Universities in Cardiff, Wales
- Rankings & Reviews -

Latest ranking updates related to universities in Cardiff
  • 12 Jul, 2024: New edition of Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities. 3 universities in Cardiff ranked.
  • 03 Jul, 2024: Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Netherlands published most recent results of CWTS Leiden Ranking. Cardiff University achieves position 328.
  • 24 Jun, 2024: Publication of US News: Best Global Universities. Cardiff University ranked #184.
  • 15 Jun, 2024: Nature Index: Research Leaders Academic Sector updated with Cardiff University ranked highest among 2 listed universities in Cardiff.

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, and it’s the most popular visitor destination for tourists in the country. It has everything you can expect from a capital city, with more sun and less rain annually than the majority of Wales. Cardiff is a city that’s full of both domestic and international students due to the academic opportunities available, and the unique chance to study the Welsh language. Additionally, the significant majority of graduates choose to continue living in Cardiff to take advantage of its healthy job market and comparably low cost of living, particularly when it comes to monthly rent. Cardiff and Wales generally enjoy a well-earned reputation for having some of the most impressive natural scenery that the UK has to offer, ranging from high coastal cliffs to Barry Island’s yellow-sanded beaches.


Rankings of universities in Cardiff, Wales 2024

Student satisfaction: 4.4 / 5.0 (based on 427 student ratings)
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Student satisfaction: 4.2 / 5.0 (based on 223 student ratings)
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#3
Wales

University of Wales

Student satisfaction: 4.7 / 5.0 (based on 27 student ratings)


#4
Wales

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Student satisfaction: 4.6 / 5.0 (based on 174 student ratings)
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Highest subject rankings of universities in Cardiff

Architecture The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
#2 
Cardiff University
Education The Times Good University Guide by Subject
#3 
Cardiff University
Dentistry CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
#4 
Cardiff University
Psychology CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
#10 
Cardiff University
Physics The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
#10 
Cardiff University
German The Times Good University Guide by Subject
#11 
Cardiff University
Public Administration GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
#13 
Cardiff University
Journalism The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
#14 
Cardiff University
Civil Engineering CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
#16 
Cardiff University
Sports Science CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
#18 
Cardiff Metropolitan University

Student Opinions About Studying in Cardiff

“I love Cardiff, its culture and its people. It can be frustrating trying to understand the locals’ accent at times but everyone is so friendly! Studying here has been a memorable experience so far. It rains way more than I would like it to here, but at least that makes the landscape as green as it is!”

“I’m a bit of a geek for castles, so of course I love living in a place like Wales that has so many of them. I rented a car once and it was a nightmare because of how hard it is to drive on Cardiff’s roads if you’re not an expert, so I suggest newcomers to rely on public transport instead.”

“Cardiff is so much cheaper than other places in the UK when it comes to rent and day-to-day costs. I feel lucky I’ve had the chance to study at such a reputable university as Cardiff University, as well as meet the enthusiastic and passionate people I have on the way.”

Cardiff Key Facts for International Students

PROS

  • Living costs in Cardiff are lower than the UK average which makes it easier for students to be more financially stable.

  • There are many historical attractions in Cardiff that students find interesting and unique, especially if they come from abroad.

  • Students usually highlight that Cardiff has everything a student needs, and although you can walk almost everywhere, the My Travel Pass for public transport offers significant discounts on buses for those between the ages of 16 and 21.

CONS

  • Wales has its own language, Welsh, and it’s quite a difficult language to learn. It’s not required if you want to study in Cardiff but it might be hard to understand the strong local accent.

  • People often recommend not to use cars in the area as it can be difficult and frustrating due to severe traffic, so students often use public transport.

  • Despite Cardiff having better weather than the average, the rain can be excessive.


