Financial Times Ranking 2003: Top 100 UK Universities
The Financial Times rankings of British universities for 2003 highlighted the prestigious academic institutions that dominated the UK higher education landscape at the time. These rankings were based on several factors, including academic reputation, research quality, student satisfaction, and employment prospects for graduates. The results reveal a clear distinction between the country's most renowned universities and those emerging as strong contenders in specific academic fields.
At the very top, the University of Oxford secured the first place, reaffirming its status as one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the world. Renowned for its rigorous academic standards, rich history, and distinguished alumni, Oxford continued to set the bar for higher education. The university's reputation for excellence in a broad range of subjects, from humanities to sciences, made it the clear leader in the Financial Times rankings.
Close behind Oxford was the University of Cambridge, which, like Oxford, has long been regarded as one of the foremost institutions globally. Cambridge's tradition of world-class research, particularly in the sciences and engineering, cemented its second-place position. The university's outstanding faculty, extensive resources, and exceptional academic environment ensured its place as one of the leading educational establishments in the UK and beyond.
In third place was Imperial College London, a specialist institution renowned for its focus on science, engineering, medicine, and business. Imperial's reputation for cutting-edge research and high-caliber academic programs made it a standout choice for students seeking to excel in technical and scientific fields. Its close links with industries and institutions around the world provided students with valuable opportunities for networking and career advancement.
The London School of Economics (LSE) ranked fourth, highlighting its strength in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics, and sociology. LSE's global reputation for producing influential policymakers, economists, and business leaders was a key factor in its high ranking. The university's location in London, one of the world's most important financial and political hubs, provided students with direct access to influential networks and job prospects in government, finance, and business.
Fifth place in the 2003 rankings went to Bath, a university that had built a strong reputation for its research-led teaching and exceptional student experience. Known for its excellent programs in engineering, architecture, and design, Bath's focus on providing a practical, hands-on education allowed it to rise in the rankings and attract a growing number of high-achieving students.
University College London (UCL) took sixth place, demonstrating its leadership in a wide array of subjects, from arts and humanities to science and medicine. UCL’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and its diverse academic offerings made it a top choice for students in many fields. As one of London’s premier institutions, UCL also benefitted from its central location and strong connections to global industries.
In seventh place, the University of York earned recognition for its strong academic programs, particularly in the humanities, social sciences, and life sciences. York’s growing reputation for research excellence, particularly in history and archaeology, made it a top choice for students looking to pursue in-depth academic study in these areas.
Warwick, ranked eighth, was another institution known for its high-quality research and strong postgraduate programs. Warwick’s business school was particularly well-regarded, and its reputation in the social sciences, humanities, and engineering also contributed to its strong showing in the Financial Times rankings. Its vibrant campus life and international focus attracted a diverse student body from around the world.
The University of Bristol, ranked ninth, was another key player in the 2003 rankings. Known for its research output and strong teaching in fields like engineering, science, and law, Bristol offered students an exceptional education and excellent employment prospects. The university’s global reputation for innovation in research and teaching helped it maintain a strong position in the rankings.
Finally, Durham University rounded out the top ten, continuing its long tradition of excellence in education and research. Durham’s strong reputation in theology, law, and history, combined with its outstanding student experience, made it a popular choice among students looking for an academically rigorous and supportive environment. Its beautiful, historic campus and close-knit community added to its appeal.
Overall, the 2003 Financial Times rankings of British universities reflect a mixture of historical academic powerhouses like Oxford and Cambridge, alongside institutions like Bath and York that were gaining prominence in their specific fields. The rankings also emphasize the growing importance of research, academic reputation, and employability in shaping the success and prestige of UK universities.
