Best Universities for History in the UK 2027
University of Worcester tops our 2027 history ranking with 182 points, achieving 100% on both teaching quality and academic support. Bath Spa University comes second with 181 points and 99% teaching quality. Durham University is third with 173 points and £31,000 graduate earnings. We ranked 76 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
History graduate earnings range from £18,000 (University of Wales Trinity Saint David) to £37,500 (London School of Economics, 26th). Three universities achieve 100% on both teaching quality and academic support: Worcester (1st), Derby (25th) and Newman University (joint 48th). Oxford ranks joint 16th; Cambridge ranks joint 34th. University of Chester (43rd) has the lowest academic support at 76%. University of Winchester (36th) has the lowest teaching quality at 84%. Bishop Grosseteste University (joint 30th) achieves 100% academic support and 99% teaching quality despite the lowest social life score in the field.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
History University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£24,500 | 79% | 100% | 100% | 182 |
| 2 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£26,500 | 79% | 99% | 97% | 181 |
| 3 | Durham University Durham |
£31,000 | 78% | 94% | 91% | 173 |
| 4 | Swansea University Swansea |
£24,000 | 79% | 87% | 93% | 171 |
| 4 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£24,500 | 74% | 98% | 96% | 171 |
| 5 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£30,000 | 79% | 94% | 83% | 167 |
| 6 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk |
£28,000 | 83% | 92% | 97% | 164 |
| 7 | University of Reading Reading |
£26,000 | 74% | 95% | 100% | 163 |
| 8 | York St John University York |
£22,000 | 80% | 97% | 91% | 161 |
| 9 | Bangor University Bangor |
£23,000 | 76% | 92% | 93% | 160 |
| 10 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth |
£25,000 | 71% | 93% | 100% | 159 |
| 11 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£24,000 | 75% | 94% | 99% | 158 |
| 12 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£27,000 | 78% | 91% | 95% | 157 |
| 13 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£25,000 | 74% | 95% | 88% | 152 |
| 14 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£28,500 | 73% | 91% | 91% | 151 |
| 15 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£21,500 | 72% | 95% | 100% | 148 |
| 16 | University of Oxford Oxford |
£28,000 | 76% | 96% | 93% | 147 |
| 16 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£28,000 | 74% | 96% | 100% | 147 |
| 17 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£25,000 | 73% | 92% | 93% | 146 |
| 17 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£24,000 | 79% | 95% | 95% | 146 |
| 18 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£25,000 | 71% | 92% | 94% | 145 |
| 18 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£26,000 | 76% | 96% | 97% | 145 |
| 19 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£23,000 | 72% | 91% | 90% | 140 |
| 19 | University of York York |
£29,500 | 77% | 92% | 93% | 140 |
| 19 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£30,000 | 74% | 95% | 89% | 140 |
| 19 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£26,000 | 72% | 95% | 100% | 140 |
| 19 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£25,000 | 71% | 96% | 93% | 140 |
| 20 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£25,000 | 70% | 85% | 92% | 139 |
| 20 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham |
£27,000 | 74% | 93% | 96% | 139 |
| 20 | University of Essex Colchester |
£24,000 | 74% | 93% | 97% | 139 |
| 21 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£24,000 | 70% | 96% | 100% | 137 |
| 22 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£25,000 | 71% | 97% | 100% | 136 |
| 23 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£25,000 | 81% | 94% | 100% | 135 |
| 24 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£21,000 | 73% | 91% | 90% | 132 |
| 25 | University of Derby Derby |
£25,000 | 74% | 100% | 100% | 131 |
| 26 | London School of Economics and Political Science London |
£37,500 | 69% | 91% | 96% | 130 |
| 27 | Coventry University Coventry |
£25,000 | 72% | 100% | 90% | 129 |
| 28 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£28,000 | 75% | 92% | 95% | 127 |
| 28 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£25,000 | 70% | 93% | 94% | 127 |
| 29 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£26,000 | 75% | 87% | 88% | 126 |
| 30 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£24,000 | 76% | 86% | 82% | 125 |
| 30 | Bishop Grosseteste University Lincoln |
£20,000 | 84% | 99% | 100% | 125 |
| 31 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£29,000 | 74% | 93% | 97% | 124 |
| 31 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£21,000 | 70% | 94% | 92% | 124 |
| 32 | University of Warwick Coventry |
£30,000 | 74% | 93% | 92% | 123 |
| 33 | University of Greenwich London |
£26,000 | 69% | 91% | 91% | 121 |
| 33 | St Mary's University, Twickenham Twickenham |
£25,000 | 80% | 98% | 98% | 121 |
| 34 | King's College London London |
£29,000 | 67% | 93% | 89% | 120 |
| 34 | University of Cambridge Cambridge |
£31,000 | 76% | 95% | 97% | 120 |
| 34 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£28,000 | 73% | 96% | 97% | 120 |
| 35 | UCL (University College London) London |
£29,000 | 68% | 91% | 94% | 119 |
| 36 | University of Winchester Winchester |
£25,500 | 82% | 84% | 88% | 112 |
| 37 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£20,500 | 73% | 86% | 86% | 111 |
| 38 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£30,000 | 74% | 89% | 93% | 110 |
