Top UK University Websites 2022
Monsido analysed the websites of the Top 50 UK Universities from 2020 report again in 2022.
See the winners in the categories for Web Accessibility, Content Quality Assurance, Response Time, and SEO.
Top 5 Websites Overall
The Overall category highlights the best performing Universities for Web Accessibility, Content Quality Assurance, Response Time, and SEO. These universities received high overall rankings in 2020 and 2022. Congratulations!
| Overall Ranking 2020 | University Name | Overall Ranking 2022 | University Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | City, University of London | 1st | University of Birmingham |
| 2nd | University of Bath | 2nd | University of York |
| 3rd | Birkbeck, University of London | 3rd | The University of Sheffield |
| 4th | University of Stirling | 4th | Royal Holloway University of London |
| 5th | Lancaster University | 5th | King's College London |
| Overall Ranking 2020 | University Name | Overall Ranking 2022 | University Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | City, University of London | 1st | University of Birmingham |
| 2nd | University of Bath | 2nd | University of York |
| 3rd | Birkbeck, University of London | 3rd | The University of Sheffield |
| 4th | University of Stirling | 4th | Royal Holloway University of London |
| 5th | Lancaster University | 5th | King's College London |
Top 3 Websites for Web Accessibility
Accessible websites allow everyone to use your website and consume its content regardless of age, digital skills, or disabilities. Monsido scans your site to find any possible issues that may hinder web accessibility, giving you an overview of how your website is doing, as well as recommendations on how to address these issues. With the Monsido platform, we recommend organisations get an Accessibility Compliance score over 70% to prove a path to compliance. These Top 3 universities have succeeded in 2020 and 2022.
| Ranking 2020 | University Name | Accessibility Compliance* | Ranking 2022 | University Name | Accessibility Compliance* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | University of Bath | 74.41% | 1st | Aberystwyth University | 74.15% | ||
| 2nd | City, University of London | 73.59% | 2nd | University of Bath | 73.22% | ||
| 3rd | Birkbeck, University of London | 73.02% | 3rd | University of Leeds | 73.01% |
| Ranking 2020 | University Name | Accessibility Compliance* | Ranking 2022 | University Name | Accessibility Compliance* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | University of Bath | 74.41% | 1st | Aberystwyth University | 74.15% | ||
| 2nd | City, University of London | 73.59% | 2nd | University of Bath | 73.22% | ||
| 3rd | Birkbeck, University of London | 73.02% | 3rd | University of Leeds | 73.01% |
Top 3 Websites for Content Quality Assurance (QA)
Content Quality Assurance looks at misspellings, broken links, broken images, and readability issues. By taking on Quality Assurance, you can decrease bounce rates, increase conversions, and improve your SEO, helping you to better reach your business goals. We congratulate the following universities for leading the way in the Content Quality Assurance category.
| Ranking 2020 | University Name | QA Compliance* | Ranking 2022 | University Name | QA Compliance* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Oxford Brookes University | 98.60% | 1st | University of Leicester | 97.40% | ||
| 2nd | The University of Edinburgh | 94.80% | 2nd | Lancaster University | 93.20% | ||
| 3rd | The University of Sheffield | 94.00% | 3rd | University of Stirling | 93.00% |
| Ranking 2020 | University Name | QA Compliance* | Ranking 2022 | University Name | QA Compliance* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Oxford Brookes University | 98.60% | 1st | University of Leicester | 97.40% | ||
| 2nd | The University of Edinburgh | 94.80% | 2nd | Lancaster University | 93.20% | ||
| 3rd | The University of Sheffield | 94.00% | 3rd | University of Stirling | 93.00% |
Top 3 Websites for SEO
On-page SEO is still a major factor in search engine ranking. Having common errors like missing H1 tags, broken links, and too many internal links on a page can harm your rankings and visitor experience. We applaud the following universities in leading the pack in the SEO category.
| Ranking 2020 | University Name | SEO Compliance* | Ranking 2022 | University Name | SEO Compliance* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | The University of Edinburgh | 95.21% | 1st | University of Leeds | 96.99% | ||
| 2nd | Goldsmiths, University of London | 92.07% | 2nd | The University of Edinburgh | 94.06% | ||
| 3rd | Birkbeck, University of London | 90.46% | 3rd | Heriot-Watt University | 91.24% |
| Ranking 2020 | University Name | SEO Compliance* | Ranking 2022 | University Name | SEO Compliance* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | The University of Edinburgh | 95.21% | 1st | University of Leeds | 96.99% | ||
| 2nd | Goldsmiths, University of London | 92.07% | 2nd | The University of Edinburgh | 94.06% | ||
| 3rd | Birkbeck, University of London | 90.46% | 3rd | Heriot-Watt University | 91.24% |
Top 3 Websites for Response Time
Having a fast-loading website is critical not only for user experience but also for SEO as it is a Google ranking metric. Monsido’s Heartbeat module allows you to monitor your site’s performance to ensure a smooth user experience for your visitors and avoid any potential loss in business. These Top 3 universities should be proud of their impressive response time results.
