Best Universities for Business and Management in the UK 2027
Bangor University ranks first for business and management in 2027, followed by Durham University in second and Swansea University in third. The Unifresher ranking compares 114 universities using eight measures built around academic outcomes and the complete student experience.
Business and management degrees can look similar while offering very different balances of strategy, finance, marketing, operations, entrepreneurship, analytics and professional experience. Unifresher helps students compare those course outcomes alongside affordability, safety, social life, sustainability and the support available throughout university.
Why this ranking is student-first: Unifresher does not reduce a business degree to reputation or salary. It combines transparent course and career measures with the costs, support and university environment students experience every day.
Top universities for business and management in 2027
The podium offers three different routes. Bangor leads through perfect teaching and support, Durham combines second place with the strongest earnings figure in the top three, and Swansea pairs third place with a strong student-satisfaction result.
Bangor University
Bangor
The strongest complete result, with perfect course-delivery measures and a student-city profile that performs well across the wider ranking.
Durham University
Durham
Second overall, with matching 89% results for teaching quality and academic support.
Swansea University
Swansea
Third overall, with 90% academic support and £28,000 graduate earnings.
How the business and management ranking works
Eight measures create a fuller comparison
Unifresher combines academic and graduate results with the practical factors students experience throughout university. This makes the ranking useful for comparing both the degree and the location in which students will live, study and build professional experience.
Business and Management University Rankings 2027
Search or sort all 114 universities. Sorting changes the comparison order only; every university's official published rank remains in the first column.
| Rank | University | Graduate earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching | Academic support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangor University Bangor | £24,000 | 76% | 100% | 100% | 242 |
| 2 | Durham University Durham | £35,500 | 78% | 89% | 89% | 240 |
| 3 | Swansea University Swansea | £28,000 | 79% | 82% | 90% | 235 |
| 4 | Bath Spa University Bath | £25,000 | 79% | 85% | 91% | 231 |
| 5 | University of Exeter Exeter | £33,000 | 79% | 82% | 87% | 226 |
| 6 | University of Bristol Bristol | £32,500 | 73% | 89% | 89% | 216 |
| 7 | University of Oxford Oxford | £45,000 | 76% | 90% | 92% | 215 |
| 8 | University of Reading Reading | £30,000 | 74% | 77% | 93% | 214 |
| 8 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol | £28,500 | 74% | 84% | 90% | 214 |
| 9 | University of Worcester Worcester | £25,000 | 79% | 74% | 88% | 213 |
| 9 | University of South Wales Pontypridd | £27,500 | 72% | 94% | 93% | 213 |
| 10 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester | £26,000 | 73% | 93% | 92% | 212 |
| 11 | Wrexham University Wrexham | £18,000 | 74% | 90% | 90% | 210 |
| 12 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool | £23,500 | 72% | 94% | 96% | 209 |
| 13 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk | £24,000 | 83% | 81% | 90% | 206 |
| 14 | University of Plymouth Plymouth | £27,000 | 75% | 84% | 86% | 205 |
| 15 | University of Lincoln Lincoln | £26,500 | 78% | 85% | 85% | 204 |
| 16 | York St John University York | £25,000 | 80% | 67% | 88% | 203 |
| 16 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff | £24,000 | 75% | 80% | 80% | 203 |
| 17 | De Montfort University Leicester | £26,000 | 70% | 87% | 88% | 201 |
| 18 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne | £26,000 | 74% | 77% | 78% | 200 |
| 18 | Cardiff University Cardiff | £29,500 | 71% | 81% | 89% | 200 |
| 19 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury | £27,000 | 73% | 81% | 91% | 198 |
| 20 | University of West London London | £29,000 | 72% | 91% | 91% | 195 |
| 21 | University of Liverpool Liverpool | £30,000 | 71% | 83% | 91% | 194 |
| 22 | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen | £29,000 | 77% | 85% | 92% | 193 |
| 23 | University of Essex Colchester | £31,000 | 74% | 84% | 87% | 192 |
| 23 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham | £28,000 | 76% | 84% | 88% | 192 |
| 23 | UCL (University College London) London | £40,000 | 68% | 93% | 97% | 192 |
| 24 | University of Leeds Leeds | £33,000 | 74% | 84% | 89% | 191 |
| 24 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham | £30,000 | 74% | 86% | 86% | 191 |
| 25 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford | £28,000 | 74% | 88% | 89% | 190 |
| 26 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth | £28,500 | 71% | 66% | 82% | 189 |
