Best Universities for Fine Art in the UK 2027
Glyndwr University, Wrexham tops our 2027 fine art ranking with 178 points, achieving 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — the joint-highest double in the field. York St John University is second with 177 points, achieving 95% academic support and 96% teaching quality. Bath Spa University is third with 166 points. We ranked 58 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Fine art graduate earnings range from £17,000 (Leeds Art University) to £29,000 (University of East London, 41st). Eight universities achieve 100% academic support, including Glyndwr, Derby, Leeds Beckett, Sunderland, Cumbria, Suffolk, Middlesex and London Metropolitan. University for the Creative Arts (32nd) has the lowest academic support (35%) and lowest teaching quality (41%) of any fine art department in the UK — the only institution in this ranking below 60% on either metric. Oxford ranks 8th with 93% academic support.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Fine Art University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glyndwr University, Wrexham Wrexham |
£23,000 | 74% | 100% | 100% | 178 |
| 2 | York St John University York |
£23,500 | 80% | 96% | 95% | 177 |
| 3 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£24,000 | 79% | 84% | 87% | 166 |
| 4 | Arts University Bournemouth Bournemouth |
£24,500 | 83% | 94% | 98% | 159 |
| 6 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£22,500 | 79% | 85% | 78% | 154 |
| 6 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£24,000 | 78% | 86% | 80% | 154 |
| 6 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£24,000 | 73% | 89% | 93% | 154 |
| 6 | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen |
£24,000 | 77% | 98% | 93% | 154 |
| 7 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£24,000 | 70% | 92% | 100% | 148 |
| 8 | University of Oxford Oxford |
£26,000 | 76% | 85% | 93% | 147 |
| 9 | University of Derby Derby |
£23,500 | 74% | 100% | 100% | 145 |
| 10 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff |
£23,500 | 75% | 80% | 73% | 142 |
| 11 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£24,000 | 74% | 78% | 84% | 140 |
| 11 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£21,000 | 74% | 89% | 95% | 140 |
| 12 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£21,500 | 74% | 87% | 91% | 137 |
| 13 | University of Reading Reading |
£26,500 | 74% | 74% | 80% | 135 |
| 13 | Falmouth University Falmouth |
£21,000 | 82% | 80% | 88% | 135 |
| 14 | University of Sunderland Sunderland |
£21,000 | 74% | 80% | 100% | 134 |
| 14 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£24,000 | 77% | 91% | 100% | 134 |
| 15 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£22,000 | 75% | 83% | 86% | 133 |
| 16 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£18,500 | 72% | 82% | 87% | 132 |
| 17 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£18,000 | 74% | 77% | 76% | 131 |
| 17 | Norwich University of the Arts Norwich |
£24,000 | 85% | 86% | 82% | 131 |
| 18 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£27,000 | 82% | 85% | 80% | 130 |
| 19 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£24,000 | 74% | 84% | 89% | 129 |
| 20 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£24,000 | 76% | 83% | 75% | 128 |
| 20 | Leeds Art University Leeds |
£17,000 | 86% | 89% | 91% | 128 |
| 21 | Coventry University Coventry |
£24,000 | 72% | 86% | 88% | 126 |
| 22 | University of Suffolk Ipswich |
£23,500 | 76% | 94% | 100% | 125 |
| 22 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£24,000 | 80% | 95% | 97% | 125 |
| 22 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£23,000 | 76% | 99% | 98% | 125 |
| 23 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£22,000 | 73% | 83% | 83% | 124 |
| 24 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea |
£24,000 | 79% | 81% | 78% | 122 |
| 25 | University of Salford Salford |
£25,000 | 73% | 71% | 80% | 121 |
| 25 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£24,500 | 71% | 75% | 89% | 121 |
| 26 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£23,000 | 76% | 74% | 82% | 120 |
| 26 | University of the Arts London London |
£18,500 | 81% | 79% | 89% | 120 |
| 27 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£17,500 | 70% | 83% | 73% | 119 |
| 28 | UCL (University College London) London |
£18,500 | 68% | 95% | 95% | 118 |
| 29 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£20,500 | 72% | 80% | 90% | 117 |
| 30 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£23,000 | 70% | 75% | 83% | 114 |
| 31 | University of Chester Chester |
£23,000 | 78% | 84% | 72% | 111 |
| 32 | University for the Creative Arts Canterbury / Epsom / Farnham / Rochester |
£23,000 | 82% | 41% | 35% | 105 |
| 33 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£24,000 | 74% | 70% | 85% | 103 |
| 33 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£18,000 | 69% | 81% | 80% | 103 |
