Best Universities for Geography in the UK 2027
Swansea University tops our 2027 geography ranking with 166 points, combining 97% teaching quality, 92% academic support and the highest sustainability score in the field. Durham University comes second with 160 points. Northumbria University is third with 158 points, achieving 100% academic support. We ranked 63 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Geography graduate earnings range from £19,000 (University of Cumbria) to £33,500 (London School of Economics, joint 34th). Eight universities achieve 100% academic support including Northumbria, Reading, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Keele, Edinburgh, Kingston, Chester and Northampton. Oxford Brookes (joint 21st) achieves 100% teaching quality. Oxford ranks 18th; Cambridge ranks 37th. University of Glasgow (joint 46th) has the lowest academic support in the field at 71%. University of Worcester (joint 24th) has the lowest teaching quality at 67%.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Geography University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea University Swansea |
£26,000 | 79% | 97% | 92% | 166 |
| 2 | Durham University Durham |
£32,000 | 78% | 93% | 90% | 160 |
| 3 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£26,000 | 74% | 95% | 100% | 158 |
| 4 | University of Reading Reading |
£27,500 | 74% | 95% | 100% | 150 |
| 6 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk |
£26,500 | 83% | 90% | 90% | 147 |
| 7 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£25,000 | 74% | 97% | 96% | 146 |
| 9 | Bangor University Bangor |
£29,000 | 76% | 87% | 87% | 143 |
| 10 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£26,000 | 79% | 85% | 90% | 142 |
| 11 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham |
£29,000 | 74% | 96% | 96% | 141 |
| 12 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£28,000 | 79% | 85% | 86% | 139 |
| 13 | York St John University York |
£23,500 | 80% | 79% | 100% | 138 |
| 14 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£28,000 | 79% | 90% | 90% | 137 |
| 14 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£27,000 | 76% | 96% | 100% | 137 |
| 15 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£27,000 | 78% | 81% | 94% | 135 |
| 15 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£30,000 | 71% | 93% | 100% | 135 |
| 16 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£25,000 | 73% | 88% | 98% | 133 |
| 17 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£30,000 | 73% | 92% | 83% | 132 |
| 18 | University of Oxford Oxford |
£30,000 | 76% | 94% | 94% | 131 |
| 19 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£28,500 | 71% | 89% | 87% | 129 |
| 20 | University of St Andrews St Andrews |
£29,000 | 84% | 93% | 90% | 128 |
| 21 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth |
£25,500 | 71% | 84% | 94% | 127 |
| 21 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£28,000 | 82% | 97% | 91% | 127 |
| 21 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£26,000 | 74% | 100% | 94% | 127 |
| 22 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£25,000 | 73% | 97% | 97% | 126 |
| 23 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£25,500 | 72% | 89% | 88% | 125 |
| 23 | University of Salford Salford |
£24,000 | 73% | 92% | 97% | 125 |
| 24 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£24,000 | 79% | 67% | 77% | 123 |
| 24 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£27,000 | 81% | 88% | 100% | 123 |
| 25 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£27,500 | 74% | 95% | 100% | 121 |
| 26 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£25,500 | 71% | 99% | 100% | 120 |
| 27 | University of York York |
£26,000 | 77% | 82% | 96% | 119 |
| 27 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£27,000 | 75% | 83% | 75% | 119 |
| 28 | University of Chester Chester |
£24,500 | 78% | 92% | 100% | 118 |
| 29 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£25,000 | 76% | 81% | 94% | 116 |
| 29 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£27,000 | 75% | 89% | 95% | 116 |
| 29 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£28,000 | 73% | 97% | 98% | 116 |
| 30 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£24,000 | 70% | 87% | 98% | 115 |
| 31 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£30,000 | 74% | 82% | 87% | 113 |
| 31 | Coventry University Coventry |
£25,000 | 72% | 96% | 93% | 113 |
| 32 | University of Winchester Winchester |
£27,000 | 82% | 84% | 91% | 112 |
| 32 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£27,000 | 76% | 92% | 99% | 112 |
| 33 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£27,000 | 70% | 88% | 92% | 111 |
| 34 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£26,000 | 75% | 81% | 90% | 110 |
| 34 | London School of Economics and Political Science London |
£33,500 | 69% | 89% | 90% | 110 |
| 34 | King's College London London |
£31,500 | 67% | 92% | 91% | 110 |
| 35 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£25,000 | 71% | 81% | 93% | 109 |
| 35 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£26,000 | 72% | 86% | 97% | 109 |
