List of universities in the United Kingdom by endowment

The following is a list of British universities ordered by their financial endowments, expressed in pounds sterling at fair value.

British charity funds are made up of restricted reserves, which can only be used for specific purposes, and unrestricted reserves, which could be used for any activity within the charity's scope.^[1] The statement of recommended practice (SORP) defines endowments as specific funds with both restrictions over the endowments' income and intention from the donors to establish such endowments. In addition, these reserves must either be held indefinitely and cannot be converted into income without permission (known as permanent endowment funds) or could be converted into income at trustees' discretion (known as expendable endowment).^[2] Updated SORP guidance published in 2007 prohibits donations with no specific purpose by the donor (unrestricted) and "with no requirement for maintenance of the original capital" from being treated as endowment.^[3] While restrictive funds are not considered endowments under the SORP's accounting guidance, institutions sometimes use the term "endowments" broadly to refer to the sum of all funds that generate income for the institution's operation and activities.^[4][5][6][7] Figures listed below account for funds defined by the SORP as endowment.

All sources are official audited financial statements published in the respective fiscal years. Note that changes to the Financial Reporting Standards (FRS 102) and the SORP in 2015 mean endowments as of 2016 are not directly comparable in all cases with those for previous years.^[8]

Endowments over £1 billion

Rank	Institution	Endowment (GBP billions, End of Financial Year)										Change
		2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	1‑year	5‑year	10‑year
1	University of Oxford[α]	8.708[11]	8.066[14]	8.120[17]	7.746[20]	6.327[23]	6.349[24]	6.057[27]	5.592[30]	5.069[33]	4.702[36]	+8.0%	+37.1%	+85.2%
	—Excluding Colleges	1.833[10]	1.602[13]	1.622[16]	1.537[19]	1.221[22]	1.143[22]	1.090[26]	0.921[29]	0.844[32]	0.767[35]	+14.4%	+60.4%	+139.0%
2	University of Cambridge[β]		7.134[39]	7.802[41]			6.073[44]	5.044[47]				NA	NA	NA
	—Excluding Colleges	2.259[48]	2.119[38]	2.123[40]	2.031[49]	1.648[49]	1.674[43]	1.562[46]	1.449[46]	1.269[46]	1.213[50]	+6.6%	+34.9%	+86.2%

Endowments from £1 billion to £100 million

Rank	Institution	Endowment (GBP millions, End of Financial Year)										Change
		2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	1‑year	5‑year	10‑year
3	University of Edinburgh	580.4[51]	559.8[52]	541.0[53]	565.2[54]	487.7[55]	459.9[56]	424.1[57]	392.1[58]	342.8[59]	317.2[60]	+3.7%	+26.2%	+83.0%
4	King's College London	324.8[61]	301.0[62]	291.1[63]	300.6[64]	252.2[65]	258.1[66]	233.5[67]	213.5[68]	194.1[69]	179.4[70]	+7.9%	+25.8%	+81.0%
5	University of Glasgow	262.4[71]	234.3[72]	225.8[73]	225.2[74]	177.2[75]	201.9[76]	200.6[77]	188.4[78]	170.9[79]	164.3[80]	+12.0%	+30.0%	+59.7%
6	London School of Economics	255.5[81]	229.3[82]	229.4[83]	240.8[84]	198.4[85]	155.0[86]	141.6[87]	132.7[88]	119.2[89]	112.9[90]	+11.4%	+64.8%	+126.3%
7	University of Manchester	240.2[91]	221.6[92]	223.5[93]	242.2[94]	220.5[95]	238.4[96]	235.1[97]	222.2[98]	196.8[99]	188.9[100]	+8.4%	+0.8%	+27.2%
8	Imperial College London	235.2[101]	220.1[102]	219.6[103]	202.1[104]	176.0[105]	178.1[106]	157.1[107]	141.7[108]	126.2[109]	113.6[110]	+6.9%	+32.1%	+107.0%
9	University of Liverpool	193.8[111]	182.7[112]	184.4[113]	190.2[114]	168.3[115]	171.7[116]	167.1[117]	166.5[118]	155.8[119]	147.9[120]	+6.1%	+12.9%	+31.0%
10	University College London	174.8[121]	156.8[122]	158.8[123]	163.3[124]	143.2[125]	138.7[126]	118.0[127]	111.4[128]	101.0[129]	103.6[130]	+11.5%	+26.0%	+68.7%
11	University of Birmingham	155.8[131]	142.5[132]	138.0[133]	134.5[134]	116.7[135]	121.6[136]	120.3[137]	112.6[138]	103.8[139]	97.0[140]	+9.3%	+28.1%	+60.6%
12	University of St Andrews	125.9[141]	114.9[142]	113.1[143]	117.7[144]	95.6[145]	89.9[146]	77.8[147]	69.4[148]	58.6[149]	56.8[150]	+9.6%	+40.0%	+121.7%
13	University of Reading[γ]	111.4[151]	101.9[152]	102.8[153]	107.4[153]	250.7[153]	17.5[154]	14.7[154]	14.0[155]	14.8[156]	13.9[157]	+9.3%	+536.6%	+701.4%
14	Durham University[δ]	106.6[158]	101.7[159]	99.4[160]	98.2[161]	86.4[162]	81.9[163]	74.0[164]	72.0[165]	67.6[166]	71.1[167]	+4.8%	+30.2%	+49.9%