The Rankings of British Universities 2003 by Financial Times:
Rank Maximum possible score 24 7 30 N/a N/a N/a 100 100 100 1000
1 Oxford 22.4 6.5 29.5 12.4 1495 283 85 83.6 96 1000
2 Cambridge 22.9 6.6 29.8 11.3 1141 146 87.8 90.5 98 986
3 Imperial College 22.3 6.4 28 8.8 944 359 72.3 86.1 86 936
4 London School of Economics 22 6.4 28.3 13 1146 154 70.6 85.5 96 921
5 Bath 21.8 5.7 25.7 13.8 685 419 74.2 82.4 94 893
6 University College London 22.1 6 25.7 6.7 989 179 72.3 79.2 91 881
7 York 23.1 5.8 25.7 12.5 582 168 67.9 74.5 95 875
8 Warwick 22.7 6 26.6 15.6 660 198 74.8 77.2 93 870
9 Bristol 22 5.7 27 13.8 578 293 80.3 78.9 98 868
10 Durham 22.2 5.7 25.7 14.1 687 302 64.1 81.3 93 867
11 St Andrews 22.7 5.7 26.3* 11.5 579 177 77.8 77.2 91 860
12 Loughborough 22.8 5.1 22 17.5 608 295 61.3 82.3 89 856
13 Nottingham 22 5.3 26 14 686 249 75.4 82.1 94 853
14 Edinburgh 22.1 5.6 26.6 12.8 849 247 76.4 77.1 88 849
15 Manchester 22.1 5.7 23.9 14 810 224 70.4 76.7 89 823
15 Birmingham 22.1 5.3 23.8 13.5 647 239 70 77.7 91 823
17 Newcastle 22.2 5.2 22.5 13.8 833 260 67.6 73.4 90 822
18 King's College London 22.2 5.5 24.6 11.3 719 217 67.3 82.5 89 822
19 Royal Holloway 22 5.7 22.7 13.5 508 331 62.9 71.1 91 820
20 Aberdeen 22.1 4.7 18.4~ 10.7 765 295 64.9 81.9 83 813
21 Lancaster 22.1 5.8 22 17.4 644 274 63.4 68.6 92 797
22 SOAS 22 5.5 22.8 10.4 1173 85 70.6 72 74 792
23 UMIST 20.9 5.5 23.5 8.1 616 202 59.1 84.5 88 787
24 Leicester 22.2 5 22 15 480 261 64.4 73.4 93 786
25 Cardiff 22.1 5.7 22.7 17.6 552 223 65 73.9 91 785
25 Sheffield 22.2 5.5 25 15.1 489 176 69.1 75.8 88 785
27 Glasgow 22.4 5.2 24.6 13.9 598 178 70.6 74.2 82 777
28 Southampton 21.8 5.8 23.6 15.7 612 193 61.6 73.8 90 773
29 Reading 21.8 5.3 20.8 13.4 569 158 62.2 79.8 88 771
30 Essex 22.5 5.6 18.2 15.1 650 281 49.6 66.5 85 770
31 Dundee 22.5 5.1 19.3 12.6 473 159 62.8 80.2 84 768
32 Queens, Belfast 21.9 4.9 24.4 16.8 463 282 57.5 80.4 86 767
33 Aston 21.6 5 21.7 19.9 426 251 68.5 85.4 88 761
34 Exeter 22 5.2 22.4 16.7 483 128 69.8 74.1 92 758
35 Leeds 21.5 5.3 24.2 15.5 601 122 68.4 73.7 91 742
36 Stirling 22.2 4.8 19.4 16.6 559 199 65.4 68.9 80 740
36 Strathclyde 22 4.7 21 16 487 172 63.8 76.9 83 740
36 Surrey 20.7 5.4 19.6 14.4 518 252 59 85 89 740
39 East Anglia 21.2 5.4 21.3 15.1 534 241 64.4 69.6 90 737
40 Queen Mary 21.8 5 19.9 11.1 595 189 57.6 76 85 734
41 Sussex 21.3 5.5 22.8 14.8 573 208 62 67.5 87 726
42 Liverpool 21.8 5.2 21.2 16.2 433 141 61.9 77.9 90 723
43 Aberystwyth 21.5 4.5 18.6 19.7 512 255 59.1 72.1 90 713
