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.

Q
Queen's University Belfast

Belfast · QS World #174

U
University of Aberdeen

Aberdeen · QS World #288

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.

5/10

Queen's University Belfast

scored higher in 5 categories

VS

5/10

Aberdeen

scored higher in 5 categories

Quick Verdict

Queen's University Belfast and University of Aberdeen are evenly matched: each leads in 5 of 10 categories where both have data. Queen's University Belfast is ahead on ranking, Russell Group, employment, international; University of Aberdeen on ranking, established, satisfaction, courses, scholarship.

Queen's University Belfast vs University of Aberdeen at a glance

Queen's University Belfast and University of Aberdeen both teach 58 subject areas, the largest being Law, English Studies and Management. Queen's University Belfast offers 494 courses across 93 subject areas; University of Aberdeen offers 597 courses across 80 subject areas.

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £20,800 at University of Aberdeen, so the two cost about the same.

Of the 33 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, University of Aberdeen is higher in 21 and Queen's University Belfast in 12.

World & National Rankings

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

#174
QS World
#288
#198
THE World
#201
#36
Guardian UK
#22
1845
Established
1495
Yes
Russell Group
No
—
TEF Rating
—

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 of Aberdeen

86.4%
89.2%

Satisfaction

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

No data
£37,600

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

84.9%
78.3%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

21.9%
18.8%

International

International student share

494
597

Course Counts

Number of courses offered

1
3

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

Aberdeen

81 countries · 18.8% international

  • 🇨🇳China20.2%
  • 🇮🇳India14.1%
  • 🇺🇸United States8.8%
  • 🇳🇬Nigeria7.3%
  • 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia3.1%

Subjects

58 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 of Aberdeen

Also taught at both: Computer Science, Education Studies, Business Studies, Sociology & Criminology, Philosophy, Accounting, Ancient Languages, Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Film Production & Cinematography, Archaeology, Chemistry, Human Geography & Environment, Linguistics, Geology & Earth Sciences, Media & Film Studies, Ecology & Conservation, General Engineering, Manufacturing & Production Engineering, Music, Planning & Housing, Physical Geography & Climate, Spanish & Portuguese, Zoology & Animal Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology & Cell Biology, Social Policy & Public Policy, Building & Construction, Health & Social Care, Health Sciences & Paramedic Science, Pharmacology, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Computing & IT, Dentistry, Environmental Sciences, Medicine, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Biomedical Sciences, Information Systems & Data Science, Liberal Arts, Marketing, Anatomy & Pathology, Applied Biology & Human Biology, Human Resource Management.

Only at Queen's University Belfast

Only at University of Aberdeen

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 of Aberdeen
£20,800

About the same.

Postgraduate

Queen's University Belfast
No data
University of Aberdeen
£23,000

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 of Aberdeen

  • Law

    No dataSalary (3 years)£26,500
    86%Satisfaction92%

  • English Studies

    No dataSalary (3 years)£20,500
    91%Satisfaction98%

  • Management

    No dataSalary (3 years)£27,000
    78%Satisfaction79%

  • Politics & International Relations

    No dataSalary (3 years)£24,000
    84%Satisfaction88%

  • Economics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£31,000
    82%Satisfaction90%

  • Anthropology

    No dataSalary (3 years)£23,000
    93%Satisfaction91%

  • French

    No dataSalary (3 years)£25,000
    97%Satisfaction95%

  • Civil Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£32,000
    89%Satisfaction92%

  • Mathematics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£28,000
    87%Satisfaction88%

  • History

    No dataSalary (3 years)£24,000
    91%Satisfaction92%

  • Chemical Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£32,000
    78%Satisfaction83%

  • Finance & Actuarial Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)£31,500
    87%Satisfaction84%

Showing the 12 largest of 33 shared subjects with published outcomes.

Scholarships for International Students

Exclusive

Queen's University Belfast

Future-Ready Award

See details

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

University of Aberdeen

Aberdeen Global Scholarship - Postgraduate

£8,000

Deadline: N/A

Aberdeen Global Scholarship - Postgraduate

£8,000

Deadline: N/A

Aberdeen Global Scholarship - Undergraduate and PGDE

£6,000

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

FAQ

Queen's University Belfast vs University of Aberdeen: common questions

Is Queen's University Belfast or University of Aberdeen cheaper for international students?

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £20,800 at University of Aberdeen, so the two cost about the same. 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 of Aberdeen?

Both universities teach 58 subject areas: Law, English Studies, Management, Politics & International Relations, Economics, Anthropology, French, Civil Engineering, Mathematics, History, Chemical Engineering, Finance & Actuarial Science and 46 more.

Does Queen's University Belfast or University of Aberdeen offer more courses?

University of Aberdeen lists 597 courses on CourseOptions and Queen's University Belfast lists 494 courses.

What can you study at Queen's University Belfast but not at University of Aberdeen?

Queen's University Belfast teaches 35 subject areas that University of Aberdeen does not, including Social Work, Software Engineering, Irish Studies, Biological Sciences (General), Childhood & Youth Studies, Pharmacy, Architecture, Business & Management (General) and 27 more.

What can you study at University of Aberdeen but not at Queen's University Belfast?

University of Aberdeen teaches 22 subject areas that Queen's University Belfast does not, including German & Scandinavian Studies, Celtic Studies, Teacher Training, Scottish Gaelic, Theology & Religious Studies, Forensic Science, Safety & Mining Engineering, History of Art & Design and 14 more.

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 of Aberdeen597 courses · 3 scholarshipsBrowse Courses