The UK is home to more than 20 engineering institutes in the world. In this article, we will dissect the top engineering universities in the UK for international students.
These universities offer many engineering specializations at the bachelor, master and PhD levels. An undergraduate engineering degree is available as a bachelor of engineering and a Bachelor of Science. A graduate engineering degree is available as Master of Engineering, Master of Science, MPhil and Doctorate degrees in engineering are offered as Doctor of Philosophy, PhD and Professional Doctorate.
You can also opt for a dual degree in the UK while pursuing engineering (mainly a master's).
Top Universities for Engineering in the UK
For ranking universities, several factors are considered, such as academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper and the H-index (a way of measuring the productivity and impact of published work).
Based on the QS World University Rankings by subject 2023, the top 10 engineering universities in the UK are listed below.
|
World Ranking (2023) |
Institution |
Location |
|
6 |
University of Cambridge |
Cambridge |
|
13 |
University of Oxford |
Oxford |
|
7 |
Imperial College London |
London |
|
43 |
The University of Manchester |
Manchester |
|
42 |
UCL (University College London) |
London |
|
51-100 |
University of Edinburgh |
Edinburgh |
|
51-100 |
University of Southampton |
Southampton |
|
51-100 |
The University of Sheffield |
Sheffield |
|
51-100 |
University of Bristol |
Bristol |
|
49 |
University of Leeds |
Leeds |
The ranking above covers 5 different branches of engineering- Chemical, electrical, mechanical, civil and structural and mineral and mining. Other popular engineering schools in the UK include Heriot-Watt University and the University of Birmingham.
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Talk to an ExpertTop Engineering Universities in the UK: Bachelor of Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering courses in UK
|
University |
BE Courses |
|
University of Cambridge |
|
|
University of Exeter |
|
|
University of Birmingham |
|
|
University of Manchester (BEng) |
|
|
University of Portsmouth |
|
|
City University of London |
|
Bachelor of Engineering in the UK
Eligibility Requirements
Application Requirements/ Documents Checklist
You must fulfil the following document criteria to apply for the UK BEng program successfully.
- Academic documents include transcripts, character certificates, provisional certificates of higher secondary education, and class 10.
- Up-to-date CV
- Valid English Language Scores
- Statement of Purpose
- Letter of Recommendation if asked by the university
- Identification documents like passport
- Proof of funds (Financial documents from sponsor letter to tuition fee payment receipt to property papers )
- Passport
Academic Requirements
Students must complete 12 years of education with a minimum of 55-85% in intermediate level (+2) in maths, physics, and chemistry.
The percentage or GPA Requirement for studying Bachelor of Engineering can vary drastically from university to university. Where there are universities that will offer you admission for a 2.4 GPA as well, top universities demand a minimum GPA of 3.2.
English Language Requirements
A recognized English test score like TOEFL, IELTS, PTE etc., is asked for international students from non-speaking English countries.
Check out these general English cut-off scores.
- IELTS: Overall 6.0-7.0, with no band score less than 5.5 to 6.0
- TOEFL: 70- 100 overall (minimum score 15-22 in each band)
- PTE: an average of 50-65 with no score lower than 50-60 in all skills.
Top Engineering Universities in UK: Bachelor of Engineering tuition fees
|
University |
Range of Fees for international students |
|
University of Birmingham |
25,860 |
|
University of Cambridge |
20,000- 30,000 |
|
University of Portsmouth |
18,300 |
|
Kingston University London |
15,000- 18,000 |
|
University of Northampton |
13,000 |
|
University of Exeter |
25,000 |
|
University of East London |
13,500 |
|
University of Manchester |
25,000 |
Domestic students' tuition fees for BE or Bachelor of Science in Engineering is GBP 9,250.
Top Engineering Universities in the UK: Master of Engineering
Master of Engineering courses in the UK
|
University |
MEng courses |
|
University of Cambridge |
|
|
University of Nottingham |
|
|
University of Manchester (MEng) |
|
|
University College London |
|
|
King’s College London |
|
Master of Engineering in UK
|
Eligibility Requirements
Application Requirements/ Documents Checklist
- Academic documents of all the schools and colleges attended before (Bachelor, High school and class 10). The academic documents need to meet the requirements listed below. The academic document includes transcripts, character certificates and provisional certificates.
- English Language Scores- Should be valid
- Statement of Purpose
- Experience letter for gap
- 1-3 Letter of Recommendations if asked by the university
- Identification documents like passport
- Proof of funds (Financial documents from sponsor letter to tuition fee payment receipt to property papers )
Academic Requirements
To study Master of Engineering in the UK, applicants need to pass a Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering stream, a bachelor's degree in mathematics, a bachelor's degree in statistics, or any other relevant field with a minimum of UK 2:2 degree or 2:1 degree.
This roughly translates as a minimum of the second class or above.