Endowments from £100 million to £10 million

Rank	Institution	Endowment (GBP millions, End of Financial Year)										Change
		2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	1‑year	5‑year	10‑year
15	University of Bristol	98.7[168]	86.1[169]	91.6[170]	91.3[171]	78.7[172]	77.2[173]	72.2[174]	70.2[175]	62.6[176]	61.2[177]	+14.6%	+27.8%	+61.3%
16	University of Leeds	94.8[178]	83.2[179]	87.4[180]	90.5[181]	82.1[182]	82.3[183]	77.2[184]	72.7[185]	67.7[186]	66.7[187]	+13.9%	+15.2%	+42.1%
16	Newcastle University	94.8[188]	87.1[189]	87.6[190]	101.8[191]	87.2[192]	85.1[193]	80.6[194]	75.2[195]	63.4[196]	62.0[197]	+8.8%	+11.4%	+52.9%
18	University of Nottingham	78.1[198]	72.5[199]	72.2[200]	72.3[201]	62.3[202]	63.0[203]	58.5[204]	55.1[205]	49.9[206]	43.8[207]	+7.7%	+24.0%	+78.3%
19	Royal Holloway, University of London	75.5[208]	81.6[209]	86.1[210]	87.7[211]	78.8[212]	81.2[213]	80.4[214]	79.6[215]	75.3[216]	75.8[217]	−7.5%	−7.0%	−0.4%
20	Queen's University Belfast	70.9[218]	65.6[219]	69.0[220]	69.7[221]	63.8[222]	67.1[223]	67.1[224]	65.4[225]	56.6[226]	53.4[227]	+8.1%	+5.7%	+32.8%
21	University of Aberdeen	65.3[228]	58.6[229]	58.1[230]	58.4[231]	51.9[232]	52.0[233]	49.7[234]	46.9[235]	41.3[236]	38.0[237]	+11.4%	+25.6%	+71.8%
22	SOAS University of London	57.1[238]	53.9[239]	54.8[240]	56.2[241]	49.3[242]	51.2[243]	47.0[244]	42.2[245]	39.0[246]	35.4[247]	+5.9%	+11.5%	+61.3%
23	University of Sheffield	55.2[248]	47.1[249]	46.5[250]	46.7[251]	45.5[252]	46.0[253]	43.8[254]	42.2[255]	39.7[256]	39.0[257]	+17.2%	+20.0%	+41.5%
24	Cardiff University	53.1[258]	46.2[259]	45.6[260]	45.5[261]	38.9[262]	38.2[263]	34.5[264]	33.1[265]	30.3[266]	28.7[267]	+14.9%	+39.0%	+85.0%
25	University of Exeter	51.6[268]	48.6[269]	48.7[270]	49.5[271]	41.5[271]	40.7[272]	38.2[273]	37.2[274]	32.5[275]	33.2[276]	+6.2%	+26.8%	+55.4%
26	Queen Mary University of London	48.0[277]	43.7[278]	43.4[279]	41.3[280]	37.3[281]	33.4[282]	34.1[283]	34.3[284]	34.7[285]	35.1[286]	+9.8%	+43.7%	+36.8%
