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Law School Rankings UK

We will provide in depth information about law school rankings uk regardless of the fact that information shared on multiple internet sources is not always accurate.

The following law school rankings uk, university of law ranking 2020, university rankings uk, best russell group universities for law, best law colleges in uk for llb and university of law reputation are available on collegelearners.

Law School Rankings UK

best russell group universities for law, best law colleges in uk

The UK is home to some of the leading law schools in the world.ย 

The most traditional way to become a lawyer in the UK is to study for a law degree (LLB). Students who have studied a different subject at undergraduate level can take the graduate diploma in law conversion course. Most students will also need to take further courses and training in order to specialise. These include the Bar Practice Course (replacing the Bar Professional Training Course), which allows graduates to prepare and practise as barristers in England and Wales, and the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (from 2021). 

Many universities also allow students to combine their legal studies with other subjects, making it a joint honours degree.

The legal field offers career options such as barrister, coroner, crown prosecutor, patent attorney or solicitor. A law degree provides students with transferrable skills that can be used in any of these positions.

If you obtain a law degree in the UK, you can practise in other countries, but you may need to undertake Practical Legal Training or the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme, depending on which country you are moving to. 

These are the best universities in the UK for law degrees. 

1. University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge has been teaching law since the 13th century. 

The Faculty of Law is known today for its courses in international and comparative law, jurisprudence and legal history. The faculty is also known for its research in the socio-legal and social-science fields. 

During the first year of the undergraduate degree, students will learn about civil, tort, criminal and constitutional law. As students progress through their degree, they have the opportunity to specialise in areas such as family law, international law and commercial law. 

As well as the undergraduate law degree, the faculty offers two masterโ€™s degrees: law and corporate law. There is also a doctorate in law available for students looking to undertake a career in legal research.

The Herbert Smith Freehills Global Visitor Programme facilitates academic exchanges between partner universities. The faculty has also partnered with Harvard Law School to give Cambridge PhD students the opportunity to use Harvardโ€™s facilities.

2. University of Oxford

The University of Oxford has one of the largest faculties of law in the UK. When you apply to study for a law degree at Oxford, you can either submit an open application and be assigned a college on acceptance of your place, or you can apply directly to one of the 30 colleges that offer law degrees. 

There are two undergraduate degree programmes available: jurisprudence; and law with law studies in Europe, which includes a year abroad at a university in France, Germany, Italy or Spain. For students who have already studied an undergraduate degree, there is a BA in jurisprudence with senior status, which is a shorter version of the regular law degree. 

Oxford has one of the largest cohorts of law research students in the English-speaking world. There are no compulsory courses in the Magister Juris (MJur) taught graduate course; instead students choose from about 40 options to make up credits. 

The Faculty of Law engages in research projects throughout the academic year. Current projects include: 100 years of Women in Law at Oxford, Addressing Asylum Harm in Britain, Denmark and Sweden, and AI for English Law.


What can you do with a law degree?


3. UCL

UCL was the first university in the UK to have a faculty of common law. It was also the first university to offer degrees in English law rather than civil law.

UCL Laws offers three courses: undergraduate, master of laws (LLM) and the MPhil/PhD programme. Alongside the three-year undergraduate degree, specialisms include the opportunity to transfer to the four-year joint LLB/JD degree, where students spend years three and four at the University of Columbia in New York. Alternatively, they can join the law with another legal system LLB, where students spend their third year at the University of New South Wales, Hong Kong University or the National University of Singapore.

The LLM can be studied part- or full-time; its wide range of modules includes company law, decolonising law, international trade law and religion, state and law, among many others. There is also a range of specialist degree programmes which result in an LLM in a specialised area. These include maritime law, public law, and international banking and finance law. 

A total of 15 centres and institutes are affiliated with UCL Faculty of Laws, which facilitate legal teaching and research. These include the UCL Centre for Commercial Law, UCL Centre for Empirical Legal Studies and UCL Centre for Law, Economics and Society.

Students and faculty staff work together on research projects, with recent ones being UCL Public International Law Pro Bono Project and Human Rights Beyond Borders.

4. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Law is one of the London School of Economics and Political Scienceโ€™s largest departments with more than 60 faculty staff. 

Undergraduate students can study the LLB bachelor of laws, as well as the double-degree programme, which involves transferring to Columbia University Law School for two years.

There are two graduate degree programmes offered: LLM master of laws and the executive LLM, which is available to those who have at least three years post-degree work experience in law. The department also offers a PhD programme in law for students seeking to carry out advanced legal research.

Students and faculty staff conduct research in a range of areas including commercial law, environmental law, criminal law and criminal justice, EU law, and human rights. One of their more recent research initiatives is the Law and Economics Forum, which encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between lawyers and economists.

The Modern Law Review is one of the worldโ€™s leading academic law reviews and it maintains close ties with the LSE law department. The review is published six times a year and features articles, cases, legislation and reviews.

5. University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Law School has a history of more than 300 years.

Three undergraduate programmes are offered: the LLB, the joint LLB honours and the graduate LLB, which is a two-year conversion course for students who already have a degree-level qualification.

