Best Universities for Civil Engineering in the UK 2027
Durham University tops our 2027 civil engineering ranking with 160 points, performing consistently across all eight metrics with graduate earnings of £32,000 and 94% academic support. University of Plymouth comes second with 152 points and Nottingham Trent University third with 147. We ranked 58 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Civil engineering graduate earnings range from £22,500 (Buckinghamshire New University) to £35,000 (Aberdeen, Northampton). University of Aberdeen (11th) and University of Northampton (41st) both produce £35,000 graduates — for very different reasons. University of Exeter ranks 17th overall but has the lowest teaching quality (68%) and lowest academic support (60%) scores in the entire field. University of Bradford (16th) achieves the highest teaching quality at 98%. With 58 universities in this ranking, the variation in course delivery is substantial.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Civil Engineering University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham University Durham |
£32,000 | 78% | 90% | 94% | 160 |
| 2 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£29,000 | 75% | 94% | 96% | 152 |
| 3 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£30,500 | 76% | 93% | 98% | 147 |
| 4 | Swansea University Swansea |
£30,000 | 79% | 79% | 79% | 144 |
| 4 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£31,000 | 74% | 83% | 86% | 144 |
| 5 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£30,500 | 71% | 91% | 95% | 140 |
| 5 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh |
£30,500 | 72% | 96% | 96% | 140 |
| 6 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£30,000 | 79% | 86% | 91% | 134 |
| 7 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£30,000 | 71% | 84% | 87% | 130 |
| 8 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£30,500 | 75% | 87% | 88% | 129 |
| 9 | University of Bath Bath |
£31,500 | 80% | 93% | 90% | 128 |
| 10 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£28,000 | 69% | 95% | 94% | 125 |
| 11 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£35,000 | 76% | 92% | 100% | 124 |
| 12 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£30,000 | 72% | 83% | 83% | 123 |
| 13 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£30,000 | 71% | 88% | 96% | 122 |
| 14 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£30,000 | 74% | 75% | 78% | 121 |
| 15 | University of Warwick Coventry |
£32,000 | 74% | 91% | 95% | 120 |
| 16 | University of Bradford Bradford |
£28,500 | 71% | 98% | 96% | 119 |
| 17 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£30,000 | 79% | 68% | 60% | 118 |
| 18 | Coventry University Coventry |
£30,000 | 72% | 87% | 92% | 117 |
| 18 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£28,000 | 70% | 89% | 86% | 117 |
| 18 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£30,000 | 71% | 94% | 94% | 117 |
| 19 | University of Salford Salford |
£28,000 | 73% | 82% | 86% | 116 |
| 20 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£29,000 | 72% | 77% | 73% | 115 |
| 20 | University of Greenwich London |
£30,000 | 69% | 93% | 85% | 115 |
| 21 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£32,500 | 73% | 70% | 72% | 113 |
| 21 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£29,000 | 70% | 86% | 83% | 113 |
| 22 | University of Derby Derby |
£32,000 | 74% | 88% | 85% | 112 |
| 22 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh |
£32,000 | 75% | 93% | 95% | 112 |
| 23 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£32,000 | 74% | 79% | 74% | 111 |
| 24 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£30,000 | 75% | 98% | 100% | 108 |
| 25 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£31,000 | 75% | 76% | 83% | 103 |
| 25 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£32,500 | 76% | 90% | 90% | 103 |
| 26 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£31,500 | 74% | 82% | 83% | 102 |
| 27 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£30,500 | 70% | 74% | 81% | 100 |
| 27 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow |
£30,000 | 75% | 91% | 90% | 100 |
| 28 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea |
£30,000 | 79% | 74% | 82% | 98 |
| 28 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£32,000 | 77% | 84% | 90% | 98 |
| 29 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£31,000 | 71% | 79% | 100% | 97 |
| 29 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£30,000 | 68% | 87% | 92% | 97 |
| 30 | Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow |
£30,000 | 71% | 72% | 63% | 96 |
| 30 | University of West London London |
£29,000 | 72% | 75% | 78% | 96 |
| 31 | University of Surrey Guildford |
£31,500 | 78% | 81% | 79% | 94 |
| 32 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£31,000 | 74% | 75% | 90% | 93 |
| 32 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£30,000 | 73% | 87% | 97% | 93 |
| 33 | UCL (University College London) London |
£32,000 | 68% | 79% | 74% | 92 |
| 33 | University of East London London |
£30,000 | 68% | 93% | 91% | 92 |
| 34 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£32,000 | 72% | 78% | 93% | 90 |
