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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 Southampton

Southampton · QS World #111

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

Southampton

scored higher in 7 categories

Quick Verdict

University of Southampton 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 Southampton at a glance

Queen's University Belfast and University of Southampton both teach 69 subject areas, the largest being Electronic & Electrical Engineering, General Engineering and Civil Engineering. Queen's University Belfast offers 494 courses across 93 subject areas; University of Southampton offers 545 courses across 91 subject areas.

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £26,000 at University of Southampton: Queen's University Belfast is about £5,200 a year cheaper.

Of the 38 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, University of Southampton is higher in 18 and Queen's University Belfast in 14, with 6 about level.

World & National Rankings

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

#174
QS World
#111
#198
THE World
#129
#36
Guardian UK
#16
1845
Established
1862
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 Southampton

86.4%
87%

Satisfaction

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

No data
£37,200

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

84.9%
82.1%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

21.9%
35.1%

International

International student share

494
545

Course Counts

Number of courses offered

1
52

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

Southampton

103 countries · 35.1% international

  • 🇨🇳China63.5%
  • 🇮🇳India4.8%
  • 🇲🇾Malaysia2.8%
  • 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia2.6%
  • 🇭🇰Hong Kong2.5%

Subjects

69 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 Southampton

Also taught at both: Computer Science, English Studies, Geology & Earth Sciences, Sociology & Criminology, Chemical Engineering, Economics, Management, Software Engineering, Psychology (General), Design & Fashion, Environmental Sciences, Philosophy, Accounting, Ancient Languages, Anthropology, Music, Manufacturing & Production Engineering, Education Studies, Social Policy & Public Policy, Business Studies, Marketing, Nursing (General), Physical Geography & Climate, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences (General), Building & Construction, Architecture, Community & Specialist Nursing, Ecology & Conservation, Human Geography & Environment, Microbiology & Cell Biology, Zoology & Animal Biology, Children's Nursing, Clinical & Health Psychology, Pharmacology, Social Sciences (General), Adult Nursing, Biomedical Sciences, Health & Social Care, Medicine, Computing & IT, Counselling & Psychotherapy, Games Design & Computer Animation, Health Sciences & Paramedic Science, Business Information Systems, Humanities, Information Systems & Data Science, Mental Health Nursing, Midwifery, Cultural Studies, Human Resource Management, Liberal Arts, Technology & Logistics.

Only at Queen's University Belfast

Only at University of Southampton

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 Southampton
£26,000

Queen's University Belfast is about £5,200 a year cheaper.

Postgraduate

Queen's University Belfast
No data
University of Southampton
£31,200

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 Southampton

  • Electronic & Electrical Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£40,500
    70%Satisfaction89%

  • Civil Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£29,000
    89%Satisfaction93%

  • Mechanical Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£34,500
    82%Satisfaction87%

  • Law

    No dataSalary (3 years)£28,500
    86%Satisfaction87%

  • Finance & Actuarial Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)£39,500
    87%Satisfaction84%

  • Mathematics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£32,000
    87%Satisfaction81%

  • History

    No dataSalary (3 years)£26,500
    91%Satisfaction91%

  • Physics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£32,000
    90%Satisfaction87%

  • Politics & International Relations

    No dataSalary (3 years)£29,000
    84%Satisfaction85%

  • Media & Film Studies

    No dataSalary (3 years)£23,500
    82%Satisfaction87%

  • Aerospace Engineering

    No dataSalary (3 years)£33,500
    86%Satisfaction94%

  • Chemistry

    No dataSalary (3 years)£29,000
    97%Satisfaction91%

Showing the 12 largest of 38 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 Southampton

Horizon Europe fee waiver

100%

Deadline: N/A

Cowrie Foundation Scholarship

£8,000

Deadline: N/A

Xiamen University PhD Scholarships

See details

Deadline: N/A

Sociology Criminology International Scholarship

See details

Deadline: N/A

Southampton Ageing & Gerontology Talent Scholarship

See details

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

FAQ

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

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

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £26,000 at University of Southampton: Queen's University Belfast is about £5,200 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 Southampton?

Both universities teach 69 subject areas: Electronic & Electrical Engineering, General Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business & Management (General), Law, Finance & Actuarial Science, Mathematics, History, Physics, Politics & International Relations, Media & Film Studies and 57 more.

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

University of Southampton lists 545 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 Southampton?

Queen's University Belfast teaches 24 subject areas that University of Southampton does not, including Social Work, French, Irish Studies, Planning & Housing, Childhood & Youth Studies, Pharmacy, Animal Science, Food Science and 16 more.

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

University of Southampton teaches 22 subject areas that Queen's University Belfast does not, including English Literature, Marine Engineering & Technology, Healthcare Science, Statistics, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Specialities, Operational Research 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 Southampton545 courses · 52 scholarshipsBrowse Courses