Quick Answer
The University of Manchester does not publish an acceptance rate, and in August 2023 it refused a request for course level admissions data on the grounds that releasing it would help competitors, so every percentage you will read elsewhere for Manchester as a whole is an estimate.
- Typical offer: A*A*A for Mechanical Engineering, A*AA for Law, Computer Science and Mathematics, AAA for Economics, Medicine, Psychology, Accounting and Finance, Management, History and Architecture
- Acceptance rate: not published for the university. Medicine, from Manchester's own data for 2026 entry: 40 offers to 1,036 overseas applicants, 985 offers to 2,607 home applicants
- Known for: the largest single site campus in the country by its own account, 28 subjects in the UK top ten and research quality 7th in the UK
- Tuition: £27,800 to £37,800 a year for most degrees in 2026/27, £39,900 for the first two years of Medicine, and Manchester reserves the right to raise the fee by up to 7% a year
- Students: more than 25,000 in the Complete University Guide's HESA band, 40% of them from outside the UK, on Oxford Road south of the city centre
- Applying: UCAS by 13 January 2027, or 15 October 2026 for Medicine and Dentistry. UCAT for Medicine and Dentistry, no test for Law
Reviewed by Dr Elizabeth Adey for 2027 entry · Uni Direct team, 2026
The University of Manchester is the university international families ask us about when they want a Russell Group name in a big English city that is not London, and it is one of the largest in Britain by enrolment. The Complete University Guide's HESA figures put it above 25,000 students, 66% of them undergraduates, with 37% international and a further 3% from the European Union. It is joint 40th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, it describes itself as the largest single site university in the UK, and it teaches almost everything from Medicine and Dentistry to Engineering, Computer Science, Law, Economics and the arts. It sits on our guide to the best UK universities for international students as the big city choice outside the capital.
Two things to know before anything else. Manchester publishes no acceptance rate and has declined to release one when asked, so this page tells you what the university does publish, which is its medical school's data, and treats every other percentage as unverified. And Manchester's overseas fee is not fixed: every 2026 entry course page states that the university "reserves the right to increase the tuition fee by up to 7% each year", which is the opposite of the guarantee UCL, LSE and Edinburgh give, and it changes the arithmetic of a three year degree.
160
of 208 · CUG 2027
80%
79.7 of 100 · CUG 2027
£27,800
BA History, 2026/27 entry. Physics with Theoretical Physics £38,400.
24th
of 130 · CUG 2027
76%
3.06 of 4 · CUG 2027
Sources: Complete University Guide 2027 and the university's own published fee pages, read 7 September 2026.
What is the University of Manchester acceptance rate?
The University of Manchester does not publish an acceptance rate, for the university or for its courses, and the figures that appear on aggregator sites, which range from 39% to 56%, carry no source that we could find. The clearest evidence is a published disclosure made in July 2023 asking for three cycles of applications, offers and acceptances by course and by domicile. Manchester refused it in full on 15 August 2023 under section 43(2) of the published disclosure, the commercial interests exemption, arguing that a competitor could use the data to "start a new course themselves" or to "more aggressively compete with us/poach from us". The request and the refusal are public on WhatDoTheyKnow. Whatever you think of the reasoning, the consequence for an applicant is simple: nobody outside the university knows the Manchester acceptance rate, and anyone who quotes one to you is guessing.
What Manchester does publish is worth more than a guess. Its medical school posts application statistics for the five year MBChB for every cycle since 2020, split between home and overseas applicants, with the number of applications at week five of the cycle, the number shortlisted for interview and the number of offers made. For 2026 entry, 2,607 home applicants produced 1,667 interviews, 63% of them, and 985 offers, 59% of those interviewed. The 1,036 overseas applicants produced 191 interviews, 18%, and 40 offers, 20% of those interviewed. Put another way, and this is our arithmetic rather than Manchester's, about 38 in every 100 home applicants received an offer and about 4 in every 100 overseas applicants did. Manchester also publishes the UCAT score that triggered an automatic interview: 2060 for standard applicants and 2250 for overseas applicants in the 2026 cycle, on the redesigned test.
