10 Photos
1 Campus
Last updated on 18 Dec '25
The University of Edinburgh is a very well-known university in higher education and consistently ranked among the top universities nationally and globally. Located in UK, the university aims to offer courses of high value, attracting students from different countries, including India. So if you want to study at The University of Edinburgh, 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 #22 in 2025, showing a remaining unchanged trend from its 2024 rank. Nationally in the Shiksha Popularity Ranking, the University of Edinburgh has ranked at #5 best university in the UK.
Similarly, the QS 2026 ranked the university at #34 in the world, recording a dropped trend when compared with the 2025 rank of #27.
Look at the three-year University of Edinburgh ranking trend for you to make a right decision -
| Ranking Body | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS | Not Ranked | 22 | 27 | 34 |
| THE | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| US News | 34 | 38 | 39 | Not Ranked |
| The Guardian | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
| The Complete Guide | Not Ranked | 12 | 15 | 18 |
#5
World rank by different ranking providers
Shiksha
#22THE Ranking
#29QS Ranking
#34ARWU Ranking
#37US News Ranking
#39
As per THE University of Edinburgh subject ranking 2026, many of the university courses are ranked among the top in the world. QS has ranked The University of Edinburgh at #21 for Law & Legal Studies. Additionally, it is also ranked #23 for Biological Sciences by QS. THE has also ranked courses offered by The University of Edinburgh as top programs, namely Arts & Humanities, Law, Clinical & Health, and Psychology, etc. The programs offered by The University of Edinburgh are quite popular and are ranked at #29 by THE in 2026.
The University of Edinburgh courses are well renowned worldwide and popular among international students, which includes those from India.
Some of the courses offered by this university are also ranked globally and nationally by some of the top ranking bodies. The courses offered are from the field of Engineering, Business and Management Studies, Law, Medicine and Health Sciences and Science. In fact in 2025, the University of Edinburgh was ranked by The Guardian at global level for Engineering courses which stood at #1 which is really good, for the year 2026. It shows a significantly improved trend from #12 in 2025.
Global ranking body, The Guardian, also ranks its Business & Management Studies courses. It has ranked the University of Edinburgh Business & Management Studies courses at #6 globally in 2026. It is also an improvement from its previous rank of #7 in the year 2025.
According to The Guardian Rankings, here’s how some of the courses are ranked:
| Course Category | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | #10 | #12 | #1 |
| Business & Management Studies | #9 | #7 | #6 |
| Law | #13 | #10 | #11 |
| Medicine & Health Sciences | #8 | #5 | #10 |
| Science | #15 | #20 | #14 |
MS
Shiksha
QS
ARWU
THE
Specializations in MS Program
Shiksha
THE
Shiksha
QS
ARWU
MBA/PGDM
Shiksha
QS
FT
B.E. / B.Tech
Shiksha
Guardian
CUG
Specializations in B.E. / B.Tech Program
Shiksha
Guardian
Shiksha
Guardian
CUG
The rankings by the US World and News are one of the most trusted and influential rankings in the world. It has been ranking the world's top universities for 36 years now. This ranking body assesses more than 1400 higher education institutions in the US and the world. Edinburgh Uni ranks at #39 in 2025 rankings in the Global University rankings. It is a drop of 1 spot because this university was ranked at #38 in 2024 and even better in 2023.
Overall, the University of Edinburgh is observing a d
The rankings by the US World and News are one of the most trusted and influential rankings in the world. It has been ranking the world's top universities for 36 years now. This ranking body assesses more than 1400 higher education institutions in the US and the world. Edinburgh Uni ranks at #39 in 2025 rankings in the Global University rankings. It is a drop of 1 spot because this university was ranked at #38 in 2024 and even better in 2023.