For postgraduates, a range of LLM and MSc programmes are available in legal areas such as comparative and European private law, global crime, justice and security and innovation, technology and the law. The university also offers an online masterโ€™s programme in areas such as medical law and ethics and information technology law. 

As Scotlandโ€™s leading legal research institution, Edinburgh Law School is committed to carrying out high-quality research. Students and staff can use the schoolโ€™s institutes and centres to facilitate their research projects. 


Studying Law in the UK is a great choice. British law schools list over 850 Bachelors and 950 Masters in Law on our portals, with tuition fees starting at around 2,000 EUR per academic year.

If you only settle for the best university, these are the top law schools in the UK based on rankings created by:

  • Times Higher Education
  • TopUniversities
  • Shanghai University
  • The Complete University Guide

1. Best law schools in the UK – Times Higher Education Subject Rankings 2021

Check out the full ranking on the Times Higher Education website.

2. Best law schools in the UK – TopUniversities Subject Ranking 2021

  • University of Oxford
  • University of Cambridge
  • London School of Economics and Political Science
  • University College London (UCL)
  • Kingโ€™s College London
  • University of Edinburgh
  • Queen Mary University of London
  • Durham University
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of Bristol

See the other ranked law schools on the TopUniversities website.

Law student reading in the library

3. Best law schools in the UK – Shanghai Subject Ranking 2020

Find the complete ranking on the Shanghai Rankings webpage.

4. Best law schools in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2021

Every year, the Complete University Guide evaluates universities in the UK and creates detailed rankings, which help students choose the right higher education institution for their studies.

Some of the main criteria used to create the rankings are entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, student-staff ration, degree completion, graduate prospects, and others.

  • University of Cambridge
  • University of Oxford
  • University College London
  • Kingโ€™s College London
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of Aberdeen
  • University of Edinburgh
  • University of Strathclyde
  • London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Durham University

You can learn more about these top British law schools on The Complete University Guide website.

If you want to study from the comfort of your home, check out online Master’s degrees in Law.

Find Law Masters in the UK

Student reviews of the top law schools in the United Kingdom

Checking out reviews from other students is the best way to know what kind of experience you will have at a university abroad. Thatโ€™s why weโ€™ve listed a few reviews from students who took classes at some of the best law schools in Britain:

University of Nottingham

โ€œIt has so much to offer in terms of student satisfaction along with being a Russell Group university. It has a beautiful campus along with excellent facilities for both academia and sports. There are so many clubs and societies that you can join, and it is an incredibly sociable university with an amazing nightlife.โ€

University of Dundee

โ€œI’m doing an LLM in International Criminal Justice and Human Rights at the University of Dundee and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the uni, its lecturers, classes, organisation and with its friendly approach to students. Dundee is a relatively small city which is wonderful if you’re on a budget and can’t afford living in a bigger city like Edinburgh for example. It’s also quite easy to get from one point to another thanks to the public transportation.โ€

University of Manchester

โ€œAs an international student with a different academic background I found it hard adjusting, but when I made use of all the resources and help provided for me and also started to believe in myself, I found that there was nothing I couldn’t do.โ€

Top universities in the UK for law degrees 2021

UK Law Rank 2021 WUR  Law Rank 2021 UniversityCity
1 2 University of CambridgeCambridge
2 3 University of OxfordOxford
3 8 UCLLondon
4 10 London School of Economics and Political ScienceLondon
5 15 University of EdinburghEdinburgh
6 23 Kingโ€™s College LondonLondon
7 =35 Durham UniversityDurham
8 39 University of WarwickWarwick
9 40 University of GlasgowGlasgow
10 45 University of KentKent
=11 =48 University of ManchesterManchester
=11 =48 Queen Mary University of LondonLondon
13 51 University of EssexEssex
14 55 University of BristolBristol
15 57 University of NottinghamNottingham
16 66 University of SheffieldSheffield
17 81 University of AberdeenAberdeen
18 82 Lancaster UniversityLancaster
19 89 University of LeedsLeeds
=20 101โ€“125 Cardiff UniversityCardiff
=20 101โ€“125 City, University of LondonLondon
=20 101โ€“125 University of LiverpoolLiverpool
=20 101โ€“125 Middlesex UniversityLondon
=20 101โ€“125 Newcastle UniversityNewcastle
=20 101โ€“125 Queenโ€™s University BelfastBelfast
=20 101โ€“125 University of SurreyGuildford
=20 101โ€“125 University of SussexBrighton
=28 126โ€“150 University of BirminghamBirmingham
=28 126โ€“150 University of ExeterExeter
=28 126โ€“150 University of SouthamptonSouthampton
=28 126โ€“150 University of StrathclydeStrathclyde
=32 151โ€“175 University of DundeeDundee
=32 151โ€“175 University of East AngliaNorwich
=32 151โ€“175 University of HullHull
=32 151โ€“175 Northumbria UniversityNorthumbria
=32 151โ€“175 University of PortsmouthPortsmouth
=32 151โ€“175 University of YorkYork
=38 176โ€“200 University of HuddersfieldHuddersfield
=38 176โ€“200 University of LeicesterLeicester
=38 176โ€“200 Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham
41 201+ University of Central LancashirePreston


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