| Entry year | Home applications | Home interviews | Home offers | Overseas applications | Overseas interviews | Overseas offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,607 | 1,667 | 985 | 1,036 | 191 | 40 |
| 2025 | 1,601 | 1,285 | 896 | 704 | 322 | 162 |
| 2024 | 1,689 | 1,288 | 897 | 703 | 308 | 136 |
| 2023 | 2,181 | 1,248 | 733 | 795 | 261 | 71 |
| 2022 | 2,599 | 1,258 | 375 | 861 | 199 | 20 |
| 2021 | 2,795 | 1,587 | 870 | 599 | 178 | 48 |
| 2020 | 2,469 | 1,557 | 979 | 715 | 267 | 119 |
University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, application statistics for MBChB Medicine (A106), read 5 September 2026. Every figure is Manchester's own; the page states that the statistics "were correct at the time of publishing, and figures may change slightly" and are "strictly for information only". The 38 in 100 and 4 in 100 are our division of offers by applications for 2026 entry.
Two things stand out in that table. Overseas offers for Medicine swing from year to year, 20 in 2022, 162 in 2025, 40 in 2026, while home offers hold between 733 and 985 in every year but one, so an international applicant is competing for a small and variable number of places. And Manchester states plainly that it makes no medicine offer without an interview, so the shortlist column is the real gate: an overseas applicant who was not among the 191 invited in 2026 had no route to an offer.
What is the University of Manchester known for?
The University of Manchester is known for size, science and engineering, and the city around it. Manchester's own story records that UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester came together in 2004, that its oldest root is the Manchester Mechanics' Institution, "founded in 1824 ... as part of a national movement for the education of working men", and that Owens College became "the first constituent part of the Victoria University - England's first civic university - in 1880". It is named on the Russell Group's own list of member universities. Manchester's own pages describe it as the largest single site university in the UK, with its campus running along Oxford Road south of the city centre.
The Complete University Guide 2027 places 28 Manchester subjects in the UK top ten, and the list leans towards the sciences and engineering: Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Materials Technology, Physics and Astronomy, Dentistry, and Pharmacology and Pharmacy, alongside Music, Drama, Linguistics, Classics and Education. It scores Manchester's research quality 7th in the country. Its Accounting and Finance is 15th. For an international family the honest reading is that Manchester's strongest cards are the engineering and computing degrees, medicine and dentistry for the few overseas places they carry, and the business school degrees for their name.
Internationally the name is well known. QS places Manchester joint 40th in the world in its World University Rankings 2027, and the QS profile records 810 programmes and 45% international students. Manchester's own India page claims the university is "the UK's most targeted university by major graduate employers", which is Manchester's statement and one we have not checked against its source.
What are the University of Manchester entry requirements for international students?
Manchester publishes a typical A level offer, a contextual offer and an International Baccalaureate offer on every course page, and the pattern is a narrow one: AAA or 36 International Baccalaureate points with 6,6,6 at higher level for most degrees, A*AA or 37 points with 7,6,6 for Law, Computer Science and Mathematics, and A*A*A or 38 points with 7,7,6 for Mechanical Engineering. The subject conditions are where the courses differ. Computer Science asks for an A* in Mathematics and one science, Mathematics for an A* in Mathematics or Further Mathematics, Economics for Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering for Mathematics and Physics, and Law and Accounting and Finance for at least one subject from a preferred list, with preference given to applicants studying two. Manchester's Law degree lists no admissions test; Medicine and Dentistry require the UCAT. The table below is read from the 2027 entry course pages.
