Best Universities for Human Resource Management in the UK 2027
University of East Anglia tops our 2027 HRM ranking with 154 points, combining 96% on both teaching quality and academic support. Bath Spa University comes second with 153 points. Bangor University is third with 149 points and 97% academic support. We ranked 58 UK universities offering HRM or HR-focused degrees across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
HRM graduate earnings range from £19,000 (University of Wales Trinity Saint David) to £33,000 (University of Leeds at joint 10th and University of Southampton at joint 31st). University of Sunderland (4th), University of West London (joint 5th) and University of Wolverhampton (joint 33rd) all achieve 100% academic support. University of Worcester (14th) has the lowest teaching quality in the field at 62%. Robert Gordon University (28th) and University of Manchester (29th) share the lowest academic support at 67%.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Human Resource Management University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£27,000 | 79% | 96% | 96% | 154 |
| 2 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£25,000 | 79% | 88% | 90% | 153 |
| 3 | Bangor University Bangor |
£24,000 | 76% | 83% | 97% | 149 |
| 4 | University of Sunderland Sunderland |
£20,000 | 74% | 100% | 100% | 143 |
| 5 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£28,000 | 76% | 95% | 90% | 142 |
| 5 | University of West London London |
£29,000 | 72% | 98% | 100% | 142 |
| 6 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£25,000 | 72% | 93% | 94% | 141 |
| 7 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£26,000 | 73% | 88% | 91% | 140 |
| 8 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff |
£24,000 | 75% | 79% | 89% | 138 |
| 8 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£29,500 | 74% | 83% | 76% | 138 |
| 9 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham |
£30,000 | 74% | 88% | 100% | 137 |
| 10 | University of Reading Reading |
£30,000 | 74% | 77% | 87% | 136 |
| 10 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£33,000 | 74% | 85% | 92% | 136 |
| 11 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£29,500 | 71% | 79% | 90% | 135 |
| 11 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£27,000 | 70% | 81% | 96% | 135 |
| 12 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£29,500 | 82% | 89% | 89% | 131 |
| 13 | Glyndwr University, Wrexham Wrexham |
£19,500 | 74% | 81% | 87% | 130 |
| 14 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£25,000 | 79% | 62% | 82% | 129 |
| 14 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£27,000 | 73% | 82% | 88% | 129 |
| 15 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£28,000 | 74% | 80% | 77% | 128 |
| 16 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£26,000 | 70% | 87% | 92% | 126 |
| 17 | Coventry University Coventry |
£28,000 | 72% | 97% | 88% | 125 |
| 17 | University of Greenwich London |
£25,000 | 69% | 97% | 94% | 125 |
| 18 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£25,500 | 70% | 89% | 89% | 122 |
| 19 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£28,000 | 76% | 82% | 81% | 121 |
| 19 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£27,000 | 71% | 89% | 91% | 121 |
| 20 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£24,000 | 69% | 92% | 95% | 119 |
| 20 | University of Bedfordshire Luton |
£25,000 | 68% | 93% | 90% | 119 |
| 20 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£28,000 | 73% | 93% | 95% | 119 |
| 21 | University of Derby Derby |
£25,000 | 74% | 89% | 91% | 118 |
| 22 | University of Salford Salford |
£25,000 | 73% | 77% | 90% | 117 |
| 23 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£25,000 | 81% | 83% | 88% | 116 |
| 24 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea |
£19,000 | 79% | 91% | 90% | 115 |
| 25 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£27,000 | 72% | 86% | 86% | 114 |
| 26 | University of Surrey Guildford |
£30,000 | 78% | 83% | 86% | 110 |
| 27 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh |
£25,000 | 72% | 76% | 82% | 108 |
| 27 | Queen Margaret University Edinburgh |
£25,000 | 78% | 92% | 95% | 108 |
| 28 | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen |
£29,000 | 77% | 74% | 67% | 106 |
| 29 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£30,000 | 70% | 77% | 67% | 104 |
| 30 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow |
£26,500 | 75% | 87% | 91% | 103 |
| 31 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£33,000 | 76% | 85% | 87% | 98 |
