UCL vs University of Manchester:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, University of Manchester had more branded searches than UCL among globally sought UK universities worldwide. University of Manchester was estimated to have 201K branded searches compared to UCL’s 101K, and held a 13.6% Share of Search versus UCL’s 6.8%. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, UCL or University of Manchester?
Internationally recognized universities in the United Kingdom, compared through worldwide branded search interest using English-curated terms. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for University of Manchester, UCL. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | University of Edinburgh | University of Oxford | London School of Economics | University of Manchester | University of Cambridge | University of Warwick | University of Bristol | UCL | Imperial College London | King's College London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 17.4% | 12.4% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 9.5% | 17.4% | 7.8% | 5.8% | 0.74% | 0.57% |
| Nov 2025 | 20.1% | 14.2% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 11% | 13.4% | 7.3% | 5.5% | 0.73% | 0.81% |
| Dec 2025 | 20.1% | 14.3% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 11% | 9% | 6% | 1% | 0.66% |
| Jan 2026 | 16.9% | 14.7% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 0.88% | 0.83% |
| Feb 2026 | 18.4% | 13.1% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 10.1% | 12.4% | 8.2% | 6.2% | 0.82% | 0.61% |
| Mar 2026 | 17.6% | 15.3% | 14.4% | 14.4% | 9.7% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 7.2% | 0.97% | 0.71% |
| Apr 2026 | 18.3% | 15.7% | 15% | 15% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 6.7% | 7.5% | 0.82% | 0.74% |
| May 2026 | 21.7% | 15.2% | 14.5% | 11.9% | 9.7% | 11.9% | 6.5% | 7.3% | 0.79% | 0.71% |
| Jun 2026 | 17.9% | 15.4% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 12% | 8% | 6% | 0.93% | 0.59% |
| Jul 2026 | 18.6% | 15.8% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 6.9% | 6.3% | 0.83% | 0.61% |
| Aug 2026 | 20.3% | 14.4% | 13.6% | 13.6% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 6.8% | 0.91% | 0.82% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the UCL and University of Manchester comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- University of Manchester was ahead of UCL in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, UCL’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought UK universities worldwide moved from 5.8% to 6.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 101K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, University of Manchester’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought UK universities worldwide moved from 14.2% to 13.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 246K to 201K.
How did search popularity change for globally sought UK universities worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, UCL gained estimated Share of Search among globally sought UK universities worldwide, from 6.3% to 6.8%.
In August 2026, University of Manchester lost estimated Share of Search among globally sought UK universities worldwide, from 15.2% to 13.6%.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using UCL’s and University of Manchester’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
UCL
3 branded search terms
- ucl london
- ucl university
- university college london
University of Manchester
2 branded search terms
- manchester university
- university of manchester
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