| 26 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich | £27,000 | 79% | 83% | 83% | 189 |
| 27 | University of Bath Bath | £35,500 | 80% | 80% | 90% | 187 |
| 27 | London School of Economics and Political Science London | £40,000 | 69% | 88% | 91% | 187 |
| 27 | Coventry University Coventry | £28,000 | 72% | 95% | 92% | 187 |
| 28 | University of Manchester Manchester | £30,000 | 70% | 84% | 95% | 186 |
| 29 | University of Warwick Coventry | £34,500 | 74% | 92% | 96% | 185 |
| 30 | SOAS University of London London | £27,000 | 66% | 96% | 100% | 182 |
| 31 | University of York York | £30,000 | 77% | 78% | 87% | 181 |
| 31 | University of Salford Salford | £25,000 | 73% | 78% | 88% | 181 |
| 31 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge | £29,000 | 70% | 81% | 86% | 181 |
| 32 | University of Derby Derby | £25,000 | 74% | 92% | 100% | 180 |
| 33 | King's College London London | £35,000 | 67% | 86% | 86% | 177 |
| 34 | University of Sunderland Sunderland | £20,000 | 74% | 91% | 87% | 176 |
| 35 | Lancaster University Lancaster | £29,500 | 82% | 82% | 89% | 175 |
| 36 | University of St Andrews St Andrews | £33,000 | 84% | 84% | 90% | 175 |
| 37 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne | £32,000 | 75% | 70% | 82% | 174 |
| 37 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester | £28,000 | 76% | 75% | 80% | 174 |
| 37 | Falmouth University Falmouth | £26,000 | 82% | 75% | 90% | 174 |
| 38 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds | £24,500 | 70% | 86% | 85% | 172 |
| 39 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh | £25,000 | 72% | 73% | 84% | 171 |
| 40 | Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow | £23,000 | 71% | 85% | 80% | 170 |
| 40 | University of Greenwich London | £23,500 | 69% | 87% | 87% | 170 |
| 41 | Birmingham City University Birmingham | £25,000 | 69% | 83% | 87% | 168 |
| 41 | University of Bradford Bradford | £27,000 | 71% | 87% | 95% | 168 |
| 42 | University of Kent Canterbury | £27,000 | 72% | 77% | 79% | 167 |
| 42 | University of Sheffield Sheffield | £30,000 | 75% | 81% | 88% | 167 |
| 43 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea | £19,000 | 79% | 91% | 90% | 165 |
| 44 | University of Bedfordshire Luton | £26,000 | 68% | 84% | 77% | 164 |
| 45 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe | £49,000 | 70% | 96% | 96% | 162 |
| 46 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme | £25,000 | 81% | 75% | 85% | 159 |
| 46 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire | £27,000 | 71% | 81% | 77% | 159 |
| 46 | Norwich University of the Arts Norwich | £25,000 | 85% | 85% | 90% | 159 |
| 47 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames | £25,500 | 71% | 82% | 88% | 155 |
| 48 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield | £25,000 | 74% | 87% | 86% | 153 |
| 49 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield | £25,000 | 73% | 70% | 76% | 152 |
| 49 | University of Cumbria Carlisle | £24,000 | 77% | 89% | 100% | 152 |
| 50 | University of Winchester Winchester | £27,000 | 82% | 68% | 79% | 149 |
| 50 | University of Brighton Brighton | £27,000 | 72% | 74% | 78% | 149 |
| 50 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove | £30,000 | 77% | 81% | 83% | 149 |
| 51 | University for the Creative Arts Canterbury / Epsom / Farnham / Rochester | £24,000 | 82% | 59% | 81% | 148 |
| 51 | Solent University Southampton | £26,000 | 71% | 100% | 100% | 148 |
| 52 | Queen Margaret University Edinburgh | £25,000 | 78% | 93% | 94% | 147 |
| 53 | University of Leicester Leicester | £30,000 | 73% | 76% | 86% | 146 |
| 53 | University of Surrey Guildford | £30,000 | 78% | 78% | 77% | 146 |
| 54 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen | £28,500 | 76% | 77% | 83% | 145 |
| 55 | University of East London London | £22,500 | 68% | 99% | 98% | 143 |
| 56 | University of Central Lancashire Preston | £25,000 | 71% | 86% | 94% | 141 |
| 57 | Brunel University London Uxbridge | £26,500 | 68% | 85% | 89% | 140 |
| 58 | Queen Mary University of London London | £29,000 | 69% | 82% | 86% | 139 |
| 58 | Leeds Trinity University Leeds | £25,500 | 78% | 90% | 95% | 139 |
| 59 | University of Nottingham Nottingham | £31,000 | 74% | 78% | 83% | 138 |
| 59 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool | £28,000 | 80% | 78% | 95% | 138 |
| 59 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow | £30,000 | 75% | 81% | 88% | 138 |
| 60 | University of Birmingham Birmingham | £30,000 | 72% | 87% | 88% | 137 |
| 61 | University of Southampton Southampton | £33,000 | 76% | 82% | 82% | 136 |
| 62 | University of Chester Chester | £25,000 | 78% | 78% | 83% | 135 |
| 63 | St Mary's University, Twickenham Twickenham | £25,000 | 80% | 75% | 81% | 134 |
| 63 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth | £27,000 | 77% | 85% | 88% | 134 |
