Skip to main content

Compare any two UK universities

Select any two universities below and we'll generate an instant, data-driven comparison — rankings, salaries, student satisfaction, international community, and more.

B
Birkbeck, University of London

London · QS World #354

U
University of Glasgow

Glasgow · QS World #80

Head-to-Head Summary

Based on 10 datapoints

We looked at 10 data points — world rankings, student satisfaction, graduate salaries, employment rates, and more — to see which university scores higher in each category.

1/10

Birkbeck

scored higher in 1 category

VS

9/10

Glasgow

scored higher in 9 categories

Quick Verdict

University of Glasgow leads in 9 of 10 categories where both have data (ranking, Russell Group, established, satisfaction, employment, international, graduate salary, courses). Birkbeck, University of London is ahead on scholarship.

Birkbeck, University of London vs University of Glasgow at a glance

Birkbeck, University of London and University of Glasgow both teach 51 subject areas, the largest being History, Law and Management. Birkbeck, University of London offers 361 courses across 69 subject areas; University of Glasgow offers 1,022 courses across 97 subject areas.

For postgraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,850 a year at Birkbeck, University of London and £15,160 at University of Glasgow: University of Glasgow is about £5,690 a year cheaper.

Of the 21 subject areas both teach where each publishes a graduate salary, Birkbeck, University of London is higher in 12 and University of Glasgow in 7, with 2 about level. The widest gap is in Economics: £23,000 three years after graduating from Birkbeck, University of London, against £34,500 from University of Glasgow. Of the 23 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, University of Glasgow is higher in 12 and Birkbeck, University of London in 10, with 1 about level.

World & National Rankings

Compare world and national league table positions, TEF ratings, and Russell Group membership.

#354
QS World
#80
#301
THE World
#84
—
Guardian UK
#12
1823
Established
1451
No
Russell Group
Yes
Bronze
TEF Rating
—

Visual Breakdown

Key metrics at a glance

Longer bars indicate better performance. Metrics include student satisfaction, graduate salaries, and more.

Birkbeck, University of London

University of Glasgow

85.1%
86.1%

Satisfaction

Student satisfaction with teaching (NSS Survey, out of 100%)

£32,500
£36,500

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

79.6%
81.9%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

12%
35.9%

International

International student share

361
1022

Course Counts

Number of courses offered

16
4

Scholarships

Number of scholarships

International Community

Where do international students come from?

Top source countries based on official HESA enrolment data. A higher diversity of nationalities often means a richer campus experience.

Birkbeck

60 countries · 12% international

  • 🇺🇸United States10.8%
  • 🇨🇳China9.7%
  • 🇮🇳India8.6%
  • 🇪🇸Spain4.8%
  • 🇮🇹Italy4.3%
VS

Glasgow

121 countries · 35.9% international

  • 🇨🇳China51.9%
  • 🇺🇸United States7.4%
  • 🇮🇳India7%
  • 🌐Kuwait1.7%
  • 🇭🇰Hong Kong1.5%

Subjects

51 subjects you can study at both

Courses listed at each university in the subject, and the typical (median) international fee a year. Select a count to see the courses.

Birkbeck, University of London

University of Glasgow

Also taught at both: Philosophy, Ancient Languages, Media & Film Studies, Business & Management (General), Archaeology, Accounting, Finance & Actuarial Science, Chemistry, Social Policy & Public Policy, Drama & Theatre, French, Human Geography & Environment, Information & Library Studies, German & Scandinavian Studies, Statistics, Biochemistry, Creative Writing, Business Studies, GIS & Remote Sensing, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Geology & Earth Sciences, Hospitality, Events & Tourism, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Planning & Housing, Marketing, Social Sciences (General), Environmental Sciences, International Development, Linguistics, Microbiology & Cell Biology, Clinical & Health Psychology, Genetics & Genomics, Computing & IT, Design & Fashion, Human Resource Management.

Only at Birkbeck, University of London

Only at University of Glasgow

Fees

What it costs international students

The typical (median) international tuition fee a year across each university's published course fees. Individual courses vary; each course page shows its own fee.

Undergraduate

Birkbeck, University of London
£18,500
University of Glasgow
No data

We do not have reliable international fee data for University of Glasgow yet.

Postgraduate

Birkbeck, University of London
£20,850
University of Glasgow
£15,160

University of Glasgow is about £5,690 a year cheaper.

