Best Universities for Environmental Science in the UK 2027
Northumbria University tops our 2027 environmental science ranking with 140 points, achieving 99% academic support — the highest in the field — and 95% teaching quality. Bath Spa University comes second with 137 points (96% academic support, 96% teaching quality) and Swansea University third with 131 points. We ranked 47 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Environmental science graduate earnings range from £19,000 (University of Cumbria) to £33,000 (Durham University, 5th). University of Leicester (16th) and University of Stirling (23rd) both achieve 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — the only two institutions in this field to do so. University of the West of England, Bristol (4th) achieves 99% teaching quality — the highest in the ranking. Swansea (3rd) achieves 96% academic support but only 79% teaching quality — the joint-lowest in the field.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Environmental Science University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£27,000 | 74% | 95% | 99% | 140 |
| 2 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£26,000 | 79% | 96% | 96% | 137 |
| 3 | Swansea University Swansea |
£26,000 | 79% | 79% | 96% | 131 |
| 4 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£25,000 | 74% | 99% | 96% | 128 |
| 5 | Durham University Durham |
£33,000 | 78% | 88% | 84% | 127 |
| 6 | University of Reading Reading |
£28,000 | 74% | 95% | 95% | 124 |
| 7 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£30,000 | 73% | 92% | 93% | 123 |
| 8 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£28,000 | 79% | 87% | 87% | 122 |
| 9 | Bangor University Bangor |
£27,000 | 76% | 87% | 86% | 119 |
| 9 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£27,500 | 71% | 91% | 94% | 119 |
| 10 | University of St Andrews St Andrews |
£28,000 | 84% | 97% | 94% | 114 |
| 10 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£26,500 | 71% | 97% | 97% | 114 |
| 11 | University of York York |
£29,500 | 77% | 91% | 91% | 112 |
| 12 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£24,000 | 76% | 94% | 96% | 110 |
| 13 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£27,000 | 79% | 87% | 85% | 109 |
| 13 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£25,500 | 72% | 97% | 98% | 109 |
| 14 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth |
£25,500 | 71% | 84% | 93% | 106 |
| 14 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£22,500 | 75% | 87% | 88% | 106 |
| 15 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£25,500 | 72% | 89% | 88% | 105 |
| 15 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£27,000 | 82% | 92% | 91% | 105 |
| 15 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£27,000 | 81% | 93% | 94% | 105 |
| 16 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£27,500 | 73% | 100% | 100% | 104 |
| 17 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£26,000 | 73% | 84% | 91% | 103 |
| 18 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£29,000 | 75% | 93% | 86% | 100 |
| 19 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£24,000 | 70% | 87% | 98% | 99 |
| 20 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£28,000 | 75% | 81% | 84% | 97 |
| 20 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£27,000 | 76% | 93% | 97% | 97 |
| 21 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£29,500 | 74% | 88% | 88% | 93 |
| 22 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£27,000 | 74% | 81% | 87% | 92 |
| 23 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£24,000 | 78% | 100% | 100% | 91 |
| 24 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£25,000 | 76% | 86% | 77% | 90 |
| 25 | University of Derby Derby |
£26,000 | 74% | 86% | 88% | 87 |
| 25 | King's College London London |
£30,000 | 67% | 87% | 90% | 87 |
| 26 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£27,000 | 70% | 86% | 86% | 85 |
| 27 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£28,000 | 75% | 85% | 90% | 84 |
| 27 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£27,000 | 76% | 93% | 95% | 84 |
| 28 | UCL (University College London) London |
£29,000 | 68% | 88% | 91% | 83 |
| 28 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£24,000 | 80% | 96% | 96% | 83 |
| 29 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£25,000 | 71% | 77% | 92% | 76 |
| 30 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£30,000 | 69% | 87% | 90% | 75 |
| 31 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£28,500 | 72% | 88% | 89% | 73 |
| 32 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£28,500 | 74% | 80% | 81% | 68 |
| 32 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£28,000 | 75% | 82% | 89% | 68 |
| 33 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£27,000 | 77% | 83% | 84% | 67 |
| 33 | University of Hull Hull |
£25,000 | 76% | 93% | 95% | 67 |
| 34 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£25,000 | 75% | 95% | 90% | 66 |
| 35 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£19,000 | 77% | 77% | 80% | 64 |
What the ranking tells you about studying environmental science
Environmental science is one of the fastest-growing undergraduate disciplines in the UK, driven by sustained demand for graduates who can work across climate science, ecological consultancy, environmental policy, conservation and sustainability management. With 47 universities in this ranking, quality varies substantially in terms of field placement access, laboratory infrastructure, research integration and graduate outcomes. This ranking scores all 47 on eight consistent metrics.
Leicester and Stirling: 100% on both course delivery metrics
University of Leicester (16th, 104 points) and University of Stirling (23rd, 91 points) are the only two institutions in this 47-university ranking to achieve 100% on both teaching quality and academic support simultaneously. Leicester produces graduates earning £27,500 — above the field average. Stirling is based in one of the most scenic university campuses in Scotland, with strong ties to the environmental and conservation sectors in central Scotland and established research in freshwater ecology, conservation biology and sustainable land management. Stirling's low overall score reflects its very low sustainability index (29.2) and low social life score, not its course quality. For students who prioritise exceptional teaching and support in a research-active environmental department, both Leicester and Stirling are significantly underrated relative to their course delivery data.
Swansea at 3rd: a notable teaching quality gap
Swansea University ranks 3rd with 131 points and achieves 96% academic support — among the highest in the field. But its teaching quality of 79% is the joint-lowest in this entire ranking alongside University of Cumbria (35th). Every other institution in the top 10 achieves at least 87% teaching quality. The 17-percentage-point gap between Swansea's teaching quality and its academic support is the widest disparity in this table. Swansea's strong sustainability, social life and safety scores sustain its top-three position, but students who value seminar and field teaching quality — particularly relevant in an environmental science degree that combines laboratory, field and analytical work — should factor this gap into their decision.
UWE Bristol at 4th achieves 99% teaching quality — the highest in the entire field — alongside 96% academic support. It produces graduates earning £25,000. UWE Bristol's environmental science programme has strong industry links across the West of England's substantial environmental consultancy and planning sector, good field trip and placement infrastructure, and one of the highest teaching quality scores of any environmental science department in the UK. Its 4th place position (behind Swansea which has lower teaching quality) reflects Swansea's advantages in sustainability and safety metrics. On course delivery alone, UWE Bristol leads the field.
The environmental science earnings landscape
Graduate earnings range from £19,000 (Cumbria) to £33,000 (Durham) within six months of graduating. Most universities produce graduates earning between £24,000 and £29,000. These figures reflect a field where many graduates enter environmental consultancy, ecology and conservation roles that typically start at £22,000 to £28,000. Graduate roles in environmental management, sustainability and planning at larger organisations — including local authorities, infrastructure firms, energy companies and national agencies such as the Environment Agency and Natural England — often pay £27,000 to £35,000 at entry. Like most science disciplines, environmental science salary growth tends to accelerate significantly with three to five years of experience, particularly for graduates who pursue chartered status (CEnv) through the Society for the Environment or relevant professional bodies.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking. For graduate employment data, see the employability ranking.