| 64 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh | £27,500 | 75% | 83% | 73% | 130 |
| 65 | University of Dundee Dundee | £29,000 | 75% | 84% | 93% | 129 |
| 65 | University of Suffolk Ipswich | £21,000 | 76% | 98% | 86% | 129 |
| 66 | Royal Agricultural University Cirencester | £27,000 | 85% | 64% | 83% | 128 |
| 67 | Harper Adams University Newport, Shropshire | £28,000 | 88% | 84% | 88% | 125 |
| 68 | University of Stirling Stirling | £27,000 | 78% | 87% | 83% | 120 |
| 69 | University of Westminster London | £27,500 | 68% | 80% | 84% | 118 |
| 69 | Aston University Birmingham | £28,000 | 75% | 80% | 87% | 118 |
| 70 | University of Hull Hull | £25,000 | 76% | 92% | 95% | 115 |
| 71 | Teesside University Middlesbrough | £30,000 | 78% | 75% | 92% | 114 |
| 71 | City St George's, University of London London | £35,000 | 67% | 84% | 81% | 114 |
| 72 | Middlesex University Middlesex | £26,000 | 69% | 85% | 81% | 113 |
| 73 | University of Chichester Chichester | £28,000 | 80% | 93% | 91% | 112 |
| 74 | University of Northampton Northampton | £25,000 | 75% | 83% | 83% | 107 |
| 74 | London Metropolitan University London | £25,000 | 66% | 90% | 97% | 107 |
| 75 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow | £21,000 | 73% | 85% | 80% | 106 |
| 76 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton | £26,000 | 71% | 89% | 91% | 103 |
| 76 | London South Bank University London | £28,000 | 68% | 93% | 89% | 103 |
| 77 | Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent | £20,000 | 72% | 63% | 81% | 95 |
| 77 | University College Birmingham Birmingham | £26,000 | 79% | 93% | 80% | 95 |
| 78 | Abertay University Dundee | £27,000 | 72% | 66% | 79% | 92 |
| 79 | University of Roehampton London | £26,000 | 72% | 81% | 81% | 83 |
| 80 | Newman University Birmingham | £22,500 | 83% | 80% | 77% | 60 |
What the business and management ranking shows
Bangor ranks first
Bangor University leads with a score of 242 and perfect published results for both teaching and support.
Buckinghamshire New University
Buckinghamshire New University has the highest earnings figure at £49,000 and ranks 45th overall.
Harper Adams University
Harper Adams records the strongest student-satisfaction result at 88% and ranks 67th.
Bangor and Solent
Bangor University and Solent University both record 100% for teaching quality.
Five universities score 100%
Bangor, SOAS, Derby, Cumbria and Solent all reach 100% for academic support.
Median earnings are £27,000
The midpoint across all 114 graduate-earnings figures is £27,000.
What this ranking tells you about studying business and management
Business and management is a broad degree family rather than one standard course. Some programmes build a general foundation across strategy, marketing, finance, operations and people management before allowing specialisation. Others focus earlier on entrepreneurship, international business, analytics, sustainability or a particular industry.
Bangor leads through teaching, support and the wider student experience
Bangor ranks first with 100% for both teaching quality and academic support. Durham follows only two points behind and has the strongest earnings figure on the podium, while Swansea places third with 79% satisfaction. The top three show why a useful ranking needs to compare both course outcomes and everyday student life.
Why Unifresher looks beyond prestige: students experience lectures, group projects, feedback, rent, safety and support throughout the degree. Bringing those factors together creates a more realistic comparison than choosing from institutional reputation alone.
The highest earnings figure requires careful interpretation
Buckinghamshire New University records the highest graduate-earnings figure at £49,000 and ranks 45th overall. Oxford records £45,000 and ranks seventh, while UCL and LSE each record £40,000. The contrast is a reminder that graduate cohorts, occupations, locations and further study can influence earnings, especially across a broad subject with many career routes.
Business-school accreditation operates at different levels
AACSB and EQUIS are voluntary quality systems commonly associated with business schools as institutions. CMI dual accreditation or recognition can apply more directly to a named management course. AMBA accreditation is primarily focused on postgraduate management programmes such as MBAs and specialist master's degrees, so students should not treat it as a direct verdict on every undergraduate course.
Triple accreditation is useful context, not a complete answer
The combination of AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS is often called triple accreditation. It can signal that a business school has passed several international review processes, but applicants still need to compare the exact undergraduate curriculum, teaching, placements and assessment. A well-matched course without all three labels may be more useful than a poorly matched course within a highly accredited school.
