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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.

Q
Queen's University Belfast

Belfast · QS World #174

U
University College Birmingham

Birmingham

Head-to-Head Summary

Based on 7 datapoints

We looked at 7 data points — world rankings, student satisfaction, graduate salaries, employment rates, and more — to see which university scores higher in each category.

4/7

Queen's University Belfast

scored higher in 4 categories

VS

3/7

University College Birmingham

scored higher in 3 categories

Quick Verdict

Queen's University Belfast leads in 4 of 7 categories where both have data (Russell Group, established, employment, courses). University College Birmingham is ahead on satisfaction, international, scholarship.

Queen's University Belfast vs University College Birmingham at a glance

Queen's University Belfast and University College Birmingham both teach 28 subject areas, the largest being Civil Engineering, Politics & International Relations and Mechanical Engineering. Queen's University Belfast offers 494 courses across 93 subject areas; University College Birmingham offers 115 courses across 36 subject areas.

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £13,500 at University College Birmingham: University College Birmingham is about £7,300 a year cheaper.

Of the 8 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, Queen's University Belfast is higher in 4 and University College Birmingham in 4.

World & National Rankings

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

#174
QS World
—
#198
THE World
—
#36
Guardian UK
—
1845
Established
1957
Yes
Russell Group
No
—
TEF Rating
Silver

Visual Breakdown

Key metrics at a glance

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

Queen's University Belfast

University College Birmingham

86.4%
88.3%

Satisfaction

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

No data
£25,600

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

84.9%
77.8%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

21.9%
47%

International

International student share

494
115

Course Counts

Number of courses offered

1
7

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.

Queen's University Belfast

74 countries · 21.9% international

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

University College Birmingham

26 countries · 47% international

  • 🌐Nepal48.9%
  • 🇮🇳India24.7%
  • 🇨🇳China11.5%
  • 🇧🇩Bangladesh3.8%
  • 🇵🇰Pakistan3.3%

Subjects

28 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.

Queen's University Belfast

University College Birmingham

Also taught at both: Business Studies, Health & Social Care, Food Production & Technology, Adult Nursing, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Clinical & Health Psychology, Design & Fashion, Manufacturing & Production Engineering, Marketing, Public Health & Epidemiology, Business Information Systems, Developmental & Educational Psychology, Mental Health Nursing.

Only at Queen's University Belfast

Only at University College Birmingham

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

Queen's University Belfast
£20,800
University College Birmingham
£13,500

University College Birmingham is about £7,300 a year cheaper.

Postgraduate

Queen's University Belfast
No data
University College Birmingham
£17,000

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.

Queen's University Belfast

University College Birmingham

  • Finance & Actuarial Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)£20,000
    87%Satisfaction89%

  • Planning & Housing

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    96%Satisfaction91%

  • Software Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    66%Satisfaction89%

  • Food Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)£23,500
    84%Satisfaction94%

  • Computer Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    72%Satisfaction87%

  • Architecture

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    98%Satisfaction91%

  • Adult Nursing

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    93%Satisfaction91%

  • Mental Health Nursing

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    93%Satisfaction91%

Scholarships for International Students

Exclusive

Queen's University Belfast

Future-Ready Award

See details

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

University College Birmingham

GREAT Scholarship

£10,000

Deadline: N/A

Vice-Chancellor's Award

100%

Deadline: N/A

Dean's Award

50%

Deadline: N/A

Early Action Scholarship

£4,500

Deadline: Jul 2026

Alumni Scholarship

25%

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

FAQ

Queen's University Belfast vs University College Birmingham: common questions

Is Queen's University Belfast or University College Birmingham cheaper for international students?

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £13,500 at University College Birmingham: University College Birmingham is about £7,300 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 Queen's University Belfast and University College Birmingham?

Both universities teach 28 subject areas: Civil Engineering, Politics & International Relations, Mechanical Engineering, Building & Construction, Finance & Actuarial Science, Planning & Housing, Psychology (General), Sociology & Criminology, Childhood & Youth Studies, Software Engineering, Business & Management (General), Food Science and 16 more.

Does Queen's University Belfast or University College Birmingham offer more courses?

Queen's University Belfast lists 494 courses on CourseOptions and University College Birmingham lists 115 courses.

What can you study at Queen's University Belfast but not at University College Birmingham?

Queen's University Belfast teaches 65 subject areas that University College Birmingham does not, including Law, Mathematics, English Studies, History, Management, Chemistry, Anthropology, Physics and 57 more.

What can you study at University College Birmingham but not at Queen's University Belfast?

University College Birmingham teaches 8 subject areas that Queen's University Belfast does not, including Hospitality, Events & Tourism, Sport & Exercise Sciences, Crafts & Applied Arts, Applied Psychology, Complementary & Alternative Medicine, Creative Arts (General), Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation and Nutrition & Dietetics.

Ready to explore courses?

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

Q
Queen's University Belfast494 courses · 1 scholarshipBrowse Courses
U
University College Birmingham115 courses · 7 scholarshipsBrowse Courses