| Course | Typical A level offer | Subjects | International Baccalaureate | IELTS | Overseas fee 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering BEng | A*A*A | Mathematics and Physics | 38 points, 7,7,6 at higher level | 6.5, no component below 6.5 | £35,700 |
| Law LLB | A*AA | At least one preferred subject, two preferred | 37 points, 7,6,6 | 7.0, no component below 6.5 | £28,400 |
| Computer Science BSc | A*AA | A* Mathematics and one science | 37 points, 7,6,6 with 7 in Mathematics | 7.0, no component below 6.5 | £37,800 |
| Mathematics BSc | A*AA | A* Mathematics or Further Mathematics | 37 points, 7,6,6 with 7 in Mathematics | 6.5, no component below 6.0 | £36,300 |
| Economics BSc | AAA | Mathematics | 36 points, 6,6,6 including Mathematics | 6.5, no component below 6.0 | £33,100 |
| Medicine MBChB | AAA | Biology or Chemistry, plus one more science; UCAT; interview | 36 points, 6,6,6 | 7.0, no component below 6.5 | £39,900 years 1 to 2 |
| Psychology BSc | AAA | One of Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Mathematics | 36 points, 6,6,6 including one science | 7.0, no component below 6.5 | £34,100 |
| Accounting and Finance BAEcon | AAA | At least one preferred subject | 36 points, 6,6,6 | 6.5, no component below 6.0 | £33,100 |
| International Business, Finance and Economics BSc | AAA | Preferred subjects considered | 36 points, 6,6,6 | 6.5, no component below 6.0 | £33,100 |
| Management BSc | AAA | None specified | 36 points, 6,6,6 | Published on the course page | £33,100 |
| Chemical Engineering BEng | AAA | Specific subjects on the course page | 36 points, 6,6,6 | 6.5, no component below 6.5 | £37,800 |
| History BA | AAA | Specific subjects on the course page | 36 points, 6,6,6 | 7.0, no component below 6.5 | £27,800 |
| Architecture BA | AAA | None specified | 36 points, 6,6,6 | 6.5, with 6.5 in writing | £32,000 |
University of Manchester course pages for 2027 entry for the offers and English requirements, and the same courses' 2026 entry pages for the overseas fee, read 5 September 2026. Manchester states that fees for 2027 entry "have not yet been set". Contextual offers, typically one grade lower, apply to eligible UK applicants only.
What grades does Manchester ask for in your own qualification?
Manchester publishes a country page for each of its main recruiting countries, and the translations are given as ranges rather than course by course. For India, Manchester states that students completing CBSE or ISC Standard XII "will usually be considered for direct entry to the first year of undergraduate courses provided they have achieved a minimum of 80-95% overall", with the exact figure depending on the programme, and that it also accepts direct entry from five state boards only: Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat, at the same 80% to 95%. A student at 70% overall with 75% in Mathematics and Physics and 65% in English is considered for the Science and Engineering foundation year instead. Manchester records more than 1,300 students from India.
For the United States, Manchester asks for the equivalent of three A levels and of GCSE English and Mathematics. Three A levels are met by three Advanced Placement tests or dual enrolment college level classes in separate subjects, in any combination, plus the High School Diploma with a GPA of 3.0. The GCSE equivalents are an SAT of 1290, an ACT of 27, or grade 12 classes at the right level. Manchester adds that it cannot confirm before you apply whether a particular department will accept a particular AP subject, which is unusually candid, and that it aims to respond to a US application within two weeks. Manchester's China page was not reachable when we read the site; ask us and we will check it with you.
| System | Direct entry to year one | Alternative route |
|---|---|---|
| India, CBSE or ISC Standard XII | 80% to 95% overall, depending on the programme | Foundation year at 70% overall with 75% in Mathematics and Physics and 65% in English |
| India, state boards | Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat only, 80% to 95% | Other state boards are not accepted for direct entry |
| United States, three A level equivalents | Three AP tests or dual enrolment classes in separate subjects, plus the High School Diploma at GPA 3.0 | Any combination of AP and dual enrolment, taken within two years of enrolling |
| United States, GCSE equivalents | SAT 1290, or ACT 27, or grade 12 classes at GCSE level in English and Mathematics or a science | Course subject requirements apply on top |
University of Manchester country specific information for India and the USA, read 5 September 2026.
Manchester will not tell you its acceptance rate, but it will tell you exactly what your board or system needs to show, and the answer runs from 80% to 95% depending on the degree. Send us your predicted grades, your board or system and the Manchester courses you are weighing, and we will tell you which end of that range your course sits at, whether the UCAT applies, and where a second choice at Manchester would be realistic.
Is the University of Manchester a campus university, and where is it?