44 Keele 22.1 4.6 19.3 16.3 367 180 59.4* 80.3* 93 708
45 Kent 21.4 4.8 20 18.3 526 149 59.1 77.4 87 704
46 Brunel 21.9 4.3 17.7 19.7 455 192 58.5 78.3 85 702
47 Heriot-Watt 21 4.7 19.5 14 594 231 48.1 72 87 688
48 Oxford Brookes 21.9 2.8 16.8 16.1 384 244 51.7 83.7 82 688
49 Swansea 22 4.6 19.5 15.4 437 192 48.9 64.1 87 684
50 Hull 21.8 4.3 17.7 17.9 436* 105 60.3 73.3 88 681
51 City 20.7 4.4 20.5 13.8 503 185 57.2 80.8 84 680
52 Plymouth 21.4 3.2 15.3 12.3 593 195 49.6 71.6 88 679
53 Northumbria 22.1 2.3 16.8 18.3 448 240 51.2 71.9 89 678
54 UWIC, Cardiff 21.8 2.7 16.4 16.9 358 324 48.9 69.5 87 672
55 Bangor 21.6 4.7 16.9 17.3 511 153 51.1 71.5 87 662
56 Nottingham Trent 20.9 2.8 17.5 17.1 487 212 53.9 80.1 88 661
57 Ulster 21 3.8 18.2 16.9 388 138 61.5 74 88 652
58 Hertfordshire 21.8 2.5 15 17.4 503 136 48.1 76.7 86 641
59 Lampeter 22.5 4.7 13 22.7 362 119 51.4 69.4 81 632
59 Bradford 20.6 4.4 17.9 16.5 482 253 47.6 74 83 632
61 Robert Gordon 20.9 1.9 16.3 16.5 467 119 57.9 86.6 85 631
62 Goldsmiths College 20.3 5.3 19.8 16.9 440 122 62.7 64.8 87 626
63 West of England 22 2.8 16.4 19.2 459 179 42.4 74.5 78 624
63 Sheffield Hallam 21.4 3 16.3 20.3 383 202 50.5 71.6 87 624
65 Kingston 22.4 2.7 12.7 22.9 400 134 51.7 74.8 76 616
66 Glamorgan 21.9 2.4 13.3 17.6 434 185 44.2 69.7 83 615
67 Portsmouth 21.2 3.2 15.2 16 435 125 46.8 72.4 84 605
68 Brighton 21.2 2.9 16.7 21.5 420 147 48.8 75.5 86 604
69 Manchester Metropolitan 21.4 2.9 15.4 19 439 117 46.8 74.6 81 600
70 Abertay Dundee 20.8 2 12.5* 17.1 1183 140 50.5 68.3 79 599
71 Sunderland 21.6 2.8 12.8 17.3 368 190 51.9 70.4 74 593
72 Salford 20.7 4.3 15.6 17.6 371 199 48.2 67.3 82 589
73 Surrey Roehampton 20.8 3.2 13.6 19.4 407 239 47.6 71.5 84 583
74 Westminster 21 2.8 13.7 13.8 415 144 56.1 66.5 73 574
75 Luton 21.6 1.8 12.3 17.2 477 162 50.5 67.2 71 566
76 Leeds Metropolitan 20.2 2.2 15.7 17.9 622 152 49.7 73.2 82 557
77 Huddersfield 21.3 2.4 14 19.2 333 123 42.9 72.9 78 551
78 Glasgow Caledonian 21.3 2.5 18.2 19.2 239 67 56.8 70.1 74 548
79 Gloucestershire 21 3 13.8 22.5 362 90 48.8 71.5 81 545
80 Wolverhampton 20.9 2 12.4 16.2 423 235 50.4 61.1 80 542
80 De Montfort 20.4 3.1 14 18.7 424 92* 51.2 73.2 80 542
82 Bournemouth 19.5 1.9 17.8 17.2 438 47 53.1 78.1 87 541
83 Liverpool John Moores 20.6 2.6 14.5 18 421 115 48.2 70 79 534
84 Middlesex 21.1 2.7 12.2 19.4 418 61 50.4 67.7 79 532
84 Napier 20.7 2.3 9.2~ 21.6 364 123 61.1 72.3 85 532
86 Staffordshire 20.8 2.2 13.1 20.4 486 169 44.6 63.9 80 522
87 Central Lancashire 21 2.2 14.4 20.2 390 172 44.1 68.5 70 521
