Best Universities for Social Work in the UK 2027
University of Worcester tops our 2027 social work ranking with 191 points, achieving 100% teaching quality and 92% academic support. Glyndwr University, Wrexham comes second with 187 points. Robert Gordon University and Glasgow Caledonian University are joint third with 179 points each. We ranked 67 UK universities offering social work degrees across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Social work graduate earnings vary significantly because most graduates enter NHS or local authority roles, and Scottish pay scales produce consistently higher reported earnings than England and Wales. Glasgow Caledonian (joint 3rd) produces £42,000 and Robert Gordon (joint 3rd) produces £40,500 — the two highest in this field. University of Worcester (1st) produces £18,500 — the lowest in the field — reflecting HCPC registration timing and the timing of six-month survey collection. Anglia Ruskin University (41st) has the lowest academic support at 20% and lowest teaching quality at 53% — the most extreme course delivery outlier in this field. De Montfort (joint 34th) achieves 28% academic support. Sheffield Hallam (38th) achieves 49% academic support.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Social Work University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£18,500 | 79% | 100% | 92% | 191 |
| 2 | Glyndwr University, Wrexham Wrexham |
£33,000 | 74% | 88% | 96% | 187 |
| 3 | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen |
£40,500 | 77% | 90% | 94% | 179 |
| 3 | Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow |
£42,000 | 71% | 96% | 90% | 179 |
| 4 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£36,000 | 74% | 75% | 89% | 175 |
| 5 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£34,000 | 73% | 91% | 95% | 174 |
| 5 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth |
£34,000 | 71% | 92% | 87% | 174 |
| 6 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£34,000 | 79% | 86% | 88% | 170 |
| 6 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£34,500 | 81% | 96% | 97% | 170 |
| 7 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£34,000 | 75% | 80% | 92% | 169 |
| 7 | Swansea University Swansea |
£28,000 | 79% | 82% | 71% | 169 |
| 8 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk |
£27,000 | 83% | 83% | 87% | 168 |
| 9 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£34,000 | 82% | 94% | 96% | 167 |
| 10 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£32,000 | 72% | 89% | 94% | 164 |
| 11 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£37,000 | 71% | 93% | 96% | 163 |
| 12 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£26,000 | 78% | 86% | 81% | 162 |
| 12 | University of Salford Salford |
£33,000 | 73% | 92% | 91% | 162 |
| 13 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£28,500 | 76% | 89% | 96% | 161 |
| 13 | University of Essex Colchester |
£29,500 | 74% | 93% | 90% | 161 |
| 14 | University of Sunderland Sunderland |
£32,000 | 74% | 89% | 90% | 160 |
| 15 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£36,000 | 77% | 94% | 100% | 159 |
| 16 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£36,000 | 72% | 88% | 68% | 157 |
| 16 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£34,500 | 72% | 91% | 93% | 157 |
| 17 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff |
£29,500 | 75% | 81% | 65% | 155 |
| 18 | University of Bedfordshire Luton |
£32,000 | 68% | 95% | 94% | 154 |
| 19 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£33,000 | 76% | 81% | 78% | 147 |
| 19 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£32,000 | 73% | 82% | 69% | 147 |
| 19 | University of Greenwich London |
£35,000 | 69% | 85% | 95% | 147 |
| 19 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£30,000 | 74% | 87% | 84% | 147 |
| 20 | University of Bath Bath |
£33,000 | 80% | 86% | 84% | 146 |
| 21 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£40,000 | 74% | 75% | 88% | 145 |
| 22 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£32,000 | 74% | 82% | 47% | 144 |
| 23 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£33,000 | 71% | 87% | 78% | 143 |
| 24 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£40,000 | 78% | 92% | 97% | 141 |
| 24 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£35,000 | 80% | 95% | 95% | 141 |
| 25 | University of Derby Derby |
£32,000 | 74% | 89% | 84% | 139 |
| 26 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£38,500 | 73% | 95% | 93% | 138 |
| 27 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£37,000 | 75% | 95% | 96% | 137 |
| 28 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£35,500 | 74% | 79% | 54% | 135 |
| 29 | University of Winchester Winchester |
£33,000 | 82% | 80% | 75% | 134 |
| 30 | Solent University Southampton |
£37,000 | 71% | 92% | 96% | 132 |
| 31 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£31,000 | 77% | 91% | 93% | 131 |
| 32 | Coventry University Coventry |
£35,000 | 72% | 76% | 85% | 127 |
| 33 | University of Bradford Bradford |
£32,000 | 71% | 82% | 87% | 126 |
| 34 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£33,000 | 70% | 66% | 28% | 125 |
