QS World University Rankings reveal the UK's top subject areas at the best universities

The rankings look at the best places in the UK which teach arts, engineering, tech, natural and social sciences, and medicine

Cambridge and Oxford are the best universities for teaching medicine, as Edinburgh and Glasgow also feature (Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

As the US takes the lead in the world’s best universities list, Cambridge, Oxford, and UCL have been paving the way here in the UK, according to QS TopUniversities.

Describing the task of pulling the guide together as ‘very challenging’, chair of the QS global advisory board, Martin Ince, said millions of potential students look at the rankings, regionally and in terms of subject, as both national and international rankings factor into their application decisions.

Highlighting how surveying around 120,000 academics and employers is ‘a huge, multilingual global enterprise’, Mr Ince added: “Over time, universities have become keener to cooperate as the importance of our work has become more apparent.”

So, for all the prospective university students from across the UK who want to gain a clearer insight into some of the country’s top institutions, here is a complete breakdown of the nation’s best subjects, as offered by the best universities:

Speaking of his delight at seeing London School of Economics (LSE) being recognised for the second best place in the world – and top in the UK – for studying social sciences, director Professor Craig Calhoun said it reflects the institution’s longstanding global leadership in social science and its continued creativity.

He added: “I’m pleased to see employers recognising the value of an LSE education and we will keep working to channel our intellectual distinction into an ever-more dynamic and satisfying student experience.”

See the complete QS World University Rankings® 2015/16 list here.