When it comes to college and university admissions, some schools are a much more difficult – if not seemingly impossible – nut to crack. Many students aim for admission to a prestigious college or university, but the supply of open slots often does not meet the demand from applicants. Earning admission to the schools on this list can be especially difficult. The ranking below is based on average UCAS traffic score.
Here are the top 20 hardest universities and colleges to get into in the United Kingdom.
| Rank | School | Average UCAS tariff score |
| 1. | University of Cambridge | 212 |
| 2. | University of St Andrews | 211 |
| 3. | University of Oxford | 205 |
| 4. | University of Glasgow | 200 |
| 5. | University of Strathclyde | 199 |
| 6. | Durham University | 192 |
| 7. | Imperial College London | 190 |
| 8. | University of Edinburgh | 187 |
| 9. | University of Aberdeen | 183 |
| 10. | University of Dundee | 177 |
| 11. | UCL (University College London) | 175 |
| 12. | University of Bath | 174 |
| 13. | King’s College London, University of London | 171 |
| 14. | University of Bristol | 170 |
| 15. | Heriot-Watt University | 168 |
| 16. | London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London | 168 |
| 17. | University of Manchester | 167 |
| 18. | University of Exeter | 163 |
| 19. | University of Warwick | 163 |
| 20. | University of Stirling | 162 |