Placement quality matters more than the word placement
Ask whether a placement year is guaranteed, competitive or self-arranged; which employers have hosted recent students; whether roles are paid; and how the university supports applications. A strong placement should involve meaningful commercial work, clear supervision and opportunities to build evidence for later graduate applications.
Quantitative and digital skills can strengthen a broad degree
Business graduates increasingly need to interpret data, budgets, customer information and operational performance. Compare the depth of accounting, economics, statistics, spreadsheets, analytics and digital-business content. Students who avoid every quantitative option may leave with a less distinctive skill set.
Live projects can reveal how applied a course really is
Look for consultancy briefs, simulations, entrepreneurship projects, employer challenges and opportunities to present recommendations to external organisations. Ask how much work is individual and how much is group-based, because assessment design can shape both learning and the final degree result.
Graduate earnings need context
The table ranges from £18,000 to £49,000, with a median of £27,000. HESA Graduate Outcomes information is collected approximately 15 months after course completion. Individual outcomes vary according to occupation, location, prior experience, placement history, further study and whether graduates enter large employers, smaller firms or self-employment.
How to use the ranking when choosing a business and management degree
Compare the core modules and specialisms
Review strategy, marketing, finance, operations, people management, entrepreneurship and when students can begin specialising.
Investigate placements and live projects
Ask which employers participate, how roles are secured, whether placements are paid and what commercial responsibility students receive.
Check the depth of analytics and digital learning
Compare statistics, finance, spreadsheets, data visualisation, digital business and how students apply evidence to decisions.
Verify accreditation at the correct level
Check whether recognition applies to the business school or the exact course, then compare the programme itself rather than the badge alone.
Related Unifresher rankings and student guides
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best university for business and management in the UK in 2027?
Bangor University ranks first in the 2027 Unifresher business and management ranking with an overall score of 242. Durham University is second with 240, and Swansea University is third with 235.
How many universities are included in the business and management ranking?
The published 2027 Unifresher business and management ranking compares 114 universities across eight academic, career and student-experience measures. All 114 universities and every supplied result appear in the table.
What graduate earnings are shown for business and management?
The graduate-earnings figures range from £18,000 to £49,000, with a median of £27,000 across the 114 universities. Buckinghamshire New University has the highest figure at £49,000. These are comparative graduate outcomes rather than guaranteed starting salaries.
When are graduate outcomes measured?
HESA Graduate Outcomes information is collected approximately 15 months after students complete their higher education studies. The figures describe outcomes at that survey point, not salaries six months after graduation.
What is the difference between business management and management?
Business management degrees usually cover a broad mix of strategy, marketing, finance, operations, people management and entrepreneurship. Management degrees can place more emphasis on organisations, leadership and decision-making. Course titles overlap considerably, so compare compulsory modules and later specialisms rather than relying only on the name.
Does business-school accreditation matter?
AACSB and EQUIS accreditation can provide an additional independent signal about a business school's quality systems, while CMI recognition or dual accreditation may apply to a specific management degree. AMBA accreditation mainly focuses on postgraduate management programmes. Accreditation is useful context, but students should still check the exact undergraduate course, modules, placements and graduate outcomes.
Is triple accreditation important for an undergraduate business degree?
Triple accreditation usually refers to AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS recognition at business-school level. It can indicate a strong international quality framework, but AMBA is primarily associated with postgraduate management education and the label does not replace a course-level comparison. Check whether the undergraduate programme itself matches your goals.
What should I look for in a business and management degree?
Compare compulsory modules, available specialisms, quantitative and digital skills, live projects, placement support, study-abroad options, professional recognition, class sizes, assessment methods, teaching, academic support and the cost of living in the university location.
Is a placement year worth it for business and management?
A strong placement can help students apply commercial skills, understand workplace expectations and build evidence for graduate applications. Placements are often competitive rather than guaranteed, so ask how opportunities are sourced, which employers have hosted students, whether the placement is paid and what support is provided.
Why does Unifresher include student-life measures in a business and management ranking?
Students are choosing both a degree and a university experience. Unifresher combines teaching, support and graduate outcomes with affordability, safety, social life and sustainability so the ranking reflects more of the real decision than reputation or salary alone.
Ranking, accreditation and course information
- Unifresher university rankings methodology for the eight measures and subject-ranking process.
- HESA Graduate Outcomes definitions for the approximately 15-month survey point.
- UCAS business and management studies guide for current course research and career ideas.
- AACSB accredited-school directory for checking current business-school accreditation.
- EFMD EQUIS accredited-school directory for current institutional accreditation.
- AMBA accredited-school directory for postgraduate management accreditation.
- CMI dual accreditation information for course-level management recognition.