| 35 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£30,000 | 72% | 73% | 70% | 88 |
| 36 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£30,000 | 78% | 92% | 88% | 87 |
| 37 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe |
£22,500 | 70% | 85% | 83% | 77 |
| 38 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£30,000 | 74% | 67% | 73% | 76 |
| 39 | Aston University Birmingham |
£30,000 | 75% | 83% | 83% | 75 |
| 39 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£30,000 | 71% | 90% | 92% | 75 |
| 40 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£30,000 | 75% | 67% | 73% | 74 |
| 41 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£35,000 | 75% | 78% | 77% | 71 |
| 42 | City St George's, University of London London |
£30,000 | 67% | 78% | 87% | 62 |
| 43 | London South Bank University London |
£30,000 | 68% | 83% | 85% | 54 |
What the ranking tells you about studying civil engineering
Civil engineering is one of the most consistently employable engineering disciplines in the UK. With 58 universities offering programmes, the variation in course quality, industry placement access, accreditation depth and graduate outcomes is substantial. This ranking scores all 58 on eight metrics — giving you data on teaching quality, academic support and student satisfaction alongside the graduate earnings and cost of living factors that most traditional league tables ignore.
Bradford at 16th: the teaching quality standout
University of Bradford achieves 98% teaching quality and 96% academic support — the highest teaching score in this ranking and among the strongest academic support scores. It ranks 16th overall with 119 points. Its lower rank is driven by lower scores on safety, social life and graduate earnings (£28,500 — the second-lowest in the field). For students who specifically want a high-quality taught experience in a city with low living costs, Bradford's course delivery metrics are the strongest in the dataset. Its civil engineering department has established industry links with contractors and consultancies in the Yorkshire and West Midlands markets.
University of Exeter: 17th place, lowest course scores in the field
University of Exeter ranks 17th with 118 points. That position appears competitive, but its teaching quality score of 68% is the lowest in the entire ranking, and its academic support score of 60% is the lowest by a significant margin — the next-lowest is Glasgow Caledonian at 63%. Exeter benefits from strong student satisfaction (79%, joint-highest in the field), a high safety score and a genuinely good city environment — all of which contribute to its overall position. But for students choosing Exeter specifically for civil engineering, the course delivery data is the most relevant information available and it does not support the ranking position. Worth considering carefully before applying.
Aberdeen (11th) and Northampton (41st) both produce £35,000 graduates. University of Aberdeen ranks 11th with 124 points, 100% academic support and £35,000 graduate earnings — the joint-highest in the field. University of Northampton ranks 41st with 71 points and also produces £35,000 graduates, despite the lowest overall score in the top 40. Both earn the same starting salary. Aberdeen's result reflects its oil and gas industry connections in the North East of Scotland, where civil and structural engineers enter a premium market. Northampton's result likely reflects a small cohort entering specific high-paying roles. Graduate earnings are a useful signal but need context — a cohort size of three students entering £35,000 roles produces the same figure as a cohort of 300.
Dundee: the 100% double at 24th
University of Dundee ranks 24th with 108 points, achieving 100% on both academic support and teaching quality — the joint-best double in the field. Graduate earnings of £30,000 are mid-table. Dundee's civil engineering programme benefits from connections to the construction and infrastructure sector in Scotland, and its small cohort size typically means excellent staff-to-student ratios. Its sustainability score (29.5) is the second-lowest in the ranking, which cost it points. For students who want guaranteed strong course delivery in a low-cost Scottish city, Dundee's data profile is one of the most overlooked in this entire ranking.
ICE accreditation: check before applying
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) accredits civil engineering programmes in the UK. An ICE-accredited MEng is the standard route to Chartered Engineer (CEng) status — the professional benchmark for senior civil engineering roles in infrastructure, construction, transport and water. An accredited BEng can qualify you for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status. Most major contractors and consultancies (Arup, AECOM, Mott MacDonald, Jacobs, WSP) recruit preferentially for accredited MEng graduates at senior level. Confirm that the specific programme you are applying to holds current ICE accreditation at the appropriate level — BEng and MEng can have different accreditation statuses within the same department.
For a broader view of how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking. For graduate employment data, see the employability ranking.