Overall, the University of Edinburgh is observing a downward trend in the US News and World rankings.
| Ranked by | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Universities | 34 | 38 | 39 |
By looking at the university comparison given in the table below, these conclusions can be given -
Look at the comparison of Edinburgh University with other universities in the below given table -
|
University |
2025 US World Ranking |
2024 US World Ranking |
2023 US World Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Edinburgh Uni |
#39 |
#38 |
#34 |
|
#68 |
#67 |
#63 |
|
|
#105 |
#96 |
#93 |
|
|
#36 |
#36 |
#33 |
For global university category rankings, the U.S. News & World Report ranks the universities according to their performance, which is set across a variety of indicators. These indicators are:
|
Ranking indicator |
Weightage |
|---|---|
|
Global research reputation |
12.5% |
|
Regional research reputation |
12.5% |
|
Publications |
10% |
|
Books |
2.5% |
|
Conferences |
2.5% |
|
Normalized citation impact |
10% |
|
Total citations |
7.5% |
|
Number of publications that are among the 10% most cited |
12.5% |
|
Percentage of total publications that are among the 10% most cited |
10% |
|
International collaboration – relative to the country |
5% |
|
International collaboration |
5% |
|
Number of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited in their respective field |
5% |
|
Percentage of total publications that are among the top 1% of most highly cited papers |
5% |
In Comparison, The University of Edinburgh ranks at #38 and KCL ranks the best however the ranking has declined this university which is a similar trend for University of Edinburgh.
Given below are the rankings of Global Universities rankings of the mentioned universities/schools:
University | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
The University of Edinburgh | #38 | #34 | #32 |
#36 | #33 | #33 |
For the UK-based universities only, The Guardian University Guide rankings are started. Some of the few indicators that are used to compute the rankings of these universities are entry standards, student-staff ratio, teaching quality, feedback, career prospects, etc.
The University of Edinburgh ranks at #15, which is an improvement of 2 spots as the university ranked lower in 2025 which was the rank #15. The rankings given by The Guardian for this University have been fluctuating since the year
For the UK-based universities only, The Guardian University Guide rankings are started. Some of the few indicators that are used to compute the rankings of these universities are entry standards, student-staff ratio, teaching quality, feedback, career prospects, etc.
The University of Edinburgh ranks at #15, which is an improvement of 2 spots as the university ranked lower in 2025 which was the rank #15. The rankings given by The Guardian for this University have been fluctuating since the year 2024. On the other hand, the rankings for the Business and Management programs offered by this university have improved over the years, as they now rank at #6, making their way up from ranking #7 for the year 2025.
| Ranked by | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University | 14 | 15 | 13 |
| Accounting and Finance | 6 | 8 | 11 |
| Architecture | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Business and Management | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Chemical Engineering | 13 | 8 | 3 |
| Civil Engineering | 14 | 8 | 4 |
| Economics | 36 | 33 | 17 |
| Electronic and Electrical Engineering | 10 | 12 | 1 |
| Law | 13 | 10 | 11 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| Medicine | 5 | 6 | 22 |
| Physics | 15 | 20 | 14 |
| Politics | 32 | 40 | 37 |
| Sociology and Social Policy | 16 | 25 | 11 |
According to the table given below for differences among the similarly ranked UK universities, the University of Edinburgh ranks the best, it shows an upward movement to #13 in 2026 from #15 in the year 2025. The University of Bristol ranks somewhat similar to the University of Edinburgh, although the rankings for this university have only moved up since 2024.
A comparison of the University of Edinburgh with other UK Universities is given below:
|
University |
The Guardian Ranking 2026 |
The Guardian Ranking 2025 |
The Guardian Ranking 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The University of Edinburgh |
#13 |
#15 |
#14 |
|
#36 |
#31 |
#24 |
|
|
University of Bristol |
#15 |
#16 |
#17 |
| #21 |
#28 |
#23 |
Below is a list of parameters along with their weightage that is considered while computing the Guardian ranking table -
|
The Guardian Indicators |
Weightage |
|---|---|
|
Entry Standards |
15% |
|
Student Staff Ratio |
15% |
|
Expenditure per student |
5% |
|
Continuation |
10% |
|
Teaching Quality |
10% |
|
Feedback |
10% |
|
Overall Satisfaction |
5% |
|
Value-Added Services |
15% |
|
Career Prospects |
15% |
Also Check: The Guardian Ranking Methodology
The Complete University Guide is a platform that ranks UK universities based on the quality of research, career prospects, and how satisfied students feel at their university. Given below is how Edinburgh University ranks in 2026 under different categories.