| 36 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£30,000 | 74% | 93% | 94% | 108 |
| 36 | UCL (University College London) London |
£29,000 | 68% | 93% | 95% | 108 |
| 37 | University of Cambridge Cambridge |
£31,000 | 76% | 95% | 94% | 106 |
| 38 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£25,000 | 73% | 71% | 75% | 103 |
| 38 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£26,000 | 77% | 95% | 89% | 103 |
| 39 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£28,500 | 72% | 89% | 97% | 95 |
| 40 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£30,000 | 69% | 93% | 93% | 94 |
| 41 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£28,000 | 75% | 95% | 90% | 92 |
| 42 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£25,000 | 75% | 100% | 100% | 90 |
| 43 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£28,000 | 76% | 86% | 91% | 89 |
| 44 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£24,000 | 80% | 93% | 93% | 87 |
| 45 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£25,000 | 78% | 90% | 90% | 84 |
| 46 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£27,000 | 77% | 79% | 92% | 83 |
| 46 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£28,000 | 75% | 84% | 71% | 83 |
| 47 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£19,000 | 77% | 77% | 80% | 76 |
| 48 | University of Hull Hull |
£25,000 | 76% | 92% | 73% | 63 |
What the ranking tells you about studying geography
Geography is one of the most versatile degrees in the UK — spanning physical processes (climate, geomorphology, environmental systems), human geography (development, migration, urban change, political geography) and quantitative methods (GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis). With 63 universities in this ranking, the variation in departmental strengths, fieldwork access, GIS infrastructure and graduate outcomes is substantial. This ranking scores all 63 on eight consistent metrics.
Oxford at 18th, Cambridge at 37th: what the data shows
University of Oxford ranks 18th with 131 points, achieving 94% teaching quality and 94% academic support and producing graduates earning £30,000. University of Cambridge ranks 37th with 106 points, achieving 95% teaching quality and 94% academic support, producing graduates earning £31,000. Both are held down primarily by city cost of living — Cambridge has the highest cost of living penalty of any non-London university in this ranking — combined with relatively lower sustainability scores compared to the top-ranked universities. The course delivery scores at both are strong and clearly above the field median. LSE ranks joint 34th: highest graduate earnings at £33,500, driven by the premium London geography labour market (urban planning, environmental consultancy, financial geography, policy roles), but held down by London costs and the lowest student satisfaction in the field at 69%.
Oxford Brookes at joint 21st: 100% teaching quality
Oxford Brookes University ranks joint 21st with 127 points and achieves 100% teaching quality — the only institution in this field to do so — alongside 94% academic support. Oxford Brookes produces graduates earning £26,000. Its geography department sits within a university where fieldwork-based teaching, applied environmental geography and GIS training are particular strengths. It ranks joint 21st rather than higher primarily because of Oxford's cost of living (shared with the University of Oxford above it). For students who want the highest-measured teaching quality in the field in an affordable-for-Oxford context, Oxford Brookes makes the clearest case in this table.
University of Northampton at 42nd achieves 100% on both teaching quality and academic support. It is the only institution in this ranking to achieve the perfect double, at a rank position that places it in the lower third of the table. Northampton's low overall score reflects its very low sustainability index (40.7 — one of the lowest in the field), low social life score and low graduate earnings (£25,000). But its course delivery data is the strongest in the entire field on both metrics simultaneously. For students who want the best-measured teaching environment in UK geography and can manage Northampton's limited city offer, the course quality data is unambiguous.
University of Glasgow at joint 46th
University of Glasgow ranks joint 46th with 83 points — the same total as University of Portsmouth. Glasgow's geography department is research-active and benefits from the university's strong research profile in urban studies, social geography and environmental science. But it achieves 71% academic support — the lowest in this entire field — and 84% teaching quality, which is below the field average. For a research-intensive university where fieldwork, tutorial and one-to-one supervision are central to the geography student experience, 71% academic support is a data point applicants should factor into their decision alongside Glasgow's broader research reputation and city attractions.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking. For graduate employment data, see the employability ranking.
