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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 St Andrews

St Andrews · QS World #115

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.

2/10

Queen's University Belfast

scored higher in 2 categories

VS

8/10

St Andrews

scored higher in 8 categories

Quick Verdict

University of St Andrews leads in 8 of 10 categories where both have data (ranking, established, satisfaction, international, courses, scholarship). Queen's University Belfast is ahead on Russell Group, employment.

Queen's University Belfast vs University of St Andrews at a glance

Queen's University Belfast and University of St Andrews both teach 44 subject areas, the largest being French, History and Ancient Languages. Queen's University Belfast offers 494 courses across 93 subject areas; University of St Andrews offers 1,157 courses across 64 subject areas.

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £30,160 at University of St Andrews: Queen's University Belfast is about £9,360 a year cheaper.

Of the 23 subject areas both teach where each publishes a student satisfaction score, University of St Andrews is higher in 20 and Queen's University Belfast in 3.

World & National Rankings

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

#174
QS World
#115
#198
THE World
#162
#36
Guardian UK
#3
1845
Established
1413
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 St Andrews

86.4%
93.2%

Satisfaction

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

No data
£40,000

Graduate Salaries (5y)

Median graduate salary 5 years after graduation

84.9%
74.1%

Employment

Graduate employment rate

21.9%
46.1%

International

International student share

494
1157

Course Counts

Number of courses offered

1
62

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

St Andrews

89 countries · 46.1% international

  • 🇺🇸United States42.3%
  • 🇨🇳China9%
  • 🇩🇪Germany4%
  • 🇮🇳India4%
  • 🇭🇰Hong Kong3.2%

Subjects

44 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 St Andrews

Also taught at both: Spanish & Portuguese, Anthropology, Physics, Physical Geography & Climate, Finance & Actuarial Science, Childhood & Youth Studies, Education Studies, Geology & Earth Sciences, Medicine, Sociology & Criminology, Software Engineering, Business & Management (General), Biochemistry, Ecology & Conservation, Human Geography & Environment, Zoology & Animal Biology, Animal Science, Microbiology & Cell Biology, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Agriculture & Land Management, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Biomedical Sciences, Computing & IT, Environmental Sciences, Humanities, Applied Biology & Human Biology, Business Studies, Liberal Arts, Marketing.

Only at Queen's University Belfast

Only at University of St Andrews

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 St Andrews
£30,160

Queen's University Belfast is about £9,360 a year cheaper.

Postgraduate

Queen's University Belfast
No data
University of St Andrews
£27,200

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 St Andrews

  • French

    No dataSalary (3 years)£29,500
    97%Satisfaction95%

  • History

    No dataSalary (3 years)£28,500
    91%Satisfaction97%

  • Ancient Languages

    No dataSalary (3 years)£30,000
    83%Satisfaction100%

  • Economics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£39,000
    82%Satisfaction93%

  • Politics & International Relations

    No dataSalary (3 years)£31,000
    84%Satisfaction95%

  • Mathematics

    No dataSalary (3 years)£36,500
    87%Satisfaction94%

  • English Studies

    No dataSalary (3 years)£26,000
    91%Satisfaction92%

  • Media & Film Studies

    No dataSalary (3 years)No data
    82%Satisfaction95%

  • Chemistry

    No dataSalary (3 years)£30,000
    97%Satisfaction94%

  • Computer Science

    No dataSalary (3 years)£51,500
    72%Satisfaction93%

  • Philosophy

    No dataSalary (3 years)£27,500
    92%Satisfaction94%

  • Psychology (General)

    No dataSalary (3 years)£25,500
    86%Satisfaction89%

Showing the 12 largest of 23 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 St Andrews

Applied Environmental Sciences MSc Awards - Women in Mining (WIM) UK

100%

Deadline: Jun 2026

Environmental Science MSc Awards - The Cunningham Scholarship UK

100%

Deadline: Jun 2026

Masters funding in Digital Health and Care

£10,000

Deadline: Jun 2026

School of Modern Languages Masters Scholarship

100%

Deadline: May 2026

University of Jordan Postgraduate Scholarships

100%

Deadline: N/A

View all scholarships →

FAQ

Queen's University Belfast vs University of St Andrews: common questions

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

For undergraduate study, the typical published international fee is £20,800 a year at Queen's University Belfast and £30,160 at University of St Andrews: Queen's University Belfast is about £9,360 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 St Andrews?

Both universities teach 44 subject areas: French, History, Ancient Languages, Economics, Politics & International Relations, Mathematics, English Studies, Media & Film Studies, Chemistry, Geography (General), Management, Computer Science and 32 more.

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

University of St Andrews lists 1,157 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 St Andrews?

Queen's University Belfast teaches 49 subject areas that University of St Andrews does not, including Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Social Work, Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Irish Studies, Planning & Housing, Archaeology, Biological Sciences (General) and 41 more.

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

University of St Andrews teaches 20 subject areas that Queen's University Belfast does not, including African & Middle Eastern Studies, German & Scandinavian Studies, Italian, Classical Studies, History of Art & Design, Theology & Religious Studies, Eastern European Languages, Biology 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 St Andrews1,157 courses · 62 scholarshipsBrowse Courses