Best Universities for Graphic Design in the UK 2027
Cardiff Metropolitan University tops our 2027 graphic design ranking with 186 points, achieving 98% academic support and 93% teaching quality. University of Worcester comes second with 184 points. University of Reading is third with 177 points and 97% academic support. We ranked 68 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Graphic design graduate earnings range from £17,000 (University of Bedfordshire) to £36,000 (University of Southampton, 35th). Four universities achieve 100% academic support: Gloucestershire (7th), Derby (joint 15th), UCLan (27th) and Coventry achieves 98% teaching quality — the highest in the field. University of Brighton (joint 41st) has the lowest academic support at 54%. Bath Spa University (joint 13th) has the lowest teaching quality at 65%. University of Bedfordshire (46th) has the lowest academic support overall after Brighton at 57%.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Graphic Design University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff |
£24,000 | 75% | 93% | 98% | 186 |
| 2 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£22,500 | 79% | 93% | 94% | 184 |
| 3 | University of Reading Reading |
£26,500 | 74% | 93% | 97% | 177 |
| 4 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£25,000 | 73% | 95% | 98% | 174 |
| 5 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£22,500 | 74% | 91% | 91% | 172 |
| 6 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk |
£22,000 | 83% | 91% | 90% | 170 |
| 6 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£24,500 | 74% | 92% | 93% | 170 |
| 7 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£24,000 | 76% | 96% | 100% | 168 |
| 8 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£24,000 | 78% | 88% | 88% | 166 |
| 9 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£24,000 | 73% | 94% | 93% | 165 |
| 9 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£25,500 | 74% | 96% | 97% | 165 |
| 10 | University for the Creative Arts Canterbury / Epsom / Farnham / Rochester |
£24,000 | 82% | 92% | 95% | 156 |
| 10 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£20,000 | 72% | 94% | 91% | 156 |
| 11 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£23,000 | 72% | 88% | 90% | 155 |
| 12 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£24,000 | 76% | 87% | 95% | 153 |
| 12 | Arts University Bournemouth Bournemouth |
£24,500 | 83% | 88% | 89% | 153 |
| 13 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£24,000 | 79% | 65% | 78% | 152 |
| 13 | York St John University York |
£23,500 | 80% | 68% | 85% | 152 |
| 13 | Falmouth University Falmouth |
£25,000 | 82% | 86% | 89% | 152 |
| 13 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh |
£23,500 | 72% | 89% | 92% | 152 |
| 14 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£21,000 | 75% | 82% | 90% | 151 |
| 15 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£25,000 | 74% | 91% | 88% | 149 |
| 15 | University of Derby Derby |
£24,000 | 74% | 96% | 100% | 149 |
| 16 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea |
£24,000 | 79% | 90% | 94% | 148 |
| 17 | University of Salford Salford |
£24,500 | 73% | 83% | 89% | 143 |
| 17 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£24,000 | 73% | 87% | 91% | 143 |
| 18 | Coventry University Coventry |
£24,000 | 72% | 98% | 93% | 142 |
| 19 | Norwich University of the Arts Norwich |
£24,000 | 85% | 91% | 87% | 141 |
| 20 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£25,000 | 71% | 91% | 83% | 140 |
| 21 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£25,000 | 71% | 91% | 90% | 139 |
| 22 | Glyndwr University, Wrexham Wrexham |
£23,000 | 74% | 71% | 63% | 138 |
| 22 | University of the Arts London London |
£23,500 | 81% | 86% | 88% | 138 |
| 23 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£21,000 | 70% | 76% | 84% | 135 |
| 24 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£25,000 | 72% | 77% | 85% | 134 |
| 24 | Leeds Art University Leeds |
£20,000 | 86% | 83% | 92% | 134 |
| 25 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£24,000 | 69% | 89% | 90% | 133 |
| 25 | University of Sunderland Sunderland |
£23,000 | 74% | 90% | 77% | 133 |
| 26 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£24,000 | 80% | 92% | 97% | 127 |
| 27 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£24,000 | 71% | 96% | 100% | 125 |
| 28 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£24,000 | 70% | 73% | 83% | 123 |
| 28 | University of West London London |
£28,000 | 72% | 81% | 70% | 123 |
| 29 | University of Suffolk Ipswich |
£23,500 | 76% | 98% | 90% | 122 |
| 30 | Queen Margaret University Edinburgh |
£21,000 | 78% | 95% | 91% | 121 |
| 31 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£24,000 | 74% | 82% | 80% | 119 |
| 32 | University of Greenwich London |
£24,000 | 69% | 80% | 82% | 118 |
| 33 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£24,000 | 74% | 81% | 87% | 116 |
| 34 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£24,000 | 70% | 67% | 74% | 114 |
| 34 | University of East London London |
£29,000 | 68% | 90% | 96% | 114 |
| 35 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£36,000 | 76% | 76% | 90% | 112 |