| 34 | University of Chester Chester |
£33,000 | 78% | 73% | 82% | 125 |
| 35 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£32,000 | 69% | 83% | 78% | 124 |
| 36 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£32,000 | 74% | 82% | 89% | 122 |
| 36 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£34,000 | 72% | 90% | 92% | 122 |
| 36 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£29,500 | 78% | 99% | 100% | 122 |
| 37 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£29,500 | 70% | 72% | 68% | 121 |
| 38 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£32,000 | 73% | 68% | 49% | 120 |
| 39 | University of Suffolk Ipswich |
£25,000 | 76% | 92% | 86% | 118 |
| 39 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow |
£29,500 | 75% | 96% | 73% | 118 |
| 40 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£34,000 | 71% | 89% | 86% | 117 |
| 40 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe |
£35,000 | 70% | 93% | 86% | 117 |
| 41 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£35,000 | 70% | 53% | 20% | 115 |
| 42 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£32,000 | 77% | 70% | 76% | 111 |
| 43 | University of Hull Hull |
£33,000 | 76% | 92% | 90% | 109 |
| 44 | University of East London London |
£39,000 | 68% | 84% | 76% | 104 |
| 44 | Middlesex University Middlesex |
£36,000 | 69% | 91% | 79% | 104 |
| 45 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£34,000 | 75% | 84% | 85% | 103 |
| 46 | London South Bank University London |
£30,500 | 68% | 99% | 97% | 102 |
| 47 | University of Chichester Chichester |
£27,000 | 80% | 92% | 93% | 97 |
| 48 | London Metropolitan University London |
£38,000 | 66% | 92% | 78% | 92 |
| 49 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£35,000 | 71% | 67% | 62% | 64 |
| 50 | Goldsmiths, University of London London |
£32,000 | 64% | 70% | 45% | 57 |
What the ranking tells you about studying social work
Social work is a regulated profession. All qualifying degrees in England must be approved by Social Work England (SWE), the professional regulator since 2019. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, equivalent regulatory approval is required. Registration with SWE (or the equivalent body) is required to practise as a social worker. The degree includes substantial supervised practice placements — a minimum of 170 days across the programme is required by SWE in England. Course delivery quality is especially meaningful for a practice-based profession where the quality of placement preparation and reflective practice teaching directly shapes graduate competence.
Graduate earnings: Scottish pay scales and registration timing explain the range
The earnings range from £18,500 to £42,000 is the widest of any regulated professional degree in this ranking series. Two distinct factors explain it. First, Scottish local authority pay scales for newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) are significantly higher than England and Wales, which is why Glasgow Caledonian (£42,000), Robert Gordon (£40,500), University of Edinburgh (£40,000) and University of Stirling (£40,000) all appear in the top of the earnings distribution. Second, SWE registration and first employment in England can take several months after graduation, meaning some graduates are not yet in salaried social work roles at the six-month survey point. University of Worcester’s £18,500 and University of Suffolk’s £25,000 reflect this timing rather than programme quality. Neither figure should be interpreted as a signal about the programme or eventual salary.
Anglia Ruskin at 41st: 20% academic support, 53% teaching quality
Anglia Ruskin University ranks 41st with 115 points and achieves 20% academic support and 53% teaching quality — by far the most extreme course delivery outlier in this 67-university field. The next-lowest academic support is De Montfort at 28%, Sheffield Hallam at 49% and UWE Bristol at 47%. The next-lowest teaching quality is Sheffield Hallam at 68% and Goldsmiths at 70%. Anglia Ruskin ranks 41st rather than last because of reasonable city-level metrics including a strong Cambridge sustainability score. For a regulated practice-based degree where the quality of placement preparation and law and ethics teaching is directly assessed by SWE and practice educators, 20% academic support requires direct investigation before any application.
Teesside University (joint 36th) achieves 100% academic support and 99% teaching quality from a position outside the top 35. Teesside ranks joint 36th because of low sustainability and safety scores alongside below-average earnings. University of Sussex (15th) also achieves 100% academic support with 94% teaching quality and £36,000 earnings. Keele University (joint 6th) achieves 97% academic support and 96% teaching quality from a strong top-10 position. Lancaster University (9th) achieves 96% academic support and 94% teaching quality. For students comparing on course delivery quality across this 67-university field, these four institutions produce the highest measured scores regardless of overall ranking position.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
