The Best Universities for Economics in the UK (2025)

There are many reasons why someone might want to study Economics at a UK university. Here are just a few:

• The UK is home to some of the top universities in the world for Economics, including Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
• A degree in Economics from a UK university will equip you with highly sought-after skills and knowledge, opening up a wealth of career opportunities both at home and abroad.
• The UK offers a culturally diverse learning environment, with students from all over the world studying together and sharing ideas.
• Many UK universities have close links with businesses and organisations, providing students with opportunities to gain real-world experience through internships and other programs.

The following tables gives the 10 top universities in the UK for Economics, according to global and local university rankings. It can show you which British universities are amongst the best in the world - and help you compare institutions on an international level.

This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university's result.

Read our guide on how to use international ranking as a postgrad student for more information.

The Times Higher Education rankings are strong in academic focus and diverse teaching metrics, but do not include employer-specific metrics. Additionally, the rankings may not include all specialist institutions.

The QS World University Rankings are designed to meet the needs of prospective students, with more weight given to student-centric metrics such as staff/student ratio, international recruitment and employer opinion. The rankings are balanced between qualitative and quantitative data, but give less weight to research than some other rankings.

The ARWU rankings reflect the presence of elite academics and the future academic success of graduates. However, they do not directly assess the quality of education at a university or take into account other aspects of university performance.