87 Coventry 20.6 2.1 14.6 19.8 512* 227* 43.8 60.5 82.0# 521
89 Teesside 20.3 1.9 13.9 17.9 387 128 39.2 76.6 82.0# 513
90 Central England 19.9 2.2 13.6 21.7 429 175 54.4 71.1 81 510
91 Paisley 21 1.6 11.4~ 18.9 573 160 46.4 59.2 75 500
92 Lincoln 19.6 1.7 13.4 16.2 473 100 47.4 66.5 84 496
93 South Bank 20.1 2.9 11.8 17.6 311 146 38.4 75.8 74 483
94 Anglia 20.3 1.5 13.5 20.6 318 109 51.9 75.3 73 482
95 UWCN, Newport 20.3 3 12.8 26.9 356 116 43.6 67.7 78 467
96 Greenwich 20.5 2.5 11.4 21.4 473 123 39.4 68.1 75 463
97 Derby 19.9 1.5 12.4 23.9 469 156 51.1 58.5 77 428
98 London Metropolitan 20.3 2.1 12 21.2 425 150 35.3 63 56 395
99 East London 18.8 2.5 12.2 19.3 447 110 43.5 63.4 65 368
100 Thames Valley 19.6 0.5 12.8 29.5 367 20 32.2 70.9 77 339
Note: data marked * have been supplied directly by the university concerned.
Note: data marked ~ represent average Highers points
Note: data marked # are from 1998/99 return as 1999/2000 data were unavailable
Column 4 = teaching assessment
Column 5 = research assessment
Column 6 = entry standards
Column 7 = student: staff ratio
Column 8 = library / computer spending
Column 9 = facilities spending
Column 10 = firsts and upper seconds
Column 11 = efficiency graduate destinations
Column 12 = total
Rank Maximum possible score 24 7 30 N/a N/a N/a 100 100 100 1000
1 Oxford 22.4 6.5 29.5 12.4 1495 283 85 83.6 96 1000
2 Cambridge 22.9 6.6 29.8 11.3 1141 146 87.8 90.5 98 986
3 Imperial College 22.3 6.4 28 8.8 944 359 72.3 86.1 86 936
4 London School of Economics 22 6.4 28.3 13 1146 154 70.6 85.5 96 921
5 Bath 21.8 5.7 25.7 13.8 685 419 74.2 82.4 94 893
6 University College London 22.1 6 25.7 6.7 989 179 72.3 79.2 91 881
7 York 23.1 5.8 25.7 12.5 582 168 67.9 74.5 95 875
8 Warwick 22.7 6 26.6 15.6 660 198 74.8 77.2 93 870
9 Bristol 22 5.7 27 13.8 578 293 80.3 78.9 98 868
10 Durham 22.2 5.7 25.7 14.1 687 302 64.1 81.3 93 867
11 St Andrews 22.7 5.7 26.3* 11.5 579 177 77.8 77.2 91 860
12 Loughborough 22.8 5.1 22 17.5 608 295 61.3 82.3 89 856
13 Nottingham 22 5.3 26 14 686 249 75.4 82.1 94 853
14 Edinburgh 22.1 5.6 26.6 12.8 849 247 76.4 77.1 88 849
15 Manchester 22.1 5.7 23.9 14 810 224 70.4 76.7 89 823
15 Birmingham 22.1 5.3 23.8 13.5 647 239 70 77.7 91 823
17 Newcastle 22.2 5.2 22.5 13.8 833 260 67.6 73.4 90 822
18 King's College London 22.2 5.5 24.6 11.3 719 217 67.3 82.5 89 822
19 Royal Holloway 22 5.7 22.7 13.5 508 331 62.9 71.1 91 820
20 Aberdeen 22.1 4.7 18.4~ 10.7 765 295 64.9 81.9 83 813
21 Lancaster 22.1 5.8 22 17.4 644 274 63.4 68.6 92 797
