an average of 78% - 81% in the top 4 subjects (not including Physical Education) in Class 12. Also, an IELTS score is required with a 6.5 score or PTE score of 69 or TOEFL scor

Akanksha Malhotra

Contributor-Level 10

What are the entry requirements for Cardiff University LLB course?

Answered 5 months ago

Himanshi Shekhar

Contributor-Level 10

What is the duration of LLB at Cardiff University?

Answered 5 months ago

The duration of Cardiff LLB is 3 years. The university is recognised for its expertise in the field of socio-legal studies. This course has been designed to develop the knowledge and understanding of how the legal system is located within a changing economic, social, and political context and how th

Bhumika Kaur

Contributor-Level 10

What is the duration of LLB at Cardiff University?

Answered 5 months ago

The duration of Cardiff LLB is 3 years. The university is recognised for its expertise in the field of socio-legal studies. This course has been designed to develop the knowledge and understanding of how the legal system is located within a changing economic, social, and political context and how th

Gunjan Thapa

Contributor-Level 10

What subject is Cardiff University famous for?

Answered 5 months ago

A few of the top Cardiff University courses are Engineering, Dentistry, Architecture, Psychology, Law, Medicine, etc. This university has been recognised as one of the world's top universities with more than 30 of its subjects ranked in the Top 200 globally in QS rankings. A few of the courses rank

Nishtha Shukla

Contributor-Level 10

About the author

Loveleen Sharma

Study Abroad Expert

Loveleen is a seasoned content writer with 4+ years of experience, currently writing for Shiksha. When he is not writing and helping students, he can be found at the movies, reading fiction, and learning a new language.