Manchester is a single site city university, which is a rarer thing than it sounds. The main campus runs south of the city centre along Oxford Road, woven into the urban fabric of the city, and Manchester itself calls it the largest single site university in the UK. In practice that means the Victorian buildings, the engineering and science buildings, the libraries and the students' union run along one long road, with the city centre at one end of it. A student gets the compactness of a campus and the scale of a big city at the same time.
Manchester's own living costs page for 2026/27 puts a university hall at £555 to £982 a month catered and £487 to £1,060 self catered, with private halls at £860 to £1,010 including bills and a room in a shared house at £645 to £710. It states that university self catered accommodation ranges from £4,853 to £12,096 a year.
Can an international student study medicine at the University of Manchester?
Yes, and Manchester's own data shows how narrow the door is. The MBChB received 1,036 overseas applications for 2026 entry and made 40 offers, after shortlisting 191 for interview; in 2025 it made 162 overseas offers from 704 applications and in 2022 just 20 from 861. The course asks for AAA at A level with Biology or Chemistry and a second science from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Psychology or Mathematics, or 36 International Baccalaureate points with 6,6,6, GCSE Mathematics at B and English, the UCAT sat in the year of application, and an interview, since Manchester states that it does not make any offers without one. The UCAT threshold that triggered an automatic interview in the 2026 cycle was 2060 for standard applicants and 2250 for overseas applicants, on the test as redesigned in 2025. The overseas fee for 2026/27 is £39,900 a year for the pre clinical years one and two and £60,900 for the clinical years, set at the rate applying when a student enters year three. The UCAS deadline for medicine is 15 October 2026, three months before the main deadline. Medicine is one section of this page and not a service we sell; if it is your course, the honest first step is to check whether your qualification meets the science subject rules and whether a UCAT sitting fits your calendar, and we can do that with you.
University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, application statistics and UCAT thresholds for A106; the MBChB Medicine course pages for 2027 and 2026 entry; and UCAS dates for 2027 entry, all read 5 September 2026.
What does the University of Manchester ask for a masters?
Postgraduates are 34% of Manchester's students in the Complete University Guide's HESA figures, and its 2027 entry masters pages already carry the fee, so the numbers below are for the September 2027 intake. The business school degrees ask for "a First or Upper Second class honours degree (2:1, with 60% average) from a UK university or the overseas equivalent"; MSc Finance adds that the degree must be in finance or economics with a significant number of finance and quantitative courses, and states that the GMAT is not required to apply though the admissions team may ask for it later. MSc Advanced Computer Science states that it runs "a selective staged admissions process", gives preference to the strongest grades from high ranking institutions, and that successful applicants typically hold a First, a 70% average. The LLM asks for a 2:1 in Law with strong results in relevant modules including Public Law and Contract Law, and the MA in International Relations for a 2:1 in any discipline.
The 2027 entry international fees are £39,400 for MSc Advanced Computer Science, £37,800 for MSc Finance and MSc Accounting and Finance, £35,700 for MSc Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, £33,600 for MSc Economics, £33,100 for MSc Management and MSc International Business and Management, £31,000 for the LLM and £29,400 for the MA in International Relations. Manchester states that these are "fully inclusive of tuition, administration" and related costs. English for the LLM and the MA is IELTS 7.0 with 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in the other components, and for Advanced Computer Science 7.0 with no component below 6.5. Add Manchester's own undergraduate living estimate of about £1,500 a month for a rough guide, and a one year masters at Manchester costs from about £47,000 for the MA to about £57,000 for Advanced Computer Science before flights and the visa, which is our arithmetic on Manchester's fee and twelve months of its living figure. Our page on how to study in the UK covers the postgraduate route from first enquiry to arrival, and our guide to studying in the UK covers what every university here has in common.
University of Manchester masters course pages for 2027 entry for MSc Finance, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Management, MSc International Business and Management, MSc Economics, MSc Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, MSc Advanced Computer Science, LLM Law and MA International Relations, and the undergraduate cost of living page for 2026/27, all read 5 September 2026.
How much does the University of Manchester cost for international students?