22 SOAS 22 5.5 22.8 10.4 1173 85 70.6 72 74 792
23 UMIST 20.9 5.5 23.5 8.1 616 202 59.1 84.5 88 787
24 Leicester 22.2 5 22 15 480 261 64.4 73.4 93 786
25 Cardiff 22.1 5.7 22.7 17.6 552 223 65 73.9 91 785
25 Sheffield 22.2 5.5 25 15.1 489 176 69.1 75.8 88 785
27 Glasgow 22.4 5.2 24.6 13.9 598 178 70.6 74.2 82 777
28 Southampton 21.8 5.8 23.6 15.7 612 193 61.6 73.8 90 773
29 Reading 21.8 5.3 20.8 13.4 569 158 62.2 79.8 88 771
30 Essex 22.5 5.6 18.2 15.1 650 281 49.6 66.5 85 770
31 Dundee 22.5 5.1 19.3 12.6 473 159 62.8 80.2 84 768
32 Queens, Belfast 21.9 4.9 24.4 16.8 463 282 57.5 80.4 86 767
33 Aston 21.6 5 21.7 19.9 426 251 68.5 85.4 88 761
34 Exeter 22 5.2 22.4 16.7 483 128 69.8 74.1 92 758
35 Leeds 21.5 5.3 24.2 15.5 601 122 68.4 73.7 91 742
36 Stirling 22.2 4.8 19.4 16.6 559 199 65.4 68.9 80 740
36 Strathclyde 22 4.7 21 16 487 172 63.8 76.9 83 740
36 Surrey 20.7 5.4 19.6 14.4 518 252 59 85 89 740
39 East Anglia 21.2 5.4 21.3 15.1 534 241 64.4 69.6 90 737
40 Queen Mary 21.8 5 19.9 11.1 595 189 57.6 76 85 734
41 Sussex 21.3 5.5 22.8 14.8 573 208 62 67.5 87 726
42 Liverpool 21.8 5.2 21.2 16.2 433 141 61.9 77.9 90 723
43 Aberystwyth 21.5 4.5 18.6 19.7 512 255 59.1 72.1 90 713
44 Keele 22.1 4.6 19.3 16.3 367 180 59.4* 80.3* 93 708
45 Kent 21.4 4.8 20 18.3 526 149 59.1 77.4 87 704
46 Brunel 21.9 4.3 17.7 19.7 455 192 58.5 78.3 85 702
47 Heriot-Watt 21 4.7 19.5 14 594 231 48.1 72 87 688
48 Oxford Brookes 21.9 2.8 16.8 16.1 384 244 51.7 83.7 82 688
49 Swansea 22 4.6 19.5 15.4 437 192 48.9 64.1 87 684
50 Hull 21.8 4.3 17.7 17.9 436* 105 60.3 73.3 88 681
51 City 20.7 4.4 20.5 13.8 503 185 57.2 80.8 84 680
52 Plymouth 21.4 3.2 15.3 12.3 593 195 49.6 71.6 88 679
53 Northumbria 22.1 2.3 16.8 18.3 448 240 51.2 71.9 89 678
54 UWIC, Cardiff 21.8 2.7 16.4 16.9 358 324 48.9 69.5 87 672
55 Bangor 21.6 4.7 16.9 17.3 511 153 51.1 71.5 87 662
56 Nottingham Trent 20.9 2.8 17.5 17.1 487 212 53.9 80.1 88 661
57 Ulster 21 3.8 18.2 16.9 388 138 61.5 74 88 652
58 Hertfordshire 21.8 2.5 15 17.4 503 136 48.1 76.7 86 641
59 Lampeter 22.5 4.7 13 22.7 362 119 51.4 69.4 81 632
59 Bradford 20.6 4.4 17.9 16.5 482 253 47.6 74 83 632
61 Robert Gordon 20.9 1.9 16.3 16.5 467 119 57.9 86.6 85 631
62 Goldsmiths College 20.3 5.3 19.8 16.9 440 122 62.7 64.8 87 626
63 West of England 22 2.8 16.4 19.2 459 179 42.4 74.5 78 624
63 Sheffield Hallam 21.4 3 16.3 20.3 383 202 50.5 71.6 87 624
65 Kingston 22.4 2.7 12.7 22.9 400 134 51.7 74.8 76 616
66 Glamorgan 21.9 2.4 13.3 17.6 434 185 44.2 69.7 83 615