27	University of Strathclyde	46.6[287]	42.2[288]	41.7[289]	42.1[290]	36.3[290]	37.8[291]	35.1[292]	33.1[293]	30.9[294]	28.9[295]	+10.4%	+23.3%	+61.2%
28	University of Dundee		34.4[296]	33.9[297]	35.0[298]	30.2[298]	31.3[299]	29.6[300]	28.3[301]	25.8[302]	25.0[303]	NA	NA	NA
29	Aberystwyth University	36.4[304]	33.5[305]	30.3[306]	30.9[307]	35.6[307]	36.6[308]	43.3[309]	57.7[310]	48.4[311]	44.7[312]	+8.7%	−0.5%	−18.6%
30	University of Leicester	25.9[313]	23.6[314]	24.3[315]	24.5[315]	20.0[315]	21.0[316]	20.6[316]	17.7[317]	14.0[318]	13.1[319]	+9.7%	+23.3%	+97.7%
31	University of Sussex	21.1[320]	16.4[321]	15.3[322]	17.9[322]	14.4[322]	13.6[323]	11.6[323]	11.0[324]	10.1[325]	9.4[326]	+28.7%	+55.1%	+124.5%
32	Lancaster University	18.9[327]	18.4[328]	15.0[329]	14.8[329]	14.3[329]	13.9[330]	6.0[330]	5.9[331]	5.6[332]	5.4[333]	+2.7%	+36.0%	+250.0%
33	Nottingham Trent University	16.8[334]	15.6[335]	4.7[335]	4.8[336]	5.0[336]	5.2[337]	5.6[337]	6.3[338]	6.9[339]	7.4[340]	+7.7%	+223.1%	+127.0%
34	Ulster University	16.0[341]	15.0[342]	15.4[343]	16.1[343]	13.9[343]	15.1[344]	14.4[344]	9.0[345]	7.4[346]	7.0[347]	+6.7%	+6.0%	+128.6%
35	University of Hull	15.8[348]	14.9[349]	15.2[350]	15.8[350]	14.6[350]	15.2[351]	14.6[351]	14.4[352]	18.8[353]	12.7[354]	+6.0%	+3.9%	+24.4%
36	Goldsmiths, University of London	15.7[355]	15.0[356]	15.1[356]	15.3[357]	14.9[357]	15.0[357]	3.3[358]	3.3[359]	3.1[360]	2.9[361]	+4.7%	+4.7%	+441.4%
37	University of East Anglia	15.6[362]	13.7[363]	13.2[364]	12.9[364]	10.5[364]	9.0[365]	8.2[365]	7.7[366]	7.3[367]	7.3[368]	+13.9%	+73.3%	+113.7%
38	Birmingham City University	14.2[369]	12.2[370]	11.9[371]	11.8[371]	10.2[371]	8.1[372]	6.6[372]	6.2[372]	5.7[373]	5.3[373]	+16.4%	+75.3%	+167.9%
39	Heriot-Watt University	13.2[374]	12.2[375]	12.4[376]	12.0[377]	10.5[377]	10.5[377]	9.6[378]	8.9[378]	8.3[379]	9.5[380]	+8.2%	+25.7%	+38.9%
40	University of Southampton	12.4[381]	11.9[382]	12.8[383]	14.9[383]	12.9[383]	13.0[384]	13.1[384]	12.9[385]	12.5[386]	12.5[387]	+4.2%	−4.6%	−0.8%