| Ranked by | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK University | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| Accounting and Finance | 7 | 6 | 19 |
| Architecture | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Art and Design | 9 | 11 | 12 |
| Biological Sciences | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| Business and Management Studies UK | 15 | 8 | 8 |
| Chemical Engineering | 14 | 7 | 8 |
| Civil Engineering | 17 | 15 | 11 |
| Computer Science | 8 | 14 | 16 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | 9 | 11 | 12 |
| Law | 14 | 9 | 13 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 9 | 10 | 17 |
| Medicine | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Nursing | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 13 | 12 | 15 |
| Psychology | 17 | 16 | 17 |
| Sociology | 12 | 7 | 14 |
Based on the table given below, it can be seen that the University of Bristol ranks the best out of all three in comparison. It has a stable rank along with an improvement in the 2024 ranking by the Complete Guide. Edinburgh University and King's College London rank the same for the last three years.
Look at the comparison of Edinburgh Uni from the table given below:
|
University |
2026 |
2025 |
2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Edinburgh University |
#19 |
#24 |
#24 |
|
Manchester Uni |
#36 |
#31 |
#24 |
|
Bristol Uni |
#15 |
#16 |
#16 |
|
King's College London |
#19 |
#24 |
#24 |
To derive the Complete University rankings, there are many factors which are taken into consideration like the Entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, research intensity, graduate projects, academic prospect and many others. The universities being ranked are given scores out of a maximum score.
Given below are the parameters on which the University of Edinburgh is ranked:
|
Criteria |
Data Source |
Maximum Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Entry Standards |
HESA |
n/a |
|
Student Satisfaction |
NSS |
5.0 |
|
Research Quality |
REF |
4.0 |
|
Research Intensity |
HESA |
1.0 |
|
Graduate Prospects |
HESA |
100.0 |
|
Academic Services Spend |
HESA |
n/a |
|
Facilities Spend |
HESA |
n/a |
|
Good Honours |
HESA |
100 |
|
Degree Completion |
HESA |
100 |
|
Student Staff Ratio |
HESA |
n/a |
Financial Times Ranking is one of the dependable rankings when talking of MBA or Business Schools rankings. This ranking body has been publishing rankings for the Business and Management programs since 1999. For GMBA, Financial Times (FT) ranks #91 in the year 2025 offered by The University of Edinburgh.
| Ranked by | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MBA | – / – | 92 | 91 |
| Master in Finance | 43 | 50 | 50 |
| Master in Management | 78 | 88 | 100 |
According to the FT rankings comparison, both of the universities listed in the table below follow a downward trend, but the University of Edinburgh ranks better than the University of Manchester.
A ranking comparison of The University of Edinburgh with the University of Manchester for MiM program (2025 rankings) is given below:
|
University |
Financial Times Ranking 2025 |
Financial Times Ranking 2024 |
Financial Times Ranking 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The University of Edinburgh |
#100 |
#88 |
#78 |
|
#96 |
#92 |
- |
After considering 21 criteria, the Financial Times rankings are derived. A few of these criteria are weighted salary, salary increase, value for money rank, career services rank, female faculty, alumni network rank, female students, international faculty, international students, etc.
Check more about the Financial Times Global MBA Rankings from here.
According to the FT rankings comparison, both of the universities listed in the table below witness a downward trend, however the University of Edinburgh ranks better than the University of Manchester.
A ranking comparison of The University of Edinburgh with the University of Manchester for MiM programme (2025 rankings) is given below:
University | Financial Times Ranking 2025 | Financial Times Ranking 2024 | Financial Times Ranking 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
The University of Edinburgh | #100 | #88 | #78 |
#96 | #92 | - |
Financial Times Ranking is one of the dependable rankings when talking of MBA or Business Schools rankings. This ranking body has been publishing rankings for the Business and Management programs since 1999. For GMBA, Financial Times (FT) ranks #92 in the year 2025 offered by The University of Edinburgh.
