Oxford and Cambridge have again been named as the best places in the UK to study law at university, according to international rankings published today.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject place five UK institutions among the top 20 worldwide.

In the UK, Oxford and Cambridge are ranked first and second respectively, the same as last year. In the world, they come second and third with US-based Harvard top of the pile.

This year’s figures are also a boost for London-based universities with the London School of Economics, University College London and King's College all placing inside the top 20.

LSE retains its position as the seventh-best university in the world for law while UCL jumps two places to 12. In the UK, LSE placed third and UCL fourth.

Other UK universities inside the top 50 were the University of Edinburgh, which was ranked number 24, Queen Mary University (27) and Durham (40).

The QS World University Rankings by Subject, published since 2011, aim to help prospective students identify leading universities in their field of study.