| 36 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£24,000 | 77% | 83% | 90% | 111 |
| 37 | Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent |
£23,500 | 72% | 88% | 90% | 110 |
| 38 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£24,000 | 75% | 91% | 96% | 109 |
| 39 | University of Chester Chester |
£23,000 | 78% | 75% | 81% | 108 |
| 40 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£17,500 | 73% | 91% | 95% | 105 |
| 41 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£23,500 | 72% | 70% | 54% | 104 |
| 41 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£24,000 | 77% | 74% | 80% | 104 |
| 42 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£24,000 | 78% | 89% | 91% | 102 |
| 43 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£24,000 | 75% | 80% | 89% | 100 |
| 44 | University of Westminster London |
£25,000 | 68% | 85% | 90% | 99 |
| 45 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe |
£24,000 | 70% | 87% | 86% | 98 |
| 46 | University of Bedfordshire Luton |
£17,000 | 68% | 73% | 57% | 96 |
| 47 | Middlesex University Middlesex |
£24,000 | 69% | 83% | 93% | 95 |
| 47 | Solent University Southampton |
£24,000 | 71% | 88% | 81% | 95 |
| 48 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£23,500 | 71% | 86% | 95% | 89 |
| 49 | University of Hull Hull |
£22,000 | 76% | 85% | 90% | 87 |
| 50 | London Metropolitan University London |
£19,500 | 66% | 88% | 95% | 79 |
| 51 | University College Birmingham Birmingham |
£18,500 | 79% | 89% | 84% | 75 |
| 52 | University of Roehampton London |
£24,000 | 72% | 70% | 82% | 60 |
What the ranking tells you about studying graphic design
Graphic design is one of the most oversubscribed creative disciplines in the UK. With 68 universities in this ranking, the variation in studio quality, software provision, industry briefs and placement opportunities is substantial. This ranking scores all 68 on eight consistent metrics, giving you comparative course delivery data that most applicant guidance ignores for arts subjects.
Four universities achieving 100% academic support
University of Gloucestershire (7th, 168 points), University of Derby (joint 15th, 149 points), University of Central Lancashire (27th, 125 points) and Coventry University (18th, 142 points) — alongside Coventry's 98% teaching quality, the highest in the field — all represent strong course delivery profiles distributed across a wide range of overall positions. Gloucestershire leads with 100% academic support and 96% teaching quality in the top 10. Derby achieves the same double from the joint 15th position. UCLan at 27th achieves 100% academic support and 96% teaching quality. For students who prioritise the quality of tutorial feedback and studio supervision, all four departments have the strongest measured course delivery in the field.
Bath Spa at joint 13th: the most notable teaching quality concern in the top 20
Bath Spa University ranks joint 13th with 152 points and achieves 65% teaching quality — the lowest in this entire 68-university ranking. Every other graphic design department in this table achieves at least 67% teaching quality. Bath Spa's strong sustainability and safety scores sustain its top-15 position, alongside strong student satisfaction. Its academic support of 78% is also below the field median. For a studio-intensive discipline where the quality of briefs, feedback and tutoring directly shapes your portfolio, a 65% teaching quality score is worth factoring into any comparison with the 13 departments ranked above it, all of which achieve 82% or higher.
University of Southampton at 35th: £36,000 graduate earnings — the highest in this field by £7,000. Southampton ranks 35th with 112 points, a score reflecting its low sustainability index and city-level metrics rather than course quality. Its 76% teaching quality is below the field average. The £36,000 graduate earnings are substantially higher than any other graphic design department — the next-highest is University of East London at £29,000. Southampton's graphic design graduates access premium design roles in London and the South East labour market, which inflates six-month earnings significantly. For students aiming at high-earning commercial design roles, Southampton's earnings data is notable — but the course delivery scores (76% teaching, 90% academic support) are not exceptional.
UAL at joint 22nd
University of the Arts London ranks joint 22nd with 138 points, achieving 86% teaching quality and 88% academic support — both below the field median. UAL — including Central Saint Martins, London College of Communication and Camberwell — is the most globally prominent graphic design education brand in the UK. It ranks joint 22nd because London's cost of living (91 — maximum in this field) significantly suppresses its overall score. Its teaching quality and academic support are genuinely below the field average. Students comparing UAL's industry connections and alumni network against the data from Cardiff Metropolitan (1st), MMU (4th) or Oxford Brookes (9th) are making a trade-off that this ranking makes explicit.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