Manchester publishes its overseas fee on each course page for the 2026 entry it has priced, and states on the 2027 pages that those fees are not yet set. For 2026/27 History is £27,800, Law £28,400, Architecture £32,000, Economics, Accounting and Finance, International Business, Finance and Economics and Management £33,100, Psychology £34,100, Mechanical Engineering £35,700, Mathematics £36,300, Computer Science and Chemical Engineering £37,800, and Medicine £39,900 for the two pre clinical years and £60,900 for the clinical years. Every one of those pages carries the same sentence about later years: "the University reserves the right to increase the tuition fee by up to 7% each year", so a family should budget for the fee to rise, and the first year figure is the floor. Manchester's own living costs page for 2026/27 puts a 41 week undergraduate year at £14,840, or £15,030 in self catered university accommodation, which is £1,484 to £1,503 a month.
| Cost | Published figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, History BA | £27,800 a year, may rise by up to 7% a year | Manchester course page, 2026/27 |
| Tuition, Law LLB | £28,400 a year | Manchester course page, 2026/27 |
| Tuition, Economics, Accounting and Finance, Management | £33,100 a year | Manchester course pages, 2026/27 |
| Tuition, Psychology BSc | £34,100 a year | Manchester course page, 2026/27 |
| Tuition, Mechanical Engineering BEng | £35,700 a year | Manchester course page, 2026/27 |
| Tuition, Mathematics BSc | £36,300 a year | Manchester course page, 2026/27 |
| Tuition, Computer Science and Chemical Engineering | £37,800 a year | Manchester course pages, 2026/27 |
| Tuition, Medicine MBChB | £39,900 a year in years 1 and 2, £60,900 in the clinical years | Manchester course page, 2026/27 |
| Living costs, Manchester's own estimate | £14,840 for a 41 week year, £15,030 in self catered halls, £1,484 to £1,503 a month | Manchester cost of living page, 2026/27 |
| University hall, self catered | £487 to £1,060 a month; £4,853 to £12,096 a year | Manchester cost of living page, 2026/27 |
| University hall, catered | £555 to £982 a month | Manchester cost of living page, 2026/27 |
| Private halls, or a room in a shared house | £860 to £1,010 a month in private halls; £645 to £710 in a house share, bills included | Manchester cost of living page, 2026/27 |
| Money to show for the visa | £1,171 a month for up to nine months, £10,539 | GOV.UK Student visa, outside London |
| Immigration health surcharge | £776 a year | GOV.UK |
| Visa application fee | £558 | GOV.UK |
University of Manchester course pages for 2026 entry, the undergraduate cost of living page for 2026/27, and GOV.UK on the Student visa and the immigration health surcharge, all read 5 September 2026. Every figure in pounds sterling. Manchester states that its grocery figure was priced in April 2026 and its other living costs are drawn from the National Student Money Survey, uprated for inflation to February 2026.
Adding Manchester's self catered living estimate of £15,030 to the tuition gives about £43,400 for a first year of Law, about £48,100 for Economics or Management and about £52,800 for Computer Science, before flights and the visa, and before any fee rise in the second and third years. Our cost of living page has the comparison with the rest of the country, and if the total is the sticking point the cheapest universities in the UK page is the honest next read.
Scholarships for international students at the University of Manchester
Manchester's international scholarship scheme is one of the largest on this guide by number of awards. The Global Futures Scholarships for September 2027 entry total more than £6 million across more than 350 awards, open to undergraduate and masters applicants, and the undergraduate award is £36,000: £12,000 off the fee in each of three years, continued on a 60% average each year. Manchester's India page states that the South Asia awards are open to applicants domiciled in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka taking A levels, the IB or Standard XII from the CBSE, CISCE or the five accepted state boards, and the general page lists the other eligible countries, among them the United States, Nigeria, Malaysia, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. The award is merit based and the application form is sent only to offer holders, so the order is apply, receive an offer, then apply for the money. Alongside it Manchester lists three GREAT Scholarships for masters applicants from Bangladesh, Ghana and Pakistan in 2026, five fully funded Women in STEM masters scholarships for Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and Humanitarian and Equity and Merit awards.