3 out of 4 Universities in Cardiff Ranked in at least one ranking

26 Different Rankings list Universities in Cardiff (17 institution and 9 subject rankings)

20 Global Rankings rank Universities in Cardiff Among TOP 200

Population: 448000

Time: GMT +0

District/province: Wales, Cardiff

Living costs for students in Cardiff:

* 100 = prices in London

  • Living costs without accommodation 82* (18% cheaper than London)
  • All costs including accommodation 63* (37% cheaper than London)
  • Meals (grocery & lower cost restaurants) 68* (32% cheaper than London)
  • Average Big Mac price 3.36 £
  • Plug Type G
    • Residential voltage: 230 V
    • Frequency: 50 Hz
Nobel prize laureates:
Sir Martin J. Evans (Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2007)

Map with location of universities in Cardiff

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FAQ

Cardiff University ranks #1 in Cardiff in our meta ranking composed of 123 university rankings.

Among all universities in Cardiff Cardiff University is listed in the largest number of rankings. See all 34 rankings where Cardiff University is listed.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Architecture, Building & Planning (Architecture). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Education (Education). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Medicine & Health (Dentistry). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Social Studies & Humanities (Psychology). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Natural Sciences (Physics). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Languages & Literature (German). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Business (Public Administration). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Journalism & Media Studies (Journalism). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Engineering (Civil Engineering). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff Metropolitan University is ranked best in Cardiff for Sports Science (Sports Science). See all rankings for the Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Law (Law). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Arts Visual & Performing (Music). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff Metropolitan University is ranked best in Cardiff for Design (Interior Design). See all rankings for the Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Computer Science (Computer Science). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Mathematics (Mathematics). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Cardiff University is ranked best in Cardiff for Agriculture (Agriculture). See all rankings for the Cardiff University.

Ranking publishers

British Quacquarelli Symonds, UK

Criteria used in ranking -QS World University Rankings:

Academic Reputation 40% Employer Reputation 10% Faculty/Student Ratio 20% Citations per faculty 20% International Faculty Ratio 5% International Student Ratio 5%

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Criteria used in ranking -QS Employability Rankings:

Employer reputation 30% Alumni outcomes 25% Partnerships with Employers per Faculty 25% Employer/Student Connections 10% Graduate employment rate 10%

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CWUR Center for World University Rankings

Criteria used in ranking -CWUR Center for World University Rankings:

Research Performance: 40%

  • Research Output: 10%
  • High-Quality Publications: 10%
  • Influence: 10%
  • Citations: 10%

Quality of Education: 25%

Alumni Employment: 25%

Quality of Faculty: 10%

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Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Netherlands

Criteria used in ranking -CWTS Leiden Ranking:

Scientific Impact Number of Publications Collaboration Open Access Gender Diversity

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NTU ranking

Criteria used in ranking -NTU Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers:

Research Productivity: 25%

  • # Articles last 11 years: 10%
  • # Articles current year: 15%

Research Impact: 35%

  • # Citations last 11 years: 15%
  • # Citations last 2 years: 10%
  • Average # citations last 11 years: 10%

Research Excellence: 40%

  • H-index last 2 years: 10%
  • # Highly cited papers last 11 years: 15%
  • # Articles current year in high-impact journals: 15%

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Nature Index

Criteria used in ranking -Nature Index: Research Leaders Academic Sector:

Article count (AC) Fractional count (FC) Weighted fractional count (WFC)

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RUR Ranking Agency (Moscow, Russia)

Criteria used in ranking -RUR Academic Rankings:

Normalized citation impact (Citations of research publications from all university authors compared with world averages) 20% Citation per papers 20% Papers per academic and research staff 20% International research reputation 20% Share of research publications written in international co-authorship 20%

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Criteria used in ranking -RUR Reputation Ranking:

Teaching Reputation 50% Research Reputation 50%

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Criteria used in ranking -RUR World University Rankings:

Teaching: 40%

  • Ratio Faculty/Student: 8%
  • Ratio Faculty/Bachelor Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • Ratio Faculty/Doctoral Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • Ratio Doctoral Degrees Awarded/Bachelor Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • World Teaching Reputation: 8%

Research: 40%

  • Citations per Academic/Research Staff: 8%
  • Doctoral Degrees per Accepted PhD: 8%
  • Normalized Citation Impact: 8%
  • Papers per Academic/Research Staff: 8%
  • World Research Reputation: 8%

