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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 of Essex

Colchester · QS World #438

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.

6/10

Queen's University Belfast

scored higher in 6 categories

VS

4/10

Essex

scored higher in 4 categories

Quick Verdict

Queen's University Belfast leads in 6 of 10 categories where both have data (ranking, Russell Group, established, employment). University of Essex is ahead on satisfaction, international, courses, scholarship.

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

Queen's University Belfast and University of Essex both teach 54 subject areas, the largest being Politics & International Relations, History and Law. Queen's University Belfast offers 494 courses across 93 subject areas; University of Essex offers 748 courses across 74 subject areas.

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £21,500 at University of Essex: Queen's University Belfast is about £700 a year cheaper.

Of the 26 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, University of Essex is higher in 16 and Queen's University Belfast in 8, with 2 about level.

World & National Rankings

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

#174
QS World
#438
#198
THE World
#301
#36
Guardian UK
#44
1845
Established
1964
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 of Essex

86.4%
87.2%

Satisfaction

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

No data
£31,800

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

84.9%
79.7%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

21.9%
33.7%

International

International student share

494
748

Course Counts

Number of courses offered

1
30

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

Essex

97 countries · 33.7% international

  • 🇮🇳India21.2%
  • 🇨🇳China11.7%
  • 🇵🇰Pakistan6.1%
  • 🇫🇷France5.7%
  • 🇳🇬Nigeria4.4%

Subjects

54 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 Essex

Also taught at both: English Studies, Business Studies, Linguistics, Business & Management (General), Ecology & Conservation, Social Sciences (General), Childhood & Youth Studies, Health Sciences & Paramedic Science, Marketing, Media & Film Studies, Anthropology, Social Work, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Biochemistry, Microbiology & Cell Biology, Social Policy & Public Policy, Ancient Languages, Human Geography & Environment, Manufacturing & Production Engineering, Nursing (General), Physical Geography & Climate, Welsh Studies, Biomedical Sciences, Building & Construction, Counselling & Psychotherapy, Environmental Sciences, Film Production & Cinematography, Liberal Arts, Adult Nursing, Applied Biology & Human Biology, Mental Health Nursing, Clinical & Health Psychology, Design & Fashion, Health & Social Care, Human Resource Management, Landscape Architecture & Design, Cultural Studies, Developmental & Educational Psychology, Technology & Logistics.

Only at Queen's University Belfast

Only at University of Essex

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 Essex
£21,500

Queen's University Belfast is about £700 a year cheaper.

Postgraduate

Queen's University Belfast
No data
University of Essex
£23,880

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 Essex

  • Politics & International Relations

    No dataSalary (3 years)£25,000
    84%Satisfaction86%

  • History

    No dataSalary (3 years)£23,500
    91%Satisfaction93%

  • Law

    No dataSalary (3 years)£24,000
    86%Satisfaction84%

  • Economics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£30,000
    82%Satisfaction84%

  • Mathematics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£29,000
    87%Satisfaction95%

  • Philosophy

    No dataSalary (3 years)£24,000
    92%Satisfaction90%

  • Sociology & Criminology

    No dataSalary (3 years)£24,000
    87%Satisfaction88%

  • Computer Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)£33,500
    72%Satisfaction81%

  • Finance & Actuarial Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)£33,000
    87%Satisfaction77%

  • Psychology (General)

    No dataSalary (3 years)£24,500
    86%Satisfaction84%

  • Drama & Theatre

    No dataSalary (3 years)£16,500
    95%Satisfaction95%

  • Management

    No dataSalary (3 years)£27,000
    78%Satisfaction82%

Showing the 12 largest of 26 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 Essex

Access Essex Scholarship

100%

Deadline: N/A

Sustainable Transitions - Governance, Ecological Management and Society - Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme

100%

Deadline: N/A

Sustainable Transitions - Governance, Ecological Management and Society - Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme 2026-27 (Masters plus PhD)

100%

Deadline: N/A

The Essex MBA Dean's Award

100%

Deadline: N/A

Postgraduate Research EU Scholarship

£8,000

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

FAQ

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

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

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £21,500 at University of Essex: Queen's University Belfast is about £700 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 Essex?

Both universities teach 54 subject areas: Politics & International Relations, History, Law, Economics, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sociology & Criminology, Computer Science, Finance & Actuarial Science, Psychology (General), Drama & Theatre, Management and 42 more.

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

University of Essex lists 748 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 Essex?

Queen's University Belfast teaches 39 subject areas that University of Essex does not, including Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Software Engineering, French, Irish Studies, Planning & Housing, Archaeology and 31 more.

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

University of Essex teaches 20 subject areas that Queen's University Belfast does not, including History of Art & Design, Sport & Exercise Sciences, English Literature, Journalism, English Language, Hospitality, Events & Tourism, Applied Psychology, Biotechnology and 12 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 Essex748 courses · 30 scholarshipsBrowse Courses