English Language Requirements
As an international student, you need to bring minimum scores of-
- IELTS: 6.5- 7.0, with a minimum of 6.5- 7.0 in each band
- TOEFL: 78- 92, with a minimum subscore of 21
- PTE: 60-72, with a minimum subscore of 55
Top Engineering Universities in the UK: Master of Engineering Tuition fees
|
University |
Fee per year in GBP |
|
University of Oxford |
28,680 |
|
University of Cambridge |
37,815 |
|
Imperial College London |
34,000 |
|
University of Manchester |
26,000 |
|
University of Southampton |
25,000 |
|
University of Leeds |
25,750 |
|
University of Sheffield |
24,950 |
|
University of Nottingham |
24,390 |
|
University of Liverpool |
25,150 |
|
University of Strathclyde |
20,000 |
|
Brunel University |
19,855 |
|
King’s College London |
27,900 |
|
University College London |
31,200 |
Top Engineering Universities in the UK: PhD in Engineering
PhD in Engineering courses in the UK
|
University |
PhD in Engineering course |
|
University of Edinburgh |
Engineering PhD |
|
University of Essex |
PhD Engineering |
|
University of Birmingham |
Mechanical Engineering PhD |
|
University of Oxford |
DPhil in Engineering Science |
|
University of Huddersfield |
Engineering (PhD) |
|
University of Nottingham |
Civil Engineering PhD |
|
University of Surrey |
Biomedical |
Eligibility Requirements
Application Requirements/ Documents Checklist
- Academic documents such as transcripts, character certificates and provisional certificates of the master, bachelor, and intermediate levels
- English Language Scores- Should be valid
- Statement of Purpose
- Experience letter for gap
- Published research works
- Letter of Recommendations if asked by the university
- Identification documents like passport
- Proof of funds (Financial documents from sponsor letter to tuition fee payment receipt to property papers )
Academic Requirements
- Applicants need a bachelor's degree with upper second class/ A UK 2:1 or 2:2 honours degree or a relevant degree.
- Applicants need to complete a thesis-based master's degree or master's degree (minimum 60%) with a research component or equivalent and also complete a thesis.
- Published papers or research works in a relevant field.
- Contact and finalize supervisors of the respective department.
English test scores
Minimum cut-off scores in English test for international students to pursue PhD in Engineering-
- IELTS: IELTS Academic score of 6.0 to 7.0, with a minimum of 5.5-7.0 in each band
- TOEFL: 70-100, with a minimum subscore of 19- 25 in each band
- PTE: 58, with a minimum subscore of 58
Top Engineering Universities in the UK: PhD of Engineering tuition fees
|
University |
Annual tuition fees |
|
University of Cambridge |
49,572 |
|
University of Nottingham |
26,500 |
|
University of Oxford |
28,560 |
|
University of Bristol |
24,600 |
|
University of Edinburgh |
28,000 |
|
University of Essex |
17,050 |
|
University of Birmingham |
24,780 |
Top Engineering Universities in UK: Scholarships
|
University |
Scholarships |
Value |
|
University of Birmingham |
Achievement Scholarship |
£1,500 |
|
Excellence Scholarship |
£1,500 |
|
|
Industrial Sponsorship Programme “RESPECT” |
The bursary is up to the company but if it is offered, it is usually in the region of £1,000-£1,500 pa |
|
|
Institution of Engineering Technology Diamond Scholarship |
£1,000 |
|
|
University of Exeter |
Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarships |
starting from £5,000, payable as a reduction of the international tuition fee for the first year of study. |
|
Imperial College London |
President’s Undergraduate Scholarship |
£1,000 for each undergraduate year of study (for a maximum of four years). |
|
Imperial Bursary |
Up to £5,000/year, |
|
|
University of Liverpool |
Vice-Chancellor's International Attainment Scholarship 2021 |
2500 reduction of tuition fee |
|
International Postgraduate Taught Scholarship |
2500 |
|
|
Brunel University |
Brunel Graduate Discount |
15% of the tuition fee |
Top Engineering Universities in the UK: Scope and Career Opportunities
The demand for engineers is estimated to increase by 124,000 by the end of 2024. Engineers are among the most respected professions in the UK. Engineering sectors/ jobs account for 19% of total employment in the UK.
These are some of the largest companies in the UK which hire Engineering graduates.
- Airbus
- Arup
- Aston Martin
- Atkins
- Babcock
- BAE Systems
- BMW Group
- Cadent
- Colas Rail
- Dyson
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Kier Group
- Mercedes
- Network Rail
- Nucleargraduates
- Rolls Royce
- Siemens
- Sellafield
- Thales Group
- Transport for London (TfL).
Engineering jobs and salaries in the UK:
|
Engineering jobs in UK |
Range of salary |
Average annual salary |
|
Mechanical Engineer |
25,000 - 43,000 |
32,120 |
|
Civil Engineer |
25,000 - 41,000 |
31,488 |
|
Structural Engineer |
24,000 - 39,000 |
30,381 |
|
Design Engineer |
22,000 - 36,000 |
27,823 |
|
Software Engineer |
24,000 - 50,000 |
33,484 |
|
Electrical Engineer |
25,000 - 46,000 |
32,678 |
|
Project Manager |
27,000 - 61,000 |
39,897 |
|
Electronics Engineer |
24,000 - 41,000 |
31,381 |
|
Chemical Engineer |
23,000 - 49,000 |
30,960 |
|
Embedded Software Engineer |
25,000 - 42,000 |
31,542 |
|
Manufacturing Engineer |
24,000 - 48,000 |
33,726 |
|
Control System Engineer |
26,000 - 50,000 |
35,968 |
|
Naval Architect |
41,000 - 56,000 |
37,106 |
|
Production Manager (Manufacturing) |
25,000 - 59,000 |
39,658 |