QS World Rankings are being published since 2004 and it is the yearly assessment of the rankings of the universities in the world. Ranking #34 in 2026, Edinburgh Uni shows a decline in the QS world rankings when compared with its 2025 rank which was #27.
| Ranked by | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 6 | 6 | – / – |
| World University | 22 | 27 | 34 |
| Accounting and Finance | 46 | 49 | – / – |
| Architecture and Built Environment | 51 | 51 | – / – |
| Art and Design | 51 | 51 | – / – |
| Biological Sciences | 21 | 23 | – / – |
| Communication and Media Studies | 38 | 40 | – / – |
| Engineering and Technology | 51 | 58 | – / – |
| Global MBA | 64 | 58 | 66 |
| Law and Legal Studies | 20 | 21 | – / – |
| Masters in Business Analytics | 22 | 25 | 26 |
| Mathematics | 33 | 32 | – / – |
| Mechanical Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering | 138 | 94 | – / – |
| Medicine | 22 | 20 | – / – |
| Nursing | 42 | 46 | – / – |
| Performing Arts | 51 | 51 | – / – |
| Pharmacy and Pharmacology | 38 | 37 | – / – |
| Physics and Astronomy | 44 | 52 | – / – |
| Politics | 29 | 31 | – / – |
| Sociology | 23 | 30 | – / – |
If we compare the University of Edinburgh QS rankings with the other similarly ranked universities, King's College London wins the race as it is ranked the best of the three. It is alos showing an improvement in the rank form the previous years.
Edinburgh Uni comparison with other universities with reference to QS rankings is given below:
|
University |
2026 QS Rankings |
2025 QS Rankings |
2024 QS Rankings |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Edinburgh Uni |
#34 |
#27 |
#22 |
|
Manchester Uni |
#35 |
#34 |
#32 |
|
Uni of Bristol |
#51 |
#54 |
#55 |
|
King's College London |
#31 |
#40 |
#40 |
Over 1,500 universities are ranked by QS Rankings for the year 2026. A few of the factors used by QS rankings are citations per faculty, academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, etc. The scores obtained by the Uni of Edinburgh in QS rankings are given below:
|
QS World University Parameters |
Score |
|---|---|
|
Academic reputation |
99.6 |
|
Citations per faculty |
54.3 |
|
Employer reputation |
98.2 |
|
Employment Outcomes |
69.7 |
|
Faculty Student Ratio |
77.3 |
|
International faculty ratio |
99.7 |
|
International research network |
99.5 |
|
International Student Ratio |
99.9 |
|
Sustainability |
98.3 |
The rankings have been provided by THE (Times Higher Education) since the year 2004. Edinburgh Uni has maintained its rank of previous year in 2026 i.e. #29 in Times Higher Education rankings. There was a improvemet from the year 2024 rankings though.
For the year 2026, the Engineering courses under the University of Edinburgh are ranked #76 showing an improvement from the last year.
The rankings have been provided by THE (Times Higher Education) since the year 2004. Edinburgh Uni has maintained its rank of previous year in 2026 i.e. #29 in Times Higher Education rankings. There was a improvemet from the year 2024 rankings though.
For the year 2026, the Engineering courses under the University of Edinburgh are ranked #76 showing an improvement from the last year.
| Ranked by | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| Arts and Humanities | 12 | 11 | – / – |
| Clinical and Health | 23 | 21 | – / – |
| Engineering | 83 | 76 | – / – |
| Law | 13 | 16 | – / – |
| Life Sciences | 28 | 29 | – / – |
| PG Business and Economics | 56 | 73 | – / – |
| PG Computer Science | 26 | 29 | – / – |
| Psychology | 25 | 23 | – / – |
The University of Edinburgh ranks the best out of the listed similarly ranked UK Universities followed by the University of Manchester. A comparison of Edinburgh Uni with other universities is given below:
|
University |
2026 |
2025 |
2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The University of Edinburgh |
#29 |
#29 |
#30 |
|
University of Manchester |
#56 |
#53 |
#51 |
|
University of Bristol |
#80 |
#78 |
#81 |
|
#38 |
#56 |
#38 |
Times Higher has ranked over 2,000 universities. A few of the factors considered by THE are research quality, teaching, research quality, international outlook, and industry. Some of the other scores given for Edinburgh University are given as follows:
|
THE Ranking Criteria |
Scores |
|---|---|
|
Teaching |
82.5 |
|
Research Environment |
77.1 |
|
Research Quality |
95.1 |
|
Industry |
72.2 |
|
International Outlook |
96.6 |
The rankings have been provided by THE (Times Higher Education) since the year 2004. The creation of these rankings is done for the below given reasons -
More than 2,500 universities are ranked in the Shanghai Rankings. The Academic Ranking of the World Universities (ARWU) is also called as Shanghai rankings. ARWU 2025 ranking for Uni of Edinburgh was #37 and in 2024 it was #40.
