The least popular Russell Group unis in 2024, based on how many applications they get

Most UK uni students hate Oxbridge – and now we have the evidence to back it up. Here are all the Russell Group unis ranked by the number of applications they got in the 2023-2024 cycle, according to UCAS data.

The Univeristy of Manchester is officially the most popular Russell Group uni in 2024. A whopping 93,450 people applied there, which is wild. Almost as wild as the parties at Manchester Uni?

Literally nobody in their right mind chooses to go to Cambridge. The uni only received 21,940 applications last year. Oxford wasn’t far behind it, with 24,230 applications. I guess the application process is so extra and nasty that people don’t bother applying unless they genuinely think they have a shot? While lots of the applications to other unis will be made by students trying to fill out their UCAS forms to five unis.

For context, most Russell Group unis take somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 freshers each year. Oxbridge usually let about 3,500 students in. Love Island gets over 100,000 applications each year.

So, here are how popular all the Russell Group unis are in 2024, according to the number of applications.

24. University of Manchester – 93,450 applications

23. University College London – 77,615 applications

22. University of Edinburgh – 71,135 applications

21. King’s College London – 69,300 applications

20. University of Leeds – 69,085 applications

19. University of Bristol – 61,490 applications

18. University of Nottingham – 56,890 applications

17. University of Birmingham – 56,645 applications

16. University of Warwick – 47,130 applications

15. Cardiff University – 46,355 applications

14. University of Southampton – 45,280 applications

13. University of Liverpool – 43,975 applications

12. University of Sheffield – 43,665 applications

11. Queen Mary University of London – 41,155 applications

10. University of Exeter – 38,450 applications

9. University of Glasgow – 37,300 applications

8. Newcastle University – 35,980 applications

7. Durham University – 34,15o applications

6. Imperial College London – 30,725 applications

5. University of York – 30,240 applications

4. Queen’s Univerity Belfast – 29,825 applications

3. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) – 26,240 applications

2. University of Oxford – 24,230 applications

1. University of Cambridge – 21,940 applications

Related articles recommended by this writer:

• The Oxbridge courses where you’ll find the most girlies in 2024
• The most annoying types of people who will dare connect with you on LinkedIn
• A rundown of the most ridiculous and unnecessary things uni Vice-Chancellors spent your money on

Feature image credit: Charlotte Gamble