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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 Sheffield

Sheffield · QS World #82

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.

3/9

Queen's University Belfast

scored higher in 3 categories

VS

6/9

Sheffield

scored higher in 6 categories

Quick Verdict

University of Sheffield leads in 6 of 9 categories where both have data (ranking, satisfaction, international, scholarship). Queen's University Belfast is ahead on established, employment, courses.

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

Queen's University Belfast and University of Sheffield both teach 60 subject areas, the largest being Politics & International Relations, Civil Engineering and Mathematics. Queen's University Belfast offers 494 courses across 93 subject areas; University of Sheffield offers 307 courses across 77 subject areas.

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £25,830 at University of Sheffield: Queen's University Belfast is about £5,030 a year cheaper.

Of the 32 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, University of Sheffield is higher in 21 and Queen's University Belfast in 10, with 1 about level.

World & National Rankings

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

#174
QS World
#82
#198
THE World
#108
#36
Guardian UK
#19
1845
Established
1905
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 Sheffield

86.4%
89.6%

Satisfaction

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

No data
£36,100

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

84.9%
81.3%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

21.9%
28.1%

International

International student share

494
307

Course Counts

Number of courses offered

1
2

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

Sheffield

100 countries · 28.1% international

  • 🇨🇳China45.6%
  • 🇲🇾Malaysia7.3%
  • 🇮🇳India7%
  • 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia3.6%
  • 🇭🇰Hong Kong3.5%

Subjects

60 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 Sheffield

Also taught at both: Management, General Engineering, Planning & Housing, Psychology (General), Software Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Finance & Actuarial Science, Music, Architecture, Philosophy, Aerospace Engineering, Biochemistry, Health Sciences & Paramedic Science, Manufacturing & Production Engineering, Pharmacy, Archaeology, Biological Sciences (General), Building & Construction, Physical Geography & Climate, Public Health & Epidemiology, Biomedical Sciences, Human Geography & Environment, Landscape Architecture & Design, Linguistics, Social Sciences (General), Zoology & Animal Biology, Accounting, Animal Science, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Information Systems & Data Science, Microbiology & Cell Biology, Social Policy & Public Policy, Adult Nursing, Dentistry, Environmental Sciences, Medicine, Anatomy & Pathology, Ancient Languages, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Business Studies, Developmental & Educational Psychology, Marketing, Cultural Studies, Human Resource Management, Technology & Logistics.

Only at Queen's University Belfast

Only at University of Sheffield

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 Sheffield
£25,830

Queen's University Belfast is about £5,030 a year cheaper.

Postgraduate

Queen's University Belfast
No data
University of Sheffield
£31,360

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 Sheffield

  • Politics & International Relations

    No dataSalary (3 years)£27,500
    84%Satisfaction94%

  • Civil Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£30,000
    89%Satisfaction89%

  • Mathematics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£29,500
    87%Satisfaction90%

  • Law

    No dataSalary (3 years)£25,500
    86%Satisfaction94%

  • English Studies

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

  • History

    No dataSalary (3 years)£24,500
    91%Satisfaction93%

  • Physics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£29,500
    90%Satisfaction87%

  • Computer Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)£38,500
    72%Satisfaction95%

  • Electronic & Electrical Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£33,500
    70%Satisfaction87%

  • Chemistry

    No dataSalary (3 years)£27,500
    97%Satisfaction93%

  • Mechanical Engineering

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

  • Economics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£32,500
    82%Satisfaction89%

Showing the 12 largest of 32 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 Sheffield

International Postgraduate Scholarship 2026

£3,000

Deadline: Jul 2026

Access to Sheffield Scholarships

£1,000

Deadline: Jun 2026

View all scholarships →

FAQ

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

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

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £25,830 at University of Sheffield: Queen's University Belfast is about £5,030 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 Sheffield?

Both universities teach 60 subject areas: Politics & International Relations, Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Law, English Studies, History, Physics, Computer Science, Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Business & Management (General), Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering and 48 more.

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

Queen's University Belfast lists 494 courses on CourseOptions and University of Sheffield lists 307 courses.

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

Queen's University Belfast teaches 33 subject areas that University of Sheffield does not, including Anthropology, Social Work, French, Irish Studies, Media & Film Studies, Nursing (General), Ecology & Conservation, Education Studies and 25 more.

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

University of Sheffield teaches 17 subject areas that Queen's University Belfast does not, including Biology, Asian Languages & Studies, Biomedical Engineering, Journalism, Clinical Specialities, Optometry & Ophthalmics, English Language, English Literature and 9 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 Sheffield307 courses · 2 scholarshipsBrowse Courses