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 Birmingham

Birmingham · QS World #68

Head-to-Head Summary

Based on 9 datapoints

We looked at 9 data points — world rankings, student satisfaction, graduate salaries, employment rates, and more — to see which university scores higher in each category.

2/9

Queen's University Belfast

scored higher in 2 categories

VS

7/9

Birmingham

scored higher in 7 categories

Quick Verdict

University of Birmingham leads in 7 of 9 categories where both have data (ranking, satisfaction, international, courses, scholarship). Queen's University Belfast is ahead on established, employment.

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

Queen's University Belfast and University of Birmingham both teach 72 subject areas, the largest being Politics & International Relations, Law and History. Queen's University Belfast offers 494 courses across 93 subject areas; University of Birmingham offers 663 courses across 101 subject areas.

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £27,090 at University of Birmingham: Queen's University Belfast is about £6,290 a year cheaper.

Of the 44 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, Queen's University Belfast is higher in 26 and University of Birmingham in 17, with 1 about level.

World & National Rankings

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

#174
QS World
#68
#198
THE World
#98
#36
Guardian UK
#18
1845
Established
1900
Yes
Russell Group
Yes
—
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 of Birmingham

86.4%
86.7%

Satisfaction

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

No data
£38,700

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

84.9%
83.3%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

21.9%
31.2%

International

International student share

494
663

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

Birmingham

104 countries · 31.2% international

  • 🇨🇳China55.7%
  • 🇮🇳India9.4%
  • 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia3.2%
  • 🇭🇰Hong Kong2.8%
  • 🇲🇾Malaysia2%

Subjects

72 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 Birmingham

Also taught at both: Music, Psychology (General), Finance & Actuarial Science, French, Health Sciences & Paramedic Science, Media & Film Studies, Microbiology & Cell Biology, Anthropology, Computer Science, Education Studies, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Marketing, Nursing (General), Planning & Housing, Social Work, Childhood & Youth Studies, Electronic & Electrical Engineering, General Engineering, Ancient Languages, Archaeology, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy, Accounting, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences (General), Environmental Sciences, Geography (General), Medicine, Social Policy & Public Policy, Software Engineering, Business Studies, Dentistry, Public Health & Epidemiology, Linguistics, Manufacturing & Production Engineering, Physical Geography & Climate, Social Sciences (General), Spanish & Portuguese, Aerospace Engineering, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Drama & Theatre, Human Geography & Environment, Clinical & Health Psychology, Adult Nursing, Computing & IT, Food Production & Technology, Information Systems & Data Science, Mental Health Nursing, Children's Nursing, Counselling & Psychotherapy, Liberal Arts, Midwifery, Anatomy & Pathology, Developmental & Educational Psychology, Film Production & Cinematography, Human Resource Management.

Only at Queen's University Belfast

Only at University of 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 of Birmingham
£27,090

Queen's University Belfast is about £6,290 a year cheaper.

Postgraduate

Queen's University Belfast
No data
University of Birmingham
£23,390

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 Birmingham

  • Politics & International Relations

    No dataSalary (3 years)£28,000
    84%Satisfaction86%

  • Law

    No dataSalary (3 years)£27,500
    86%Satisfaction83%

  • History

    No dataSalary (3 years)£26,000
    91%Satisfaction89%

  • Civil Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£33,000
    89%Satisfaction78%

  • Mathematics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£31,000
    87%Satisfaction85%

  • Physics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£32,500
    90%Satisfaction93%

  • Philosophy

    No dataSalary (3 years)£25,500
    92%Satisfaction93%

  • Chemistry

    No dataSalary (3 years)£27,000
    97%Satisfaction93%

  • English Studies

    No dataSalary (3 years)£24,000
    91%Satisfaction95%

  • Sociology & Criminology

    No dataSalary (3 years)£25,000
    87%Satisfaction83%

  • Management

    No dataSalary (3 years)£35,000
    78%Satisfaction84%

  • Economics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£34,500
    82%Satisfaction85%

Showing the 12 largest of 44 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 Birmingham

Enhanced Chamberlain Award

£3,500

Deadline: N/A

University Music Scholarships

£3,000

Deadline: Jun 2026

University Music Scholarships

£1,000

Deadline: Jun 2026

View all scholarships →

FAQ

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

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

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £27,090 at University of Birmingham: Queen's University Belfast is about £6,290 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 of Birmingham?

Both universities teach 72 subject areas: Politics & International Relations, Law, History, Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Philosophy, Chemistry, Business & Management (General), English Studies, Sociology & Criminology, Geology & Earth Sciences and 60 more.

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

University of Birmingham lists 663 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 Birmingham?

Queen's University Belfast teaches 21 subject areas that University of Birmingham does not, including Irish Studies, Architecture, Animal Science, Building & Construction, Ecology & Conservation, Zoology & Animal Biology, Food Science, Pharmacology and 13 more.

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

University of Birmingham teaches 29 subject areas that Queen's University Belfast does not, including Teacher Training, International Development, Sport & Exercise Sciences, History of Art & Design, Theology & Religious Studies, Classical Studies, English Language, African & Middle Eastern Studies and 21 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 Birmingham663 courses · 3 scholarshipsBrowse Courses