67 Portsmouth 21.2 3.2 15.2 16 435 125 46.8 72.4 84 605
68 Brighton 21.2 2.9 16.7 21.5 420 147 48.8 75.5 86 604
69 Manchester Metropolitan 21.4 2.9 15.4 19 439 117 46.8 74.6 81 600
70 Abertay Dundee 20.8 2 12.5* 17.1 1183 140 50.5 68.3 79 599
71 Sunderland 21.6 2.8 12.8 17.3 368 190 51.9 70.4 74 593
72 Salford 20.7 4.3 15.6 17.6 371 199 48.2 67.3 82 589
73 Surrey Roehampton 20.8 3.2 13.6 19.4 407 239 47.6 71.5 84 583
74 Westminster 21 2.8 13.7 13.8 415 144 56.1 66.5 73 574
75 Luton 21.6 1.8 12.3 17.2 477 162 50.5 67.2 71 566
76 Leeds Metropolitan 20.2 2.2 15.7 17.9 622 152 49.7 73.2 82 557
77 Huddersfield 21.3 2.4 14 19.2 333 123 42.9 72.9 78 551
78 Glasgow Caledonian 21.3 2.5 18.2 19.2 239 67 56.8 70.1 74 548
79 Gloucestershire 21 3 13.8 22.5 362 90 48.8 71.5 81 545
80 Wolverhampton 20.9 2 12.4 16.2 423 235 50.4 61.1 80 542
80 De Montfort 20.4 3.1 14 18.7 424 92* 51.2 73.2 80 542
82 Bournemouth 19.5 1.9 17.8 17.2 438 47 53.1 78.1 87 541
83 Liverpool John Moores 20.6 2.6 14.5 18 421 115 48.2 70 79 534
84 Middlesex 21.1 2.7 12.2 19.4 418 61 50.4 67.7 79 532
84 Napier 20.7 2.3 9.2~ 21.6 364 123 61.1 72.3 85 532
86 Staffordshire 20.8 2.2 13.1 20.4 486 169 44.6 63.9 80 522
87 Central Lancashire 21 2.2 14.4 20.2 390 172 44.1 68.5 70 521
87 Coventry 20.6 2.1 14.6 19.8 512* 227* 43.8 60.5 82.0# 521
89 Teesside 20.3 1.9 13.9 17.9 387 128 39.2 76.6 82.0# 513
90 Central England 19.9 2.2 13.6 21.7 429 175 54.4 71.1 81 510
91 Paisley 21 1.6 11.4~ 18.9 573 160 46.4 59.2 75 500
92 Lincoln 19.6 1.7 13.4 16.2 473 100 47.4 66.5 84 496
93 South Bank 20.1 2.9 11.8 17.6 311 146 38.4 75.8 74 483
94 Anglia 20.3 1.5 13.5 20.6 318 109 51.9 75.3 73 482
95 UWCN, Newport 20.3 3 12.8 26.9 356 116 43.6 67.7 78 467
96 Greenwich 20.5 2.5 11.4 21.4 473 123 39.4 68.1 75 463
97 Derby 19.9 1.5 12.4 23.9 469 156 51.1 58.5 77 428
98 London Metropolitan 20.3 2.1 12 21.2 425 150 35.3 63 56 395
99 East London 18.8 2.5 12.2 19.3 447 110 43.5 63.4 65 368
100 Thames Valley 19.6 0.5 12.8 29.5 367 20 32.2 70.9 77 339
Note: data marked * have been supplied directly by the university concerned.
Note: data marked ~ represent average Highers points
Note: data marked # are from 1998/99 return as 1999/2000 data were unavailable
Column 4 = teaching assessment
Column 5 = research assessment
Column 6 = entry standards
Column 7 = student: staff ratio
Column 8 = library / computer spending
Column 9 = facilities spending
Column 10 = firsts and upper seconds
Column 11 = efficiency graduate destinations
Column 12 = total
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