The following rankings organized by subject area come from the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings.
Times Higher Education World University Rankings:
Name of institution | World rank | IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes) | IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes) |
University of Oxford | 1 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
University of Cambridge | 2 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
Imperial College London | 9 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
University College London | 14 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
London School of Economics and Political Science | 26 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
University of Edinburgh | 29 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
King's College London | 38 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
University of Manchester | 57 | 6.0 | 7.5 |
University of Bristol | 78 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
University of Warwick | 79 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
University of Glasgow | 93 | 6.0 | 7.0 |
University of Sheffield | 106 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
Durham University | 114 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
University of Birmingham | 116 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Southampton | 118 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
University of York | 119 | Contact institution | Contact institution |
Queen Mary University of London | 130 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Exeter | 141 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
Lancaster University | 146 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Nottingham | 149 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
University of Leeds | 153 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Aberdeen | 158 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of St Andrews | 161 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
University of Leicester | 165 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Sussex | 167 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
Newcastle University | 171 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
University of Liverpool | 181 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
Cardiff University | 187 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
University of East Anglia | 190 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
QS World University Rankings:
Name of institution | World rank | IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes) | IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes) |
University of Oxford | 5 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
University of Cambridge | 6 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
Imperial College London | 8 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
University College London | 10 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
The University of Edinburgh | 18 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
The University of Manchester | 29 | 6.0 | 7.5 |
King's College London | 31 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | 38 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
University of Bristol | 51 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
The University of Warwick | 54 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
University of Glasgow | 69 | 6.0 | 7.0 |
Durham University | 74 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
The University of Sheffield | 75 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Birmingham | 79 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
The University of Nottingham | 82 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
University of Leeds | 93 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Southampton | 96 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
University of St Andrews | 97 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
Queen Mary University of London | 119 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
Lancaster University | 131 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of York | 134 | Contact institution | Contact institution |
Newcastle University | 141 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
Cardiff University | 145 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
The University of Exeter | 154 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
University of Bath | 158 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
University of Liverpool | 164 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Aberdeen | 172 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
University of Reading | 195 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
Study Visa for the UK
If you are applying for a Tier 4 Student Visa to study in UK as a Highly Reliable Sponsor (HTS) for the purposes of studying for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, you are required to meet the English language level set by the institution.
All British universities and colleges accept IELTS score. This means that you can apply with your IELTS result at one of 1,000 IELTS exam locations worldwide unless your institution has additional requirements. Please check the official register of sponsors from the Home Office.
IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
This test is for those who wish to study courses below degree level in the UK or others who are required to take a Secure English Language Test (SELT) as part of a direct application for a UK visa and immigration. The test includes listening, reading, writing, and speaking components.