University of Manchester, Global Futures Scholarship, GREAT scholarships and Women in STEM scholarship pages, and the India country page, read 5 September 2026. The award level and eligibility differ by region; check the 2027 conditions for your country before you rely on them.
What English language level does the University of Manchester require?
Manchester sets its English requirement course by course rather than in bands, and the courses on this page fall into three groups. Economics, Accounting and Finance, International Business, Finance and Economics, and Mathematics ask for IELTS 6.5 overall with no component below 6.0. Mechanical and Chemical Engineering ask for 6.5 with no component below 6.5, and Architecture for 6.5 with 6.5 in writing and 6.0 elsewhere. Law, Computer Science, Psychology, History and Medicine ask for 7.0 with no component below 6.5. Manchester states that a test report must be valid on the course start date, and the course pages accept TOEFL iBT at 90 with 20 in each part for the Economics and Mathematics group and 100 for Computer Science, alongside GCSE or IGCSE English Language.
| Degrees | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT where the course page gives it |
|---|---|---|
| Economics, Accounting and Finance, International Business Finance and Economics, Mathematics | 6.5 overall, no component below 6.0 | 90, no part below 20 |
| Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering | 6.5 overall, no component below 6.5 | 90, no part below 22 |
| Architecture | 6.5 overall, 6.5 in writing, no other component below 6.0 | Published on the course page |
| Law, Computer Science, Psychology, History, Medicine | 7.0 overall, no component below 6.5 | 100 for Computer Science |
| LLM Law, MA International Relations | 7.0 overall, 7.0 in writing, no other component below 6.5 | Published on the course page |
University of Manchester course pages for 2027 entry, read 5 September 2026. IELTS is not the only route: see our page on studying in the UK without IELTS.
What is the University of Manchester like as a place to study?
Manchester is big, urban and international. The Complete University Guide's HESA figures put Manchester above 25,000 students, with 37% international and a further 3% from the European Union, QS puts the international share at 45%, and Manchester's own USA page counts more than 10,000 international students from over 160 countries. The campus is one long site on Oxford Road with the city centre at the end of it, and the city is the second thing every student mentions, a city known for its music and its football, with a university hall from £487 a month by Manchester's own figures.
Size has a cost, and Manchester's own numbers show it. The Complete University Guide 2027 places Manchester 24th overall but 116th for student satisfaction, on a score of 3.06 out of 4, and its graduate outcomes score sits 26th against a research quality score that is 7th, which is the profile of a research university where the undergraduate experience depends heavily on the department. Students who thrive at Manchester tend to be the ones who chose the subject and the city rather than the ranking, who wanted a large cohort and a real city around them, and who joined something in the students' union early. Students who wanted a small collegiate community find the scale hard.
Elizabeth's view
Manchester is the university I suggest when a family wants a big name and a big city and has quietly decided that London is too expensive, and it is usually the right instinct. The Global Futures Scholarship is a large award by the standards of this guide, £36,000 over three years for a South Asian family, and Manchester's own hall prices start at £487 a month. Two things I say to every family. The first is that Manchester will not tell you your odds, and I do not pretend to know them either; what I can tell you is what your board needs to show, which Manchester publishes, and that is the number that matters. The second is that the fee is not fixed, and a family who budgets on the first year figure for three years will be wrong. Manchester suits a student who wants to be one of many, who likes a city with an edge to it, and who is going for engineering, computing, the sciences or the business school. For a student who wants to be known by name, I would talk about Durham or Bath first.
Frequently asked questions about the University of Manchester
How many students are at the University of Manchester?
The Complete University Guide's HESA figures put Manchester above 25,000 students, 66% of them undergraduates and 34% postgraduates, with 37% international and a further 3% from the European Union, and it is one of the largest universities in the United Kingdom by total enrolment.
Is the University of Manchester in the Russell Group?
Yes. The University of Manchester is named on the Russell Group's own list of member universities, and Manchester's own pages say the same. Our page on Russell Group universities explains what membership does and does not tell you about a university.
Is the University of Manchester a good university?
By every published measure, yes. It is 24th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2027 with 28 subjects in the top ten and research quality 7th in the country, and joint 40th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Its weaker measures in the same UK table are student satisfaction, 116th, and graduate outcomes, 26th.