| Ranked by | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universities | 38 | 40 | 37 |
| Law | 101 | 76 | 51 |
| Mathematics | 18 | 37 | 36 |
| Nursing | 201 | 201 | 201 |
| Physics | 18 | 26 | 25 |
| Political Sciences | 101 | 51 | 51 |
| Sociology | 34 | 31 | 29 |
Out of all the universities mentioned below, the University of Edinburgh ranks the best in the Shanghai Rankings. The University of Manchester is the nearest ranked to Edinburgh Uni.
A comparison of Edinburgh Uni with other universities is given below with reference to Shanghai rankings:
|
University |
2025 Rank |
2024 Rank |
2023 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Edinburgh Uni |
#37 |
#40 |
#38 |
|
Manchester Uni |
#46 |
#52 |
#41 |
|
Uni of Bristol |
#98 |
#97 |
#88 |
|
King's College London |
#61 |
#53 |
#59 |
The ranking parameters of ARWU are quality of education, quality of faculty, research output, and per capita performance. The weightage that each parameter carries is given below -
|
Parameter |
Weightage |
|---|---|
|
Quality of Education |
10% |
|
Quality of Faculty |
20% |
|
Research Output |
40% |
|
Per Capital Performance |
10% |
Over 2,500 Universities are ranked by ARWU every year. In the ARWU ranking, the University of Edinburgh ranks at #37 in 2025, which is an improvement by 3 spots from the year 2024, as this ranking was #40. Times Higher Education rankings are fluctuating since 2022.
The University of Edinburgh ranks the best out of the listed similarly ranked UK Universities followed by the University of Manchester.
A comparison of The University of Edinburgh with the University of Manchester:
University | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
The University of Edinburgh | #40 | #38 | #35 |
University of Manchester | #52 | #41 | #38 |
25 Verified Reviews
University of Edinburgh
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
It asks me to pretend to be a real consumer, participate in a third-party forum discussion, and subtly include product mentions and a CTA link. That would mislead readers and counts as deceptive promotion (astroturfing), which I can't help with.
What I can do—immediately—if you want:
Write a clean, fo
A
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, Indian students interested in admisison to a UG degree program have to take an entrance exam at University of Europe Applied Sciences. However, this is only required for admission to Art and Design course. The entrance test requires students to write a short essay on the programme they're apply
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The Shiksha Q&A page mentions several famous scientists who attended the University of Edinburgh. Some notable names include:
James Clerk Maxwell – Renowned physicist known for formulating the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation.
Alexander Graham Bell – Inventor of the telephone and pioneer
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a week ago
Here's a natural forum-style response based on the Shiksha Q&A context about Edinburgh University rankings:
It's interesting to track how Edinburgh University's rankings have evolved over the years. Historically, it has consistently been among the top UK universities, often featuring in the top 20–30
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a week ago
Here's a natural, forum-style response for the Shiksha Q&A page:
When I was looking into studying abroad, one of my the biggest concerns was navigating the UK visa and immigration process. Like many, I found it overwhelming to figure out what support universities actually provide. At Edinburgh Univer
A
Beginner-Level 5
About the author
Study Abroad Expert
Front View
Campus
Campus
Campus
The University of Edinburgh picture| University City | Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK |
Talk to Expert
Comments