Best Universities for Data Science in the UK 2027
Northumbria University tops our 2027 data science ranking with 144 points, combining strong academic support (93%), teaching quality (87%) and the best social life score in this field. University of Plymouth comes second with 140 points, achieving 98% academic support. University of Brighton and Lancaster University are joint sixth with 124 points — Brighton achieving 100% academic support and 97% teaching quality, the strongest course delivery double in the field. We ranked 50 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Data science graduate earnings range from £23,500 (Middlesex) to £41,500 (UCL). UCL ranks joint 24th overall — London's cost of living is the dominant factor despite producing the highest-earning graduates. University of Exeter ranks joint 8th but achieves 68% teaching quality and 77% academic support — the second-lowest scores in this ranking. University of Hertfordshire (15th) achieves 99% academic support, the highest in the field. University of East London (joint 23rd) achieves 100% on both teaching quality and academic support, the only institution in the ranking to do so.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Data Science University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£27,500 | 74% | 87% | 93% | 144 |
| 2 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£30,000 | 75% | 86% | 98% | 140 |
| 3 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£30,000 | 74% | 79% | 87% | 127 |
| 3 | University of Essex Colchester |
£30,000 | 74% | 95% | 92% | 127 |
| 4 | Bangor University Bangor |
£25,500 | 76% | 81% | 88% | 126 |
| 5 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£38,000 | 73% | 77% | 90% | 125 |
| 6 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£31,000 | 82% | 91% | 97% | 124 |
| 6 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£29,000 | 72% | 97% | 100% | 124 |
| 7 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£28,000 | 72% | 80% | 92% | 121 |
| 8 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£39,000 | 79% | 68% | 77% | 120 |
| 8 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£32,000 | 72% | 87% | 91% | 120 |
| 8 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£26,000 | 73% | 93% | 97% | 120 |
| 9 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth |
£28,000 | 71% | 80% | 84% | 115 |
| 9 | London School of Economics and Political Science London |
£38,000 | 69% | 93% | 93% | 115 |
| 10 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff |
£24,500 | 75% | 71% | 84% | 114 |
| 11 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh |
£30,000 | 72% | 80% | 86% | 112 |
| 11 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£29,000 | 76% | 84% | 84% | 112 |
| 12 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£33,000 | 75% | 85% | 88% | 111 |
| 12 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£28,000 | 77% | 93% | 98% | 111 |
| 13 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£28,000 | 74% | 83% | 85% | 110 |
| 13 | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen |
£26,000 | 77% | 85% | 90% | 110 |
| 14 | University of Warwick Coventry |
£38,000 | 74% | 86% | 91% | 109 |
| 15 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£30,000 | 75% | 73% | 85% | 108 |
| 15 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£26,000 | 71% | 86% | 99% | 108 |
| 16 | University of York York |
£35,000 | 77% | 73% | 87% | 107 |
| 17 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£26,500 | 73% | 81% | 80% | 105 |
| 17 | University of West London London |
£27,000 | 72% | 85% | 91% | 105 |
| 17 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£28,000 | 76% | 88% | 96% | 105 |
| 18 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh |
£32,000 | 75% | 85% | 95% | 104 |
| 19 | University of the Arts London London |
£26,500 | 81% | 80% | 86% | 103 |
| 19 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£26,000 | 70% | 82% | 88% | 103 |
| 20 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£27,000 | 70% | 81% | 87% | 102 |
| 21 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£30,000 | 81% | 76% | 84% | 101 |
| 21 | Coventry University Coventry |
£31,000 | 72% | 94% | 75% | 101 |
| 22 | University of Chester Chester |
£28,000 | 78% | 78% | 90% | 98 |
| 23 | University of Derby Derby |
£26,000 | 74% | 83% | 85% | 92 |
| 23 | University of East London London |
£27,000 | 68% | 100% | 100% | 92 |
| 24 | University of Greenwich London |
£32,000 | 69% | 77% | 80% | 91 |
| 24 | UCL (University College London) London |
£41,500 | 68% | 82% | 79% | 91 |
| 25 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£30,000 | 77% | 82% | 90% | 87 |
| 26 | Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow |
