You have probably heard people talking about the Russell Group Universities. Or bragging about having been to one. But if you are just starting to think about applying to university, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about?
Not all universities are created equal, everybody knows that, but what is it about Russell Group Unis that makes them so attractive to prospective students?
The truth is that there is a lot of variance in the Russell Group, so while some of their universities are world leaders, others are… not. They’re all well respected in the professional world though, and there are definitely benefits to going to one, and I will take you through why here.
Just Need a Quick List?
There are currently 24 Universities in the Russell Group:
- University of Birmingham
- University of Bristol
- University of Cambridge
- Cardiff University
- Durham University
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Exeter
- University of Glasgow
- Imperial College London
- King’s College London
- University of Leeds
- University of Liverpool
- London School of Economics & Political Science
- University of Manchester
- Newcastle University
- University of Nottingham
- University of Oxford
- Queen Mary, University of London
- Queen’s University Belfast
- University of Sheffield
- University of Southampton
- University College London
- University of Warwick
- University of York
The group began with just 17 members in 1994, with Cardiff, Durham, Exeter, King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London, Queen’s University Belfast, and York added between 1998 and 2012.
They were set up to represent the collective interests of their members, primarily to government and Parliament, making lobbying and advocacy central to the Russell Group’s purpose and operations. Now, the Russell Group has become an influential voice in shaping higher education policy, funding decisions, and legislation affecting research, teaching, and student welfare.
Here’s a bit of trivia for you too: they got their name from the hotel the founding members met in to discuss creating the association – The Russell Hotel (now known as the Kimpton Fitzroy).
Why Are They So Popular with Applicants?
It’s partly based on output and partly based on hype to be completely honest.
The group is a self-selected association of public research universities, so education through research is a large part of what they do, and as such, the research facilities and opportunities at these establishments are very good indeed. They attract some of the top tutors too.
So much so, that in 2021, 65% of all world-leading (4*) research conducted in the UK came out of Russell Group universities, and in 2017, over three-quarters of all university research grant and contract income in the UK went to Russell Group members.
Also in 2017, 61% of the jobs requiring a University degree were held by Russell Group graduates, despite the group only representing 17% of higher education graduates. So going to one isn’t a guarantee of success, but the odds are stacked in your favour if you do go to a Russell Group uni and do well.
While Universities in the Russell Group are respected in the professional world, it’s important to point out that there is quite a gap between the highest ranking and the lowest. I would hazard a guess that Oxford and Cambridge account for more of that research money and those grad jobs than Cardiff or Exeter, for example. In other words, there are lots of other non-Russell Group universities that rank far higher than the bottom half of the Russell Group. Plus, each uni will be better for some courses than others, so blindly targeting the Russell Group isn’t a very good plan. You need to think about the specifics in terms of what you want to study, and what you want to do with your life after your graduate.
Ranking Russell Group Unis
Further to my point above, if you want to know where the Russell Group unis rank compared to all the other higher education establishments in the world, check this table:
| Russell Group University | Global Ranking (2025) |
|---|---|
| University of Oxford | 1 |
| University of Cambridge | 5 |
| Imperial College London | 9 |
| University College London (UCL) | 22 |
| University of Edinburgh | 29 |
| King’s College London | 36 |
| London School of Economics (LSE) | 50 |
| University of Manchester | 53 |
| University of Bristol | 78 |
| University of Glasgow | 87 |
| University of Birmingham | 93 |
| University of Sheffield | 98 |
| University of Warwick | 106 |
| University of Southampton | 115 |
| University of Leeds | 123 |
| University of Nottingham | 136 |
| Queen Mary University of London | 141 |
| Newcastle University | 157 |
| University of Liverpool | 160 |
| Durham University | 172 |
| University of Exeter | 172 |
| Cardiff University | 201–250 |
| Queen’s University Belfast | 201–250 |
So you see, the best of the Russell Group members are at the very top, but there are plenty of other places to study which are as good if not better than other members.
Application Process
Although the universities in the Russell Group are part of an association, the application process is no different to any other university.
Anyone who wants to apply for a place on a course can do so via UCAS, short for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. This service exists to make the application process as streamlined and stress free as possible, and pretty much every uni in the UK is part of it, at least for the initial stages. Cambridge has further steps after your UCAS application, for example, but it begins with UCAS.
You just need to create an account and the site will guide you from there. You can upload a C.V, personal statement, personal info that all applications need, etc.
The fact that UCAS centralises everything is really useful, because you can apply for Russell Group and non-Russell Group universities from the same place, and manage those applications centrally too.
So if you want to apply to one of them, go for it, it’s no harder than applying for anywhere else. Good luck!