Outcomes

Graduate outcomes by subject

Median graduate salary three years after graduating, and student satisfaction with teaching, across each university's undergraduate courses in the subject. Source: Discover Uni.

Birkbeck, University of London

University of Glasgow

  • History

    £23,500Salary (3 years)£23,500
    95%Satisfaction90%

  • Law

    £22,500Salary (3 years)£27,500
    94%Satisfaction86%

  • Politics & International Relations

    £23,000Salary (3 years)£25,500
    96%Satisfaction88%

  • Mathematics

    £27,000Salary (3 years)£30,500
    94%Satisfaction82%

  • Psychology (General)

    £26,000Salary (3 years)£24,000
    84%Satisfaction91%

  • Sociology & Criminology

    £23,000Salary (3 years)£23,000
    88%Satisfaction91%

  • Classical Studies

    £23,500Salary (3 years)£23,000
    98%Satisfaction86%

  • Economics

    £23,000Salary (3 years)£34,500
    88%Satisfaction79%

  • History of Art & Design

    £23,500Salary (3 years)£23,000
    89%Satisfaction95%

  • Computer Science

    £38,000Salary (3 years)£32,500
    72%Satisfaction85%

  • English Literature

    £24,000Salary (3 years)£21,500
    98%Satisfaction93%

  • Philosophy

    £23,500Salary (3 years)£22,500
    91%Satisfaction90%

Showing the 12 largest of 23 shared subjects with published outcomes.

Scholarships for International Students

Exclusive

Birkbeck, University of London

Bonnart Trust Sanctuary Scholarship

£18,000

Deadline: Jun 2026

Cyril Taylor Scholarships

£15,000

Deadline: Jul 2026

Breakspear scholarship

£12,000

Deadline: Jul 2026

MA History of Art scholarship

£6,000

Deadline: Jul 2026

Legal & General Sustainable Leaders Bursary

£5,000

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

University of Glasgow

Minerva Scholarships

£22,000

Deadline: N/A

Excellence Bursaries

100%

Deadline: N/A

Travel Bursaries

£50

Deadline: N/A

School of Computing Science postgraduate research excellence bursaries

See details

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

FAQ

Birkbeck, University of London vs University of Glasgow: common questions

Is Birkbeck, University of London or University of Glasgow cheaper for international students?

For postgraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,850 a year at Birkbeck, University of London and £15,160 at University of Glasgow: University of Glasgow is about £5,690 a year cheaper. These are medians of the international tuition fees each university publishes for its courses; the fee for a specific course is on its course page.

What subjects can you study at both Birkbeck, University of London and University of Glasgow?

Both universities teach 51 subject areas: History, Law, Management, Politics & International Relations, Mathematics, Psychology (General), Spanish & Portuguese, Sociology & Criminology, Classical Studies, Economics, History of Art & Design, Information Systems & Data Science and 39 more.

Is Birkbeck, University of London or University of Glasgow better for History?

History graduates earn a median £23,500 three years after graduating from Birkbeck, University of London, and £23,500 from University of Glasgow. Student satisfaction with teaching is 95% at Birkbeck, University of London and 90% at University of Glasgow. Figures are medians across each university's undergraduate courses in the subject, from Discover Uni.

Does Birkbeck, University of London or University of Glasgow offer more courses?

University of Glasgow lists 1,022 courses on CourseOptions and Birkbeck, University of London lists 361 courses.

What can you study at Birkbeck, University of London but not at University of Glasgow?

Birkbeck, University of London teaches 18 subject areas that University of Glasgow does not, including Physical Geography & Climate, Counselling & Psychotherapy, Journalism, Cognitive & Experimental Psychology, Asian Languages & Studies, Healthcare Science, Liberal Arts, Applied Psychology and 10 more.

What can you study at University of Glasgow but not at Birkbeck, University of London?

University of Glasgow teaches 46 subject areas that Birkbeck, University of London does not, including Eastern European Languages, Physics, Theology & Religious Studies, Celtic Studies, English Language, Music, Education Studies, Scottish Gaelic and 38 more.

Ready to explore courses?

Browse available courses, check entry requirements, and find scholarships at each university.

B
Birkbeck, University of London361 courses · 16 scholarshipsBrowse Courses
U
University of Glasgow1,022 courses · 4 scholarshipsBrowse Courses