Specialist Higher Education Institutions

Rank	Institution	Endowment (GBP millions, End of Financial Year)										Change
		2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	1‑year	5‑year	10‑year
1	London Business School	69.6[388]	62.4[389]	60.3[390]	57.9[391]	59.5[391]	56.5[392]	53.3[392]	51.9[393]	47.7[394]	46.1[395]	+11.5%	+23.2%	+51.0%
2	Royal Academy of Music	68.5[396]	58.3[397]	53.0[398]	48.8[399]	36.4[399]	38.1[400]	39.5[400]	36.5[401]	33.8[402]	31.6[402]	+17.5%	+79.8%	+116.8%
3	Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine	48.3[403]	25.6[404]	19.1[405]	27.6[406]	24.9[406]	17.5[407]	17.0[407]	16.3[408]	14.9[408]	13.4[409]	+88.7%	+176.0%	+260.4%
4	Royal College of Music	47.9[410]	44.3[411]	44.6[412]	49.3[413]	42.4[413]	45.6[414]	42.8[414]	37.8[415]	36.5[415]	32.4[416]	+8.1%	+5.0%	+47.8%
5	Courtauld Institute of Art	41.7[417]	38.7[418]	36.0[419]	35.7[420]	44.4[420]	44.9[421]	39.7[421]	37.6[422]	34.4[423]	29.1[423]	+7.8%	−7.1%	+43.3%
6	Royal College of Art	38.5[424]	34.0[425]	28.5[426]	26.7[427]	22.3[427]	21.3[428]	20.3[428]	20.1[429]	19.5[429]	17.9[430]	+13.2%	+80.8%	+115.1%
7	Royal Northern College of Music	22.5[431]	20.3[432]	21.1[433]	21.7[434]	18.6[434]	18.9[435]	17.5[435]	21.2[436]	19.3[436]	18.4[437]	+10.8%	+19.0%	+22.3%
8	London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine	19.7[438]	18.1[439]	18.5[440]	20.6[441]	17.5[441]	16.1[442]	14.3[442]	13.3[443]	11.4[444]	11.4[444]	+8.8%	+22.4%	+72.8%
9	Royal Veterinary College	11.7[445]	10.7[446]	10.7[447]	10.5[448]	8.7[448]	9.1[449]	9.2[449]	9.8[450]	9.8[451]	10.1[452]	+9.3%	+28.6%	+15.8%

Endowments per student greater than £10 thousand

Rank	Institution	Enrolment (FTE - 2023/24)[453]	Endowment per student (2024, student population over 1000)	Change (1‑year)
1	University of Oxford[α]	22,150	£393,138	+7.1%
2	University of Cambridge[β]	21,140†	£337,465†	—
3	London Business School	1,685	£41,306	+18.2%
4	London School of Economics	12,430	£20,555	+12.7%
5	University of Edinburgh	36,260	£16,007	+0.2%
6	Royal College of Art	2,740	£12,734	+10.3%
7	University of St Andrews	10,860	£11,593	+11.9%
8	Imperial College London	21,265	£11,060	+10.9%

Notes:
^† Only 2022/23 figures available for Cambridge

See also

• Armorial of UK universities
• List of universities in the United Kingdom
• List of UK universities by date of foundation
• List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment
• Lists of institutions of higher education by endowment size

Notes

1. Including the 36 independent and financially autonomous Colleges of the University of Oxford.
2. Including the 31 independent and financially autonomous Colleges of the University of Cambridge.
3. During the 2020–21 year, Reading applied for and was granted permission from the Charity Commission to close the Research Endowment Trust. As a result, all of the trust’s assets and liabilities were distributed to the University, the sole Trustee.
4. Excluding the two independent colleges of Durham: St Chad's and St John's.