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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.

C
Cardiff Metropolitan University

Cardiff · THE World #1001

Q
Queen's University Belfast

Belfast · QS World #174

Head-to-Head Summary

Based on 8 datapoints

We looked at 8 data points — world rankings, student satisfaction, graduate salaries, employment rates, and more — to see which university scores higher in each category.

1/8

Cardiff Metropolitan

scored higher in 1 category

VS

7/8

Queen's University Belfast

scored higher in 7 categories

Quick Verdict

Queen's University Belfast leads in 7 of 8 categories where both have data (ranking, Russell Group, established, satisfaction, employment, international, courses). Cardiff Metropolitan University is ahead on scholarship.

Cardiff Metropolitan University vs Queen's University Belfast at a glance

Cardiff Metropolitan University and Queen's University Belfast both teach 37 subject areas, the largest being Law, Business & Management (General) and Politics & International Relations. Cardiff Metropolitan University offers 321 courses across 52 subject areas; Queen's University Belfast offers 494 courses across 93 subject areas.

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £16,000 a year at Cardiff Metropolitan University and £20,800 at Queen's University Belfast: Cardiff Metropolitan University is about £4,800 a year cheaper.

Of the 17 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, Cardiff Metropolitan University is higher in 10 and Queen's University Belfast in 6, with 1 about level.

World & National Rankings

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

—
QS World
#174
#1001
THE World
#198
—
Guardian UK
#36
1865
Established
1845
No
Russell Group
Yes
—
TEF Rating
—

Visual Breakdown

Key metrics at a glance

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

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Queen's University Belfast

84.5%
86.4%

Satisfaction

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

£28,200
No data

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

83.6%
84.9%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

16.6%
21.9%

International

International student share

321
494

Course Counts

Number of courses offered

5
1

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.

Cardiff Metropolitan

43 countries · 16.6% international

  • 🇮🇳India53.7%
  • 🇳🇬Nigeria6.1%
  • 🇵🇰Pakistan5.4%
  • 🇧🇩Bangladesh4.9%
  • 🌐Nepal4.4%
VS

Queen's University Belfast

74 countries · 21.9% international

  • 🇮🇪Ireland30.3%
  • 🇮🇳India14.3%
  • 🇨🇳China11%
  • 🇺🇸United States7%
  • 🇲🇾Malaysia5%

Subjects

37 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.

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Queen's University Belfast

Also taught at both: Childhood & Youth Studies, Biological Sciences (General), Finance & Actuarial Science, Education Studies, Architecture, Manufacturing & Production Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Food Science, Film Production & Cinematography, Games Design & Computer Animation, Health & Social Care, Microbiology & Cell Biology, Public Health & Epidemiology, Business Information Systems, Business Studies, Social Policy & Public Policy, Computing & IT, Developmental & Educational Psychology, Health Sciences & Paramedic Science, Information Systems & Data Science, Clinical & Health Psychology, Human Resource Management.

Only at Cardiff Metropolitan University

Only at Queen's University Belfast

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

Cardiff Metropolitan University
£16,000
Queen's University Belfast
£20,800

Cardiff Metropolitan University is about £4,800 a year cheaper.

Postgraduate

Cardiff Metropolitan University
£17,600
Queen's University Belfast
No data

We do not have reliable international fee data for Queen's University Belfast yet.

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.

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Queen's University Belfast

  • Law

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    80%Satisfaction86%

  • Politics & International Relations

    £21,500Salary (3 years)No data
    87%Satisfaction84%

  • Electronic & Electrical Engineering

    £23,000Salary (3 years)No data
    89%Satisfaction70%

  • Social Work

    £29,500Salary (3 years)No data
    81%Satisfaction89%

  • Computer Science

    £26,500Salary (3 years)No data
    83%Satisfaction72%

  • Economics

    £25,500Salary (3 years)No data
    88%Satisfaction82%

  • Sociology & Criminology

    £21,500Salary (3 years)No data
    87%Satisfaction87%

  • Software Engineering

    £26,500Salary (3 years)No data
    63%Satisfaction66%

  • Media & Film Studies

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    84%Satisfaction82%

  • Psychology (General)

    £19,500Salary (3 years)No data
    77%Satisfaction86%

  • Accounting

    £23,500Salary (3 years)No data
    89%Satisfaction81%

  • Biological Sciences (General)

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    75%Satisfaction82%

Showing the 12 largest of 17 shared subjects with published outcomes.

Scholarships for International Students

Exclusive

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Care Leavers and Estranged Students Bursary

See details

Deadline: N/A

NHS Wales Bursary Scheme

See details

Deadline: N/A

Progression Award

See details

Deadline: N/A

Sanctuary Award

See details

Deadline: N/A

Student Carers Bursary

See details

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

Queen's University Belfast

Future-Ready Award

See details

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

FAQ

Cardiff Metropolitan University vs Queen's University Belfast: common questions

Is Cardiff Metropolitan University or Queen's University Belfast cheaper for international students?

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £16,000 a year at Cardiff Metropolitan University and £20,800 at Queen's University Belfast: Cardiff Metropolitan University is about £4,800 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 Cardiff Metropolitan University and Queen's University Belfast?

Both universities teach 37 subject areas: Law, Business & Management (General), Politics & International Relations, Marketing, Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Management, Social Work, Design & Fashion, Computer Science, Economics, Sociology & Criminology, Software Engineering and 25 more.

Does Cardiff Metropolitan University or Queen's University Belfast offer more courses?

Queen's University Belfast lists 494 courses on CourseOptions and Cardiff Metropolitan University lists 321 courses.

What can you study at Cardiff Metropolitan University but not at Queen's University Belfast?

Cardiff Metropolitan University teaches 15 subject areas that Queen's University Belfast does not, including Teacher Training, Sport & Exercise Sciences, Hospitality, Events & Tourism, Nutrition & Dietetics, English Literature, Applied Psychology, Dance, Biomedical Engineering and 7 more.

What can you study at Queen's University Belfast but not at Cardiff Metropolitan University?

Queen's University Belfast teaches 56 subject areas that Cardiff Metropolitan University does not, including Civil Engineering, Mathematics, English Studies, History, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Anthropology, Physics and 48 more.

Ready to explore courses?

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

C
Cardiff Metropolitan University321 courses · 5 scholarshipsBrowse Courses
Q
Queen's University Belfast494 courses · 1 scholarshipBrowse Courses