Top UK Universities for IT and Computer Science Degrees

Do you want to start a successful career in the IT sector? Maybe even build up your own company? Well, a good level of university education is always a good start to help you make your dreams come true. More and more young people are interested in a tech career in addition to the high demand for computer and IT specialists worldwide. However, knowing what programme you want to study at university is just the tip of the iceberg. You need to also consider the best university that will meet your needs and expectations and provide you with the education you would need to become the best in the IT sector. In order to help you make the best choice, especially when it comes to such an important choice in your life, here is a list of top British universities offering computer science and IT degrees.

Oxford and Cambridge

We start the list off with two of the most obvious names – Oxford and Cambridge. In case you are able to find a ranking of British universities that is not dominated by these two names – good for you, you have made something incredible. When it comes to computer science and IT degrees, hardly any other university in the UK has the chance to exceed Oxford and Cambridge. When it comes to an undergraduate course, University of Cambridge offers just one – in computer science. It is a bit more choice at Oxford as you will be able to choose between a three-year undergraduate course or a four-year Masters course. Both of these courses are available to be taken in combination with mathematics or philosophy. As the results announced by the Guardian league table show, 95% of the graduates in computer science students at Cambridge are able to find a job in the field within 15 months of graduation. As far as University of Oxford goes, the university claims that “six months after graduation, our students had achieved a median salary of £45,000, higher than graduates of all other UK undergraduate degree courses.”

Imperial College London

Imperial College London is one of the best places for prospective students to study computer science and IT with a plethora of courses in the field. In fact, the university offers ten different computer science courses in different areas of the field and each of them with an option to study as a master too. Some of the computer science courses you can choose from include computing alongside management and finance, software engineering, security and reliability, artificial intelligence and machine learning, visual computing and robotics and more. At the end of each of the computer science courses, students will be awarded either a Bachelor of Engineering or Masters of Engineering – respectively for the three-year and the four-year course. This pretty much means that all students who decide to undertake a computer degree at this university will also study the engineering of computer hardware and software plus the mathematic principles of computing.

The University of Edinburgh

Just like you can find a plethora of computer science courses at the Imperial College in London, The University of Edinburgh also makes future students feel spoilt of choice with programmes and courses. All of the computer science courses come with the advantage of optional study abroad years and also classifications ranging from BScs or BEngs to MAs, MEngs, and MInfs. Edinburgh University also allows students to specialise or combine the university’s base-level computer science degree with artificial intelligence, informatics, physics, cognitive science, software engineering mathematics, linguistics and electronics. All these courses study at the Scottish university are available full-time and four-year period only for undergraduates, while the undergraduates plus Masters courses are five-year long.

University of Southampton

The University of Southampton has recently been placed seventh in the UK for STEM subjects by QS World University Ranking, despite the fact you cannot find this university at a top place in The Guardian’s and The Times’ ranking lists. The university provides future students with a choice of 15 computer science courses, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more, plus the opportunity to spend a whole year in the industry, where students will be able to further develop their skills, gain experience and learn to develop technologies in different areas, including algorithmics, data management, software design, modelling, interaction design.

University of Manchester

For all future students wishing to study undergraduate and Masters courses in Manchester, the University of Manchester offers 24 courses in the field of computer science. All computer science courses come with the additional option to take a foundation year in order to help future students fill in any potential knowledge gaps. All computer science courses at the University of Manchester are single-discipline degrees, which means they cannot be combined with other specialisms. Some of the computer science courses at the University of Manchester are in the field of artificial intelligence, software engineering, computer systems engineering, IT management for business, and more. Students also can opt for combining a computer science course with mathematics or human-computer interaction. Most courses allow students to also take a “sandwich” year in the industry.

University of Bristol

At the University of Bristol students are able to choose between 13 different undergraduate and Master courses in the IT and computer science fields. Most of these courses are also available to be taken as a study abroad year or a “sandwich” year in the industry. Keep in mind that the University of Bristol does not offer students the opportunity to specialize in specific areas. However, all students are able to combine their computer science courses with physics, chemistry, electronics, or innovation. Plus, the University of Bristol is scoring highly for STEM education

University of Glasgow

When it comes to the university offering the biggest number of computer science courses, no other university can beat the University of Glasgow with its astonishing 57 courses and combinations. Students of the Scottish university have the option to study alongside a wide range of fields, including statistics, mathematics, English language, literature, foreign languages, theology, philosophy, politics, and even theatre studies. The University of Glasgow also offers joint degree options for the digital media and information studies course that provides teaching on database development, artificial intelligence, and information systems. For those interested in specializing from the outset, software engineering and electronic software engineering courses are available too. Undergraduate courses at the University of Glasgow run for four years, while if you are looking to add a Masters degree to your resume, you will need to study for another year.

University of Birmingham

Guardian gives the University of Birmingham a high score of 84 out of 100 when it comes to course satisfaction. What you are able to find at the University of Birmingham is a single-discipline undergraduate or Masters degree course in computer science as well as joint computer science and artificial intelligence, software engineering and mathematics degree. Most of the courses provide students with the opportunity to study one year abroad or spend a year in the industry, while the foundation year option is also available.