International Diversity: 10%

  • International Faculty: 2%
  • International Students: 2%
  • International Co-Authored Papers: 2%
  • Reputation Outside Geographical Region: 2%
  • International Level: 2%

Financial Sustainability: 10%

  • Institutional Income per Faculty: 2%
  • Institutional Income per Student: 2%
  • Papers per Research Income: 2%
  • Research Income per Academic/Research Staff: 2%
  • Research Income per Institutional Income: 2%

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Scimago Institutions

Criteria used in ranking -Scimago Institutions Rankings:

Research 50% Innovation 30%
Societal 20%

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ShanghaiRanking Consultancy

Criteria used in ranking -ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking:

Quality of Education 10%

  • Alumni winning Nobel Prizes/Field Medals 10%

Quality of Faculty 40%

  • Staff winning Nobel Prizes/Field Medals 20%
  • Highly Cited Researchers 20%

Research Output 40%

  • Papers published in Nature and Science 20%
  • Papers indexed in Science Citation Index-Expanded & Social Science Citation Index 20%

Per Capita Performance 10%

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StuDocu

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THE Times Higher Education, UK

Criteria used in ranking -THE World University Rankings:

30% Teaching (the Learning Environment)

  • Reputation survey: 15%
  • Staff-to-student ratio: 4.5%
  • Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio: 2.25%
  • Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio: 6%
  • Institutional income: 2.25%

30% Research (Volume, Income and Reputation)

  • Reputation survey: 18%
  • Research income: 6%
  • Research productivity: 6%

30% Citations (Research Influence)

7.5% International Outlook (Staff, Students and Research)

  • Proportion of international students: 2.5%
  • Proportion of international staff: 2.5%
  • International collaboration: 2.5%

2.5% Industry Income (Knowledge Transfer)"

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Criteria used in ranking -THE Global Employability University Ranking:

Employability (survey) 100%

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Criteria used in ranking -THE Young University Rankings:

Teaching 30% Research (volume, income and reputation) 30% Citations 30% International outlook (staff, students, research) 7.5% Industry income (knowledge transfer) 2.5%

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The Guardian News and Media Limited

Criteria used in ranking -The Guardian League Table:

Student to Staff Ratio: 15% Entry Standards: 15% Expenditure per Student: 5% Continuation 15% (non-medical subjects) OR 5% (medical subjects) NSS - Teaching: 8% NSS - Assessment & Feedback: 8% NSS - Overall Satisfaction: 4% Career Prospects: 15% Value added: 15%

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The Times and The Sunday Times

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The University League Tables

Criteria used in ranking -CUG The Complete University Guide:

Entry Standards 12.5% Student Satisfaction 18.75% Student-Staff Ratio 12.5% Research Quality 12.5% Research Intensity 6.25% Academic Service Spending 6.25% Facilities Spending 6.25% Graduate Prospects 12.5% Degree Completion Rate 12.5%

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Thomson Reuters

Criteria used in ranking -Reuters Most Innovative Universities Europe:

Patent volume 11.11% Patent success 11.11% Global patents 11.11% Patent citations 11.11% Percent of patents cited / Patent citation impact 11.11% Patent to Article Citation Impact 11.11% Industry Article Citation Impact 11.11% Percent of Industry Collaborative Articles 11.11% Total Web of Science Core Collection Papers 11.11%

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Criteria used in ranking -Reuters Most Innovative Universities Europe:

Patent volume 11.11% Patent success 11.11% Global patents 11.11% Patent citations 11.11% Percent of patents cited / Patent citation impact 11.11% Patent to Article Citation Impact 11.11% Industry Article Citation Impact 11.11% Percent of Industry Collaborative Articles 11.11% Total Web of Science Core Collection Papers 11.11%

Urap

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Us News

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Webometrics

Criteria used in ranking -Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities:

Visibility 50% Excellence 35% Transparency 10% Presence 5%

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