Best Universities for Mechanical Engineering in the UK 2027
Swansea University tops our 2027 mechanical engineering ranking with 208 points, combining 97% academic support and 90% teaching quality with strong city metrics. Durham University comes second with 201 points. Northumbria University is third with 196 points and 94% teaching quality. We ranked 77 UK universities offering mechanical engineering degrees across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Mechanical engineering graduate earnings range from £22,500 (Buckinghamshire New University) to £35,000 (UCL at 36th and University of Aberdeen at joint 41st). University of Plymouth (joint 4th) and University of South Wales (5th) both achieve 100% academic support. Harper Adams University (joint 45th) achieves the highest student satisfaction in the field at 88%. University of Glasgow (54th) has the lowest academic support at 58%. University of Huddersfield (52nd) has the lowest teaching quality at 59%.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Mechanical Engineering University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea University Swansea |
£30,000 | 79% | 90% | 97% | 208 |
| 2 | Durham University Durham |
£32,000 | 78% | 90% | 94% | 201 |
| 3 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£32,000 | 74% | 94% | 87% | 196 |
| 4 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£30,000 | 75% | 90% | 100% | 190 |
| 4 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£30,000 | 78% | 92% | 96% | 190 |
| 5 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£29,000 | 72% | 90% | 100% | 181 |
| 6 | Glyndwr University, Wrexham Wrexham |
£30,000 | 74% | 75% | 96% | 180 |
| 6 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£32,500 | 73% | 89% | 89% | 180 |
| 7 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£30,000 | 79% | 92% | 92% | 176 |
| 8 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£30,500 | 71% | 88% | 97% | 171 |
| 9 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth |
£29,000 | 71% | 80% | 93% | 170 |
| 10 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh |
£30,500 | 72% | 85% | 90% | 164 |
| 10 | University of Bath Bath |
£33,000 | 80% | 92% | 90% | 164 |
| 11 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£30,000 | 73% | 80% | 89% | 162 |
| 11 | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen |
£33,000 | 77% | 86% | 86% | 162 |
| 12 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£30,500 | 76% | 82% | 89% | 161 |
| 13 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£29,000 | 74% | 78% | 80% | 160 |
| 13 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£31,000 | 72% | 81% | 82% | 160 |
| 14 | Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow |
£30,000 | 71% | 82% | 93% | 159 |
| 15 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£31,000 | 79% | 63% | 74% | 158 |
| 16 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£32,500 | 70% | 76% | 82% | 157 |
| 17 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea |
£25,000 | 79% | 98% | 98% | 154 |
| 18 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£33,500 | 71% | 70% | 79% | 153 |
| 19 | University of Warwick Coventry |
£34,000 | 74% | 91% | 92% | 150 |
| 20 | Coventry University Coventry |
£28,000 | 72% | 90% | 96% | 149 |
| 21 | University of Sunderland Sunderland |
£25,500 | 74% | 82% | 90% | 148 |
| 22 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£32,000 | 74% | 79% | 81% | 147 |
| 23 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£30,000 | 72% | 73% | 92% | 146 |
| 24 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£29,500 | 69% | 85% | 89% | 144 |
| 25 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£32,000 | 75% | 78% | 90% | 143 |
| 25 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£32,500 | 74% | 80% | 94% | 143 |
| 25 | University of Surrey Guildford |
£31,000 | 78% | 91% | 91% | 143 |
| 26 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£28,500 | 73% | 82% | 82% | 142 |
| 27 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£30,000 | 74% | 78% | 82% | 141 |
| 28 | University of Bedfordshire Luton |
£29,000 | 68% | 86% | 82% | 140 |
| 29 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£30,000 | 73% | 67% | 75% | 139 |
| 30 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£32,000 | 72% | 75% | 86% | 137 |
| 30 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£33,000 | 82% | 76% | 81% | 137 |
| 31 | University of Derby Derby |
£30,000 | 74% | 83% | 85% | 136 |
| 31 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£30,000 | 73% | 89% | 91% | 136 |
| 32 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£31,500 | 75% | 73% | 73% | 135 |
| 33 | University of Bradford Bradford |
£28,000 | 71% | 93% | 85% | 134 |
| 34 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£32,000 | 70% | 78% | 77% | 133 |
| 35 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£30,000 | 71% | 86% | 84% | 132 |
| 36 | UCL (University College London) London |
£35,000 | 68% | 80% | 80% | 130 |
| 37 | University of Salford Salford |
£28,000 | 73% | 79% | 63% | 129 |
| 38 | University of Greenwich London |
£30,000 | 69% | 75% | 80% | 126 |
| 39 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£28,000 | 70% | 73% | 73% | 124 |
| 39 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£34,000 | 74% | 77% | 88% | 124 |
| 40 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£31,000 | 77% | 81% | 79% | 120 |
| 40 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£31,500 | 77% | 83% | 91% | 120 |
| 41 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£30,000 | 71% | 67% | 75% | 119 |
| 41 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£35,000 | 76% | 71% | 81% | 119 |
| 42 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£32,500 | 76% | 85% | 84% | 117 |
| 43 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£30,000 | 71% | 88% | 86% | 116 |