| Ranking 2020 | University Name | Average response time (ms)* | Ranking 2022 | University Name | Average response time (ms)* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | The University of Exeter | 176ms | 1st | University of Oxford | 60ms | ||
| 2nd | University of Oxford | 224ms | 2nd | SOAS University of London | 61ms | ||
| 3rd | City, University of London | 241ms | 3rd | The University of Exeter | 77ms |
| Ranking 2020 | University Name | Average response time (ms)* | Ranking 2022 | University Name | Average response time (ms)* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | The University of Exeter | 176ms | 1st | University of Oxford | 60ms | ||
| 2nd | University of Oxford | 224ms | 2nd | SOAS University of London | 61ms | ||
| 3rd | City, University of London | 241ms | 3rd | The University of Exeter | 77ms |
Top 5 2022 Websites on Performance score
Getting a pulse check on your overall website performance score (0-100) based on Google Web Vitals provides a comprehensive understanding of all measures that affect your site performance based on a visitor’s location, network speed, and device. Here are the top 5 UK university websites scoring high on ultimate Website Performance.
| Ranking | University Name | Performance score (0-100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Cardiff University | 81 |
| 2nd | Queen's University Belfast | 81 |
| 3rd | University of Oxford | 79 |
| 4th | University of York | 78 |
| 5th | The University of Warwick | 75 |
All 50 UK Universities We Tested
We tested the Top 50 UK Universities' websites in 2020 and their development in 2022. Is your university part of the list but not in any of the winning categories?
- Aberystwyth University
- Aston University
- Birkbeck, University of London
- Brunel University London
- Cardiff University
- City, University of London
- Durham University
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- Heriot-Watt University
- Imperial College London
- King's College London
- Lancaster University
- Loughborough University
- Newcastle University
- Oxford Brookes University
- Queen Mary University of London
- Queen's University Belfast
- Royal Holloway University of London
- SOAS University of London
- Swansea University
- The London School of Economics and Political Science
- The University of Edinburgh
- The University of Exeter
- The University of Manchester
- The University of Sheffield
- The University of Warwick
- UCL
- University of Aberdeen
- University of Bath
- University of Birmingham
- University of Bristol
- University of Cambridge
- University of Dundee
- University of East Anglia
- University of Essex
- University of Glasgow
- University of Kent
- University of Leeds
- University of Leicester
- University of Liverpool
- University of Nottingham
- University of Oxford
- University of Reading
- University of Southampton
- University of St Andrews
- University of Stirling
- University of Strathclyde
- University of Surrey
- University of Sussex
- University of York
Not on the list at all? We work with 1000s of organizations across many different sectors. We’d love the opportunity to scan your website and see how Monsido could help your organisation. Book a demo with us!
See How Your University Scored in 2022
See your website’s scan results and how your university performed in this report.
How the rankings work
Monsido:
- Scanned a sample of 500 pages from the main publicly facing websites of the Top 50 UK Universities using Monsido’s Web Governance software during a one week period in August 2022.
- Ranked the Top 50 Universities based on their scores in Web Accessibility, Content Quality Assurance, SEO, and Response Time.
- Calculated the Overall champions based on the average (weighted) ranking in all categories, prioritising Web Accessibility, then Content Quality Assurance, Response Time, and SEO.
Improve Your Accessibility Rankings
Benefits of improving accessibility:
Increased Audience
By building an accessible website, you open yourself up to a much larger audience as 1/5 of the world’s population is living with a disability that could prevent them from using your site.
Improved SEO
Many web accessibility standards overlap with good SEO practices like ensuring descriptive alt and title attributes, checking for correct HTML, and offering a site map to users.
Enhanced User Experience and Quality Assurance
Accessibility means creating a website which provides a good experience for everyone, so when you ensure a good experience for users with disabilities, you can rest assured that your overall website experience and quality will improve.
Strengthen Brand Image and Reputation
Committing to accessibility is not just good for your users, but shows you take your social responsibility seriously and can benefit your brand. So make sure to promote your accessibility efforts.