| 38 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£25,000 | 71% | 100% | 100% | 110 |
| 39 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£26,500 | 68% | 96% | 100% | 108 |
| 40 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow |
£26,000 | 75% | 94% | 97% | 107 |
| 40 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£27,000 | 76% | 94% | 98% | 107 |
| 40 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£25,000 | 77% | 98% | 98% | 107 |
| 41 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea |
£18,000 | 79% | 89% | 88% | 106 |
| 42 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£25,500 | 77% | 91% | 88% | 104 |
| 43 | University of Chester Chester |
£23,000 | 78% | 94% | 76% | 103 |
| 44 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£27,500 | 69% | 92% | 94% | 99 |
| 45 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£22,000 | 80% | 93% | 97% | 98 |
| 46 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£28,000 | 72% | 89% | 95% | 97 |
| 47 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£23,000 | 78% | 94% | 98% | 95 |
| 48 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£18,000 | 78% | 98% | 100% | 86 |
| 48 | Newman University, Birmingham Birmingham |
£28,000 | 83% | 100% | 100% | 86 |
| 49 | University of Suffolk Ipswich |
£18,500 | 76% | 85% | 93% | 85 |
| 49 | University of Hull Hull |
£28,000 | 76% | 96% | 91% | 85 |
| 50 | University of Roehampton London |
£27,500 | 72% | 98% | 100% | 83 |
| 51 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£25,500 | 75% | 93% | 85% | 78 |
| 51 | Goldsmiths, University of London London |
£25,000 | 64% | 98% | 100% | 78 |
| 52 | University of Westminster London |
£26,500 | 68% | 85% | 85% | 74 |
| 53 | University of Chichester Chichester |
£28,000 | 80% | 92% | 88% | 73 |
| 54 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£20,000 | 71% | 95% | 93% | 66 |
What the ranking tells you about studying history
History is one of the most widely studied humanities degrees in the UK, offered at 76 universities in this ranking. The variation in research depth, specialist period coverage, archive access, dissertation supervision quality and graduate outcomes is substantial. This ranking scores all 76 on eight consistent metrics, making direct comparisons possible across the full range of institutions.
Oxford at joint 16th, Cambridge at joint 34th
University of Oxford ranks joint 16th with 147 points, achieving 96% teaching quality and 93% academic support, producing graduates earning £28,000. University of Cambridge ranks joint 34th with 120 points, achieving 95% teaching quality and 97% academic support and producing graduates earning £31,000 — the joint-highest in the field alongside Durham. Both are held down by high cost of living — Oxford and Cambridge both carry a significant penalty in this ranking. Cambridge's low social life score (6th rank) and relatively low sustainability further reduce its position. Both departments' course delivery scores are strong and clearly above the field average. Students comparing these institutions against Worcester (1st), Bath Spa (2nd) or Durham (3rd) should understand that city cost of living explains most of the positional gap, not course delivery quality.
LSE at 26th: £37,500 — the highest history graduate earnings in the UK
London School of Economics ranks 26th with 130 points and produces history graduates earning £37,500 — the highest in this ranking by £6,000 above the next-highest (Durham and Cambridge at £31,000). LSE's history graduates access premium London-based careers in finance, consulting, law, policy, journalism and the civil service in numbers that substantially inflate six-month earnings. LSE's teaching quality of 91% and academic support of 96% are both strong. Its 26th position reflects London's maximum cost of living score and the lowest student satisfaction in the field at 69%. For students aiming specifically at high-earning professional careers, LSE's history earnings premium is the most significant in the entire ranking.
Newman University, Birmingham at joint 48th achieves 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — and the highest student satisfaction in the field at 83%. Newman is a small Catholic university with around 3,000 students, and its history department achieves these scores in an intimate teaching environment with notably strong student-tutor relationships. It ranks joint 48th primarily because of its very low sustainability index (14.9 — the lowest in this entire field), low social life and low graduate earnings (£28,000 is mid-table, but sustainability drag is severe). Its course delivery and student experience data are genuinely excellent. Bishop Grosseteste University (joint 30th) similarly achieves 100% academic support and 99% teaching quality alongside the highest student satisfaction in its rank position at 84% — the joint-highest satisfaction score in this field alongside Newman and Edge Hill.
University of Exeter at 5th: the academic support anomaly
University of Exeter ranks 5th with 167 points and achieves 94% teaching quality — but only 83% academic support, which is the joint-lowest in the top 20 alongside Newcastle University at 29th (88%). The field average academic support for history is approximately 93%. Exeter's history department is one of the most research-active in the UK, with particular strengths in modern British history, colonial history and global history. Its 83% academic support is a specific data point that may warrant a question at open day for students who value one-to-one supervisor access and structured academic guidance alongside research-led teaching.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