Where does the University of Manchester rank in the world?
Joint 40th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, as reported by QS. Manchester's own USA page cites 51st in the world and 6th in the UK in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026. Rankings differ because they measure different things; the QS figure is the one used across this guide.
The one thing Manchester will not publish, and the one thing it does
Manchester publishes no acceptance rate and refused a request for course level data in August 2023, citing the commercial interests exemption. The aggregators' figures of 39% to 56% have no source. What it does publish is its medical school's application data by home and overseas status, which is the only Manchester acceptance figure on this page that the university itself stands behind, and its country pages, which tell you exactly what your board needs to show.
Where is the University of Manchester?
On Oxford Road, south of Manchester city centre in the north west of England. Manchester describes a single main campus woven into the city and calls it the largest single site university in the UK. The university's own living costs page prices its halls from £487 a month self catered.
How old is the University of Manchester?
The present University of Manchester was formed in 2004, when UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester came together, in the university's own account. Its oldest root is the Manchester Mechanics' Institution, founded in 1824, and Manchester celebrated its bicentenary in 2024, so the university counts its history from 1824.
Is the University of Manchester public or private?
Public. The University of Manchester is a publicly funded UK university and a member of the Russell Group, and it charges UK students the regulated home fee, £9,790 in 2026/27 and £10,050 in 2027/28 subject to Parliamentary approval, according to its own course pages. It is not part of the Ivy League, which is a group of eight private American universities.
Is the University of Manchester a target university for employers?
Manchester's own India page describes it as "the UK's most targeted university by major graduate employers", which is the university's claim and one we have not checked against its source. The Complete University Guide 2027 scores its graduate outcomes 26th in the UK. Manchester publishes no recruiter list and neither do we, so treat any named list of firms elsewhere as unsourced.
The next step
If Manchester is on your list, the useful next move is to open your country page and find where your board sits in the 80% to 95% range, then open the course page for the subject conditions, the English level and the fee, and budget for the fee to rise. For a campus alternative at similar grades, see the University of Warwick; for a collegiate university that publishes its acceptance rates, Durham University; for another big city university with published admissions statistics, the University of Edinburgh; and for London with data by department, UCL. The best engineering universities in the UK page names Manchester and its rivals. The visa rules are on our Student visa page. We are not a visa agency: we set out the published rules, point you at GOV.UK, and work with partners we pass people to where an application needs professional handling.
Sources, all read 5 September 2026: University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, application statistics and UCAT thresholds for MBChB Medicine (A106) and Graduate Entry Medicine (A101) · University of Manchester undergraduate course pages for 2027 entry, and the same courses for 2026 entry for the overseas fee, for Economics, Law, Computer Science, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Psychology, Accounting and Finance, International Business Finance and Economics, Management, History, Architecture and Medicine · University of Manchester masters course pages for 2027 entry · University of Manchester country specific information for India and the USA, undergraduate cost of living page for 2026/27, after you apply page, Global Futures, GREAT and Women in STEM scholarship pages, and the fair admissions case study · the University of Manchester's response of 15 August 2023 to a published disclosure for admissions statistics, published on WhatDoTheyKnow · the Complete University Guide, University League Table 2027 and its Manchester profile · QS World University Rankings 2027 and the QS profile of Manchester, as reported by QS · UCAS, dates and deadlines for 2027 entry · GOV.UK, Student visa and immigration health surcharge · the University of Manchester's own Our story and History and heritage pages, for the founding dates and the campus · the Russell Group's own list of its member universities. Every figure on this page is in pounds sterling. The offers per hundred applicants for Medicine and the first year and masters totals are our arithmetic on Manchester's published numbers.
Next review: when Manchester publishes its 2027 entry undergraduate fees and its 2027 entry medicine statistics, and before 13 January 2027.
What to do next
- Best UK universitiesThe guide this page sits in, covering the ranked institutions and the specialists
- University of DurhamAnother Russell Group university in England
- Imperial College LondonAnother Russell Group university in England
- King’s College LondonAnother Russell Group university in England
- Manchester Metropolitan UniversityAlso in Manchester