Best Universities for Chemistry in the UK 2027
Swansea University tops our 2027 chemistry ranking with 146 points — achieving 99% teaching quality (the highest in this field) and 94% academic support, while leading on sustainability and producing solid graduate earnings. Durham University comes second with 144 points and joint-third are Northumbria University and University of Plymouth both on 129 points. We ranked 44 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Chemistry graduate earnings range from £22,500 (Northumbria, Dundee) to £35,000 (UCL). Manchester's highest student satisfaction score in the country (85/100 for social life) and Imperial's lowest satisfaction score (66%) both appear in this field. University of Lincoln ranks joint 13th but has the lowest teaching quality score of any university in the table at 72% — a significant gap from the field average. Reading leads on sustainability at 77.1 — the highest in this dataset.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Chemistry University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea University Swansea |
£27,000 | 79% | 99% | 94% | 146 |
| 2 | Durham University Durham |
£31,500 | 78% | 95% | 93% | 144 |
| 3 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£22,500 | 74% | 97% | 93% | 129 |
| 3 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£26,500 | 75% | 97% | 97% | 129 |
| 4 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£30,000 | 71% | 91% | 95% | 125 |
| 5 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£26,500 | 79% | 96% | 96% | 124 |
| 6 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£29,000 | 73% | 95% | 96% | 118 |
| 7 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£28,000 | 76% | 92% | 95% | 117 |
| 7 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£30,000 | 82% | 95% | 95% | 117 |
| 8 | University of St Andrews St Andrews |
£32,000 | 84% | 94% | 95% | 116 |
| 9 | University of Bath Bath |
£28,000 | 80% | 95% | 100% | 113 |
| 10 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£24,000 | 81% | 96% | 98% | 112 |
| 11 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£28,000 | 73% | 89% | 88% | 109 |
| 12 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£25,000 | 74% | 98% | 100% | 106 |
| 13 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£26,000 | 78% | 72% | 88% | 104 |
| 13 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£28,000 | 72% | 88% | 96% | 104 |
| 14 | University of Reading Reading |
£29,000 | 74% | 77% | 90% | 103 |
| 14 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£29,000 | 75% | 92% | 93% | 103 |
| 14 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£30,000 | 73% | 95% | 100% | 103 |
| 15 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£30,000 | 74% | 86% | 83% | 100 |
| 16 | University of York York |
£29,000 | 77% | 87% | 87% | 99 |
| 17 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£29,000 | 70% | 88% | 86% | 96 |
| 17 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£29,000 | 71% | 88% | 97% | 96 |
| 18 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£27,500 | 75% | 85% | 80% | 95 |
| 18 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£26,500 | 77% | 93% | 97% | 95 |
| 19 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£30,000 | 71% | 81% | 81% | 94 |
| 19 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£25,000 | 73% | 81% | 88% | 94 |
| 20 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£28,500 | 76% | 91% | 93% | 91 |
| 21 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£29,000 | 75% | 83% | 100% | 90 |
| 21 | University of Warwick Coventry |
£30,000 | 74% | 85% | 88% | 90 |
| 22 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£30,500 | 74% | 89% | 93% | 89 |
| 22 | University of Surrey Guildford |
£27,000 | 78% | 91% | 91% | 89 |
| 23 | King's College London London |
£32,000 | 67% | 84% | 89% | 88 |
| 24 | UCL (University College London) London |
£35,000 | 68% | 84% | 85% | 83 |
| 24 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh |
£32,000 | 75% | 89% | 89% | 83 |
| 25 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£29,000 | 74% | 80% | 90% | 81 |
| 25 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£31,000 | 72% | 90% | 90% | 81 |
| 26 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£30,000 | 69% | 85% | 92% | 77 |
| 27 | Imperial College London London |
£34,000 | 66% | 90% | 94% | 74 |
| 28 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£28,000 | 76% | 82% | 91% | 73 |
| 29 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£25,000 | 73% | 94% | 92% | 72 |
| 30 | University of Chester Chester |
£24,500 | 78% | 75% | 75% | 67 |
| 31 | London Metropolitan University London |
£24,000 | 66% | 96% | 100% | 59 |
| 32 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£22,500 | 75% | 83% | 88% | 58 |
What the ranking tells you about studying chemistry
Chemistry is one of the most widely studied science degrees in the UK and one of the most versatile in terms of career outcomes. This ranking covers 44 universities and scores them across eight metrics that reflect both academic experience and day-to-day student life. The results include some names you would expect at the top and some that most chemistry applicants would not have considered. Reading this data before finalising your UCAS choices gives you a more complete picture than most applicant guides provide.
Swansea leads on course delivery — and by more than you might think
Swansea's 99% teaching quality is the highest in this entire ranking. No other university achieves above 98%. Combined with 94% academic support and the highest sustainability score in the field, Swansea's 146-point total is a margin of two points over Durham. For a subject like chemistry, where you will spend significant time in laboratories and depend heavily on the quality of practical instruction, a teaching quality score that is the best in the country is directly relevant. Graduate earnings of £27,000 are mid-table but sit well above the minimum. Durham (2nd, 144 points) offers the strongest combination of high earnings (£31,500) and strong course metrics in the top three.
Lancaster: the highest satisfaction in the ranking
Lancaster University achieves the highest student satisfaction score in this ranking at 82% — seven points above the field average. It ranks joint 7th overall with 117 points, alongside Nottingham Trent, and produces graduate earnings of £30,000. Lancaster's chemistry department has strong research activity in materials chemistry and green chemistry, and its campus environment consistently scores well for student experience. Keele University (10th, 112 points) also stands out with 81% student satisfaction, 98% academic support and 96% teaching quality — the strongest combination of satisfaction and course delivery metrics for any university outside the top 9.
Imperial at 27th: the earnings-experience gap
Imperial College London ranks 27th with 74 points and produces the second-highest graduate earnings in this dataset at £34,000, behind only UCL (£35,000, 24th). Both are held down by London's cost of living index (91 — highest in dataset) and satisfaction scores that are the lowest in this ranking: Imperial at 66%, UCL at 68%. For students who want to work in London's pharmaceutical, chemical or financial sectors, Imperial's research profile and industry links are genuine advantages. But the 66% satisfaction score — the lowest across all 44 universities in this ranking — is a data point worth taking seriously. Being the 27th-best chemistry student experience in the UK while producing the second-highest earners tells you something specific about the trade-off involved.
Huddersfield and Bath: both achieving 100% academic support. University of Bath (9th, 113 points) and University of Huddersfield (12th, 106 points) both achieve 100% on academic support — the joint-highest in this ranking, alongside Leicester, Glasgow and London Metropolitan. Bath also achieves 80% student satisfaction (second-highest in the top 10) and 95% teaching quality. Huddersfield achieves 98% teaching quality and 74% satisfaction. Both sit significantly above Imperial on student experience metrics despite appearing lower on most traditional league tables. For students who care about the quality of academic support they will actually receive, both are worth serious consideration.
RSC accreditation: the pre-application check
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) accredits chemistry programmes in the UK. An RSC-accredited MChem is the standard qualification for graduate chemists progressing to Chartered Chemist (CChem) status, which is relevant for professional chemistry careers and is recognised by employers in pharmaceuticals, materials, agrochemicals and fine chemicals. BSc programmes can also carry RSC accreditation. All established chemistry departments in this ranking should offer RSC-accredited pathways, but confirm directly on the RSC website for the specific programme — particularly for newer or restructured programmes — before applying.
For a broader picture of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