| 44 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£30,000 | 78% | 90% | 94% | 111 |
| 45 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£32,000 | 72% | 83% | 85% | 110 |
| 45 | Harper Adams University Newport |
£28,000 | 88% | 84% | 88% | 110 |
| 46 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow |
£32,500 | 75% | 76% | 84% | 109 |
| 46 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£30,000 | 75% | 86% | 88% | 109 |
| 47 | University of East London London |
£30,000 | 68% | 85% | 88% | 108 |
| 48 | Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent |
£26,000 | 72% | 85% | 88% | 107 |
| 49 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh |
£32,000 | 75% | 78% | 72% | 105 |
| 49 | Solent University Southampton |
£30,000 | 71% | 83% | 89% | 105 |
| 50 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£30,000 | 69% | 77% | 81% | 103 |
| 51 | University of Hull Hull |
£30,000 | 76% | 89% | 91% | 101 |
| 52 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£30,000 | 74% | 59% | 68% | 98 |
| 53 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe |
£22,500 | 70% | 85% | 83% | 95 |
| 54 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£31,000 | 75% | 71% | 58% | 94 |
| 55 | Aston University Birmingham |
£30,000 | 75% | 81% | 81% | 93 |
| 56 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£24,500 | 73% | 89% | 79% | 92 |
| 57 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£32,000 | 68% | 67% | 66% | 90 |
| 58 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£31,500 | 75% | 78% | 77% | 86 |
| 59 | London South Bank University London |
£27,500 | 68% | 89% | 91% | 80 |
| 60 | University of Chichester Chichester |
£27,500 | 80% | 90% | 75% | 72 |
| 61 | City St George's, University of London London |
£30,000 | 67% | 74% | 78% | 71 |
| 62 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£30,000 | 71% | 78% | 76% | 67 |
What the ranking tells you about studying mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest and most employment-versatile engineering degrees in the UK. Graduates access careers in automotive, aerospace, defence, energy, manufacturing, robotics, biomedical engineering, consultancy and academia. With 77 universities in this ranking, the variation in laboratory infrastructure, industry partnerships, accreditation status and graduate outcomes is substantial. Earnings across the field are relatively compressed at entry level (£22,500 to £35,000) compared to other subjects — but mechanical engineering salary growth post-graduation is consistently above average.
UCL at 36th and Aberdeen at joint 41st: £35,000 — the joint-highest mechanical engineering earnings
UCL ranks 36th with 130 points and produces mechanical engineering graduates earning £35,000 — joint-highest in this ranking. UCL's mechanical engineering department benefits from London's premium graduate salary market, strong employer connections in engineering consultancy, defence and technology, and UCL's overall research profile. UCL ranks 36th because London's maximum cost of living and low student satisfaction (68%) suppress the overall score significantly. University of Aberdeen ranks joint 41st with 119 points and also produces £35,000 — reflecting Aberdeen's strong connections to the North Sea energy sector (oil, gas, offshore engineering) and the higher salary premiums for mechanical engineers serving the energy industry. Both are cases where graduate earnings substantially outperform overall ranking position.
University of Exeter at 15th: course delivery anomaly in the top 20
University of Exeter ranks 15th with 158 points and achieves 63% teaching quality and 74% academic support — both among the lowest in the top half of this field. The field average teaching quality is approximately 82% and average academic support approximately 85%. Exeter's 15th-place overall position is driven by strong city-level metrics: Exeter scores well on safety, social life and satisfaction. For a technically demanding degree where laboratory teaching, problem-based learning and one-to-one academic support directly shape competence, 63% teaching quality is a significant figure. Students attracted to Exeter by its overall university reputation should treat these course delivery scores as the primary data point to investigate at open day.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David at 17th achieves 98% teaching quality and 98% academic support — the strongest course delivery double in this field — alongside £25,000 graduate earnings. UWTSD ranks 17th rather than higher because its sustainability score is lower and social life score is modest. For students who specifically want the best-measured teaching quality and academic support in UK mechanical engineering, UWTSD's data is the strongest in the field. University of Plymouth (joint 4th) and University of South Wales (5th) both achieve 100% academic support — the only institutions in this ranking to do so.
IMechE accreditation: the essential check for mechanical engineering degrees
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) accredits mechanical engineering degree programmes in the UK. An IMechE-accredited degree is the recognised educational foundation for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng) status — the professional qualifications that define career progression in UK engineering. Many employers require or strongly prefer graduates from accredited programmes. Without accreditation, graduates typically need additional top-up qualifications to meet the education requirements for professional registration. Confirm IMechE accreditation for your specific programme on the IMechE website before applying. An accredited BEng or MEng is the most important single quality check for mechanical engineering applicants.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking. For graduate employment data, see the employability ranking.