£26,000 | 71% | 67% | 77% | 81 |
| 27 | Harper Adams University Newport, Shropshire |
£28,000 | 88% | 75% | 88% | 80 |
| 28 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£28,000 | 68% | 83% | 81% | 71 |
| 29 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe |
£25,000 | 70% | 98% | 83% | 69 |
| 30 | University of Westminster London |
£27,000 | 68% | 81% | 91% | 68 |
| 31 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£30,000 | 78% | 73% | 78% | 67 |
| 32 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£29,500 | 75% | 76% | 80% | 60 |
| 33 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£25,000 | 71% | 73% | 73% | 55 |
| 34 | Middlesex University Middlesex |
£23,500 | 69% | 82% | 82% | 54 |
| 35 | London Metropolitan University London |
£29,000 | 66% | 72% | 75% | 36 |
What the ranking tells you about studying data science
Data science is one of the most in-demand technology disciplines in the UK, and as a standalone undergraduate degree it is still relatively new — only 50 universities offer it in this ranking, compared to over 100 for computer science. The quality variation across those 50 is significant: in course delivery, statistical and programming rigour, industry placement access and graduate outcomes. This ranking scores all 50 on the same eight metrics, giving you a comparative picture that highlights both the leading programmes and some important anomalies.
Brighton and Lancaster: the teaching standouts in the top 10
University of Brighton (joint 6th, 124 points) achieves 100% academic support and 97% teaching quality — the highest combined course delivery scores in the top 10 and among the highest in the entire field. It produces graduates earning £29,000 with strong student satisfaction. Lancaster University (joint 6th, 124 points) achieves 97% academic support and 91% teaching quality alongside the highest student satisfaction in this ranking at 82%. Both are research-active data science departments with strong quantitative and computational statistics foundations. Neither appears regularly on data science applicant shortlists, and both outperform Bristol (5th, £38,000 earnings), Exeter (8th, £39,000) and LSE (9th, £38,000) on course delivery metrics that directly affect the quality of your learning.
UCL at 24th: £41,500 graduate earnings, 79% academic support
UCL ranks joint 24th with 91 points — the same total as University of Greenwich — and produces the highest-earning data science graduates in this dataset at £41,500. London's cost of living index (91) is the primary drag on its ranking position. Its academic support score of 79% and teaching quality of 82% sit below the field average of approximately 86% and 82% respectively. For students who want to work in London's data science and tech sectors and can manage London costs, UCL's brand and industry connections carry real weight that this ranking does not fully capture. But a 79% academic support score at a university charging London cost-of-living prices, in a technically demanding subject, is worth scrutinising before accepting an offer.
University of Exeter at joint 8th: the earnings-teaching divergence. University of Exeter ranks joint 8th with 120 points and produces graduates earning £39,000 — the second-highest in the field. Its teaching quality of 68% is the second-lowest in this ranking, and its academic support of 77% is the second-lowest. Exeter ranks alongside Kent (87% teaching, 91% support) and Sheffield Hallam (93% teaching, 97% support) in the overall table, but those institutions score 20 to 25 percentage points higher on course delivery. The £39,000 graduate earnings reflect Exeter's broader brand and employment network rather than data science-specific course quality. Students comparing Exeter with similarly-ranked institutions should factor in the teaching gap.
University of East London: 100% on both metrics at 23rd
University of East London ranks joint 23rd overall with 92 points — dragged down by London's cost of living, low sustainability and lower student satisfaction (68%). But it achieves 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — the only institution in this entire 50-university ranking to achieve that double. No other university in this field has a perfect course delivery score on both measures simultaneously. For students who are London-based and can manage the city's costs, UEL's data science programme has stronger course delivery metrics than every other institution in this ranking, including UCL, LSE, Bristol and Warwick. The rank position obscures what is genuinely the best-measured teaching environment in the field.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking. For graduate employment data, see the employability ranking.
