The best universities to study computer science in the UK in 2024/2025

As of June 2024, the tech industry has seen 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies.

Despite that number, a future in computer science is still worth investing in — or at least students aren’t put off by it.

UC Berkeley, ranked fifth in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024: Computer Science and Information Systems, saw a 48% increase in first-year applications to their College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS).

What’s more interesting is this: the number of first-year applications to UC Berkeley as a whole didn’t change much from a year earlier. In short, this means that more students see a better future for themselves by securing a degree in the field of computer science.

And it isn’t just in the US too; across the pond, students hoping to pursue computer science in the UK can hope to meet their career match.

In 2023, a reported 95% of employers experienced difficulties recruiting in the seemingly narrow field of technology. A 2024 report by global recruitment agency Robert Walters showed that over 70% of employers believe that they will face a shortage of technology professionals over the next year.

Luckily for international students, where there is demand, there is supply.

Home to the world’s education capital and the most popular international student city on the globe, the UK is where students — especially computer science students — thrive.

If you’re looking for good programmes for computer science in the UK, many are available in bustling London. Source: AFP

The best universities to study computer science in the UK

The information below is based on data from The Complete University Guide – ranked according to graduate prospects, entry standards, research standards and student satisfaction.

10. King’s College London

Entry requirements: A*A*A, including A in Mathematics or Further Mathematics.

Profile: King’s College London‘s three-year BSc in Computer Science covers software engineering, algorithms and optimisation, cybersecurity, systems engineering, foundations of computing, and fundamentals of artificial intelligence. The programme is also accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS), The Chartered Institute for IT.

Career prospects: Recent graduates have gone on to become an analyst programmer at Airbus, an e-disclosure specialist at Stroz Friedberg, a financial software developer at Goldman Sachs, an information security consultant at Merrill Lynch, and more. Students get help from King’s CareerConnect, whose services last two years after they graduate from the university.

 

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9. University of Durham

Entry requirements: A*AA, including Mathematics.

Profile: Durham‘s three-year BSc in Computer Science emphasises programming and mathematical skills from the start. Here, you’ll explore a wide range of innovative technological applications such as machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, virtual and augmented reality, and cybersecurity, among others.

Career prospects: Durham boasts links to the concentration of high-technology industries in the North East and to national and international employers. Students have had internships or found graduate employment with companies such as Meta, Waters, and IBM.

8. University of Bath

Entry requirements: A*A*A, including A in Mathematics.

Profile: Bath‘s three-year BSc in Computer Science combines software systems design, software development, interaction design, artificial intelligence, computational mathematics, computer graphics, and vision.

Career prospects: Graduates have gone on to companies such as Darktrace, IBM, J.P. Morgan, QuantSpark, and Trilateral Research. International students benefit from one-to-one support from Careers Consultants and Applications Advisers by getting help with career plans, job search strategies, and job applications.

 

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7. University College London (UCL)

Entry requirements: A*A*A, including A in Mathematics or Further Mathematics.

Profile: UCL‘s three-year BSc in Computer Science focuses on programming and software development, mathematics, theoretical foundations, systems and architecture, and professional and design skills. There is a focus on practical problem-based learning and group-based working.

Career prospects: Graduates are elevated by UCL’s elite reputation, representing an institution described as London’s global university. Learners reap the benefits of ties with influential industry partners, as well as a prime location in the heart of the UK capital. Graduate destinations include Microsoft, IBM, Google, Cisco, Deutsche Bank, and J.P. Morgan.

6. University of Birmingham

Entry requirements: A*AA, including A in Mathematics.

Profile: Birmingham‘s three-year BSc in Computer Science offers a balance of general computer science with practical software engineering, ensuring that you have a firm foundation in the principles of algorithms, AI, software engineering and relevant maths, as well as the opportunity to tailor your degree to suit your interests and career. The programme is also fully accredited by the BCS.

Career prospects: Graduates take up roles as artificial intelligence engineers, cloud computing engineers, cybersecurity analysts, systems designers, and applications developers. Example employers include Accenture, Goldman Sachs, Honda, HP, IBM, Logics, and Rolls Royce.

A computer science degree gives you the flexibility to join a range of industries. Source: AFP

5. University of Warwick

Entry requirements: A*A*A, including A* in Mathematics.

Profile: Warwick‘s three-year BSc in Computer Science enables you to acquire technical skills in software engineering, algorithm analysis and system design, as well as experience of project management, research and scientific methods. The programme is also fully accredited by the BCS.

Career prospects: Graduates from the Department of Computer Science in the past have entered a range of industries, including automobiles and aviation (British Airways, Ford Motor Company, and Jaguar Land Rover), computer security (BAE and GCHQ), finance (Barclays, Bloomberg, and Morgan Stanley), and more.

4. University of St Andrews

Entry requirements: SQA Highers, AAAAB, including A in Mathematics and a pass in one of the following: Biology (or Human Biology), Chemistry, Computing Science, Geography, Physics, Psychology.

Profile: St Andrews‘s four-year BSc in Computer Science allows you to build a programme around your interests and study specialist areas such as artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, computer security, video games, data encoding, databases, and operating systems.

Career prospects: Graduates have taken secured employment with internet juggernauts like Google and Amazon; management consultancies like Accenture, Deloitte, and KPMG; innovative start-ups like Cloudsoft and Skyscanner; and prestigious multinationals like Adobe, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, and Hewlett-Packard.

 

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3. Imperial College London

Entry requirements: For the general BEng Computing programme, A*A*A – A*AAA, including an A* in Mathematics

Profile: With specialisations in Management and Finance, Security and Reliability, Visual Computing and Robotics — BEng computer science graduates from Imperial leave with the capability to fill rising global demand. “The result is that our graduates do not just develop essential core computing skills,” the institution notes, “they also learn how to adapt to the challenges and opportunities of technological change.”

Career prospects: Imperial’s computing graduates have gone onto a wide range of careers, including associate gameplay programmers, cloud engineers, quantitative researchers and traders, science reliability engineers, technical leads, and more. Their employers include Adobe, Amazon, Citadel Securities, G-Research, and Habito, amongst many others.

2. University of Oxford

Entry requirements: A*AA, including Maths, with the A* in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, or Computer Science

Profile: Oxford‘s focus in computer science is on learning and understanding the mathematical, scientific, and engineering principles underlying every kind of computing system. The programme begins with the fundamentals of computers and programming, so everyone has a solid foundation to build their degree upon.

A disclaimer: For historical reasons, all three-year first degree courses in Oxford lead to a BA degree, even if they are in a scientific subject: nobody gets a BSc at Oxford. Firms who employ Oxford graduates are all aware of this, so it does not create a problem in practice.

Graduate prospects: Graduates consistently land enviable professional positions,  from computer manufacturing and software firms to management consultancy, finance and teaching.

1. University of Cambridge

Entry requirements:A*A*A*

Profile: Cambridge adopts an intricate, industry-relevant approach to the subject, allowing ambitious computer scientists from the university to leave equipped with the ultimate foundation to succeed, further empowered by the school’s reputation that resonates around the globe.

A disclaimer: Like Oxford, Cambridge’s computer science programme is also a BA instead of a BSc or a BEng.

Career prospects: Around two-thirds of Cambridge computing graduates move into further study after graduation – much higher than the average seen across other universities, while highlighting the unparalleled research culture found at this world-class institution. Almost all other graduates succeed in either the IT or new media sector, building software or hardware, facilitating IT and technical consultancy or supporting IT management through graduate entry schemes.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on July 22, 2024.