University of Leeds

The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

The University of Leeds was founded in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science, but its origins can be traced back to the Leeds School of Medicine, which was established in 1831. In 1884, the Yorkshire College of Science merged with the Leeds School of Medicine to form Yorkshire College. In 1887, Yorkshire College became part of the federal Victoria University, joining Owens College (which later became the University of Manchester) and University College Liverpool (which later became the University of Liverpool). In 1904, the University of Leeds was granted a royal charter by King Edward VII, making it an independent university.

Since its founding, the University of Leeds has grown to become one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The university has a diverse student body, with students from all over the world. It is also a major employer in the region, and it plays an important role in the cultural and economic life of the city of Leeds.

Leeds is the eleventh-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrollment and receives over 67,000 undergraduate applications per year, making it the fifth-most popular university (behind Manchester, Edinburgh, University College London and King's College London) in the UK by volume of applications. Leeds had an income of £924.7 million in 2021–22, of which £177.3 million was from research grants and contracts. The university has financial endowments of £87.4 million (2022), placing it within the top twenty British universities by financial endowment.

Based on the QS World University Rankings of 2024, University of Leeds is positioned as the #75 top university in the world. The rank is improved by 11 points from last year.