1. The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by King Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world’s third oldest surviving university and one of its most prestigious, currently ranked second best in the world and the best in Europe by QS World University Rankings.
2. The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s second-oldest university in continuous operation.
3. Imperial College London is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cultural area that included the Royal Albert Hall, Victoria & Albert Museum, Natural History Museum and royal colleges.
4. University College London, which operates as UCL, is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. It is a member institution of the federal University of London, and is the second-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment and the largest by postgraduate enrolment.
5. The University of Edinburgh is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 and officially opened in 1583, it is one of Scotland’s four ancient universities and the sixth-oldest university in continuous operation in the English-speaking world.
6. The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester City Centre on Oxford Road. The university owns and operates major cultural assets such as the Manchester Museum, The Whitworth art gallery, the John Rylands Library, the Tabley House Collection and the Jodrell Bank Observatory – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
7. King’s College London is a public research university located in London, England. King’s was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington.
8. The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidney Webb, Beatrice Webb, Graham Wallas, and George Bernard Shaw, LSE joined the University of London in 1900 and established its first degree courses under the auspices of the university in 1901.
9. The University of Bristol is a red brick Russell Group research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers’ school founded in 1595 and University College, Bristol, which had been in existence since 1876.
10. The University of Warwick is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire, England.