| 33 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe |
£24,000 | 70% | 89% | 92% | 103 |
| 34 | Middlesex University Middlesex |
£23,000 | 69% | 85% | 100% | 99 |
| 35 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£24,000 | 78% | 85% | 90% | 98 |
| 36 | Goldsmiths, University of London London |
£25,000 | 64% | 94% | 93% | 95 |
| 37 | University of Westminster London |
£25,000 | 68% | 81% | 89% | 92 |
| 38 | London Metropolitan University London |
£20,000 | 66% | 96% | 100% | 86 |
| 39 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£18,000 | 75% | 81% | 84% | 84 |
| 40 | Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent |
£23,500 | 72% | 68% | 80% | 83 |
| 41 | University of East London London |
£29,000 | 68% | 78% | 75% | 82 |
| 42 | Solent University Southampton |
£24,000 | 71% | 79% | 69% | 78 |
| 43 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£24,500 | 71% | 71% | 63% | 77 |
| 44 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£21,500 | 75% | 70% | 86% | 75 |
| 45 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£24,000 | 71% | 59% | 64% | 56 |
What the ranking tells you about studying fine art
Fine art is among the most varied of all creative arts degrees — from traditional studio practices to conceptual installation, digital and lens-based media, performance and socially engaged work. Studio access, tutorial quality, visiting artist programmes, degree show infrastructure and graduate exhibition opportunities shape the experience far more than most metrics can measure. This ranking gives you comparable course delivery data across 58 universities that most other guidance ignores entirely.
University for the Creative Arts: the most significant course delivery concern in this ranking
University for the Creative Arts (UCA) ranks 32nd with 105 points and achieves 35% academic support and 41% teaching quality — the lowest scores on both metrics of any fine art department in this entire ranking. No other university in this 58-institution table scores below 63% on academic support or below 59% on teaching quality. The next-lowest academic support after UCA's 35% is University of Central Lancashire at 63%. UCA is a well-known specialist creative arts institution with campuses at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham and Rochester, and its national reputation carries weight with some applicants. But the course delivery data for its fine art programme is more than 30 percentage points below the field average on both metrics. For a studio-intensive degree where the quality of one-to-one tutor feedback, crits and academic guidance directly determines how much you develop as an artist, these scores are the most important data in this table.
Glyndwr and Derby: 100% on both metrics
Glyndwr University, Wrexham (1st, 178 points) and University of Derby (9th, 145 points) are the two institutions achieving 100% on both teaching quality and academic support in this ranking. Both are rarely discussed in fine art applicant guidance. Glyndwr's fine art programme has close ties to the North Wales arts scene and benefits from extremely low cost of living and high safety scores. University of Derby achieves the same perfect double from a higher-profile position, producing graduates earning £23,500 — above the field average. For students who prioritise the direct quality of their studio teaching and tutorial support, both programmes make the strongest data case in the field.
Oxford at 8th, Goldsmiths at 36th. University of Oxford ranks 8th in this field with 147 points, 93% academic support and 85% teaching quality, producing graduates earning £26,000. It ranks 8th rather than higher primarily because of Oxford's cost of living. Goldsmiths, University of London ranks 36th with 95 points, achieving 94% teaching quality and 93% academic support — strong course delivery scores — but the lowest student satisfaction in this ranking at 64% and a low sustainability score drag its position. Both are institutions with genuine contemporary art significance and alumni networks. Both rank significantly lower than their reputation might suggest, for different reasons.
UAL at joint 26th
University of the Arts London ranks joint 26th with 120 points, achieving 89% academic support and 79% teaching quality. UAL — which encompasses Chelsea, Slade, Camberwell, Central Saint Martins and others — is the most globally prominent art education brand in the UK. It ranks joint 26th because London's cost of living (index score 91 — the maximum in this field) significantly suppresses its overall score, and its teaching quality of 79% is below the field median. UAL's positioning in the contemporary art world, its alumni connections and its graduate network carry significant weight in ways this ranking does not capture. Students comparing UAL against first-ranked Glyndwr or second-ranked York St John need to understand what each number measures and what it does not.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