| 31 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£26,000 | 78% | 89% | 91% | 98 |
| 32 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£25,000 | 71% | 94% | 88% | 97 |
| 33 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£26,500 | 68% | 83% | 89% | 92 |
| 33 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£26,000 | 71% | 97% | 100% | 92 |
| 34 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£25,500 | 73% | 81% | 96% | 89 |
| 35 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£26,500 | 77% | 83% | 83% | 87 |
| 36 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£30,000 | 72% | 80% | 85% | 85 |
| 37 | University of Chichester Chichester |
£28,000 | 80% | 90% | 94% | 83 |
| 38 | University of Hull Hull |
£25,000 | 76% | 85% | 91% | 80 |
| 39 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£27,000 | 74% | 68% | 77% | 79 |
| 40 | Aston University Birmingham |
£28,000 | 75% | 83% | 83% | 77 |
| 40 | London Metropolitan University London |
£25,000 | 66% | 93% | 95% | 77 |
| 41 | Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent |
£20,000 | 72% | 77% | 83% | 75 |
| 42 | Middlesex University Middlesex |
£26,000 | 69% | 85% | 81% | 70 |
| 43 | University of Westminster London |
£27,500 | 68% | 69% | 84% | 68 |
| 44 | University of East London London |
£22,500 | 68% | 84% | 75% | 67 |
| 45 | University of Roehampton London |
£26,000 | 72% | 72% | 78% | 47 |
What the ranking tells you about studying HRM
Human resource management is a practical, applied business discipline — one of the most directly vocational degrees on this list. It is offered at 58 universities in this ranking and leads consistently to defined professional careers in HR, people management, talent acquisition, employment law, organisational development and people analytics. Course delivery quality matters here because the degree's value is in how well it prepares you for CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) membership, which is the professional benchmark for HR practitioners in the UK.
University of Sunderland at 4th: 100% on both metrics
University of Sunderland ranks 4th with 143 points and achieves 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — the only institution in this field to achieve the perfect double. It produces graduates earning £20,000, which is below the field average, reflecting the North East regional labour market rather than course quality. Sunderland's HRM programme is CIPD-accredited and well-regarded for its vocational delivery and employer engagement. For students who specifically want the strongest-measured course delivery in the field and whose earnings expectations are calibrated to the North of England, Sunderland's data profile makes a strong case well above its overall ranking position would suggest.
University of Manchester at 29th: the most significant course quality anomaly in this field
University of Manchester ranks 29th with 104 points and has the joint-lowest academic support in the field at 67% — tied with Robert Gordon University. Manchester produces HRM graduates earning £30,000, which is in the top quarter of the field, and its strong graduate earnings reflect Manchester's labour market rather than its course delivery quality. The 67% academic support score is a specific data point: for an HRM degree where one-to-one academic guidance, HR case study feedback and assessment support directly shapes professional readiness, 67% is the lowest in a 58-university field. Robert Gordon University (28th) has the same academic support score alongside 74% teaching quality.
Leeds and Southampton: £33,000 — the joint-highest HRM graduate earnings in the UK. University of Leeds ranks joint 10th (136 points) with £33,000 graduate earnings. University of Southampton ranks joint 31st (98 points) with the same £33,000. Leeds achieves 85% teaching quality and 92% academic support. Southampton achieves 85% teaching quality and 87% academic support. Both are held below their earnings ranking by city-level metrics rather than course quality concerns. For students targeting premium graduate HR roles in large organisations, consulting or financial services — where HR business partner and talent management roles attract graduate-level salaries — Leeds and Southampton's earnings data is the most directly relevant benchmark in this field.
CIPD accreditation: what to check before applying
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) accredits HRM degree programmes in the UK. A CIPD-accredited degree typically grants Foundation, Associate or full Chartered Membership on graduation, depending on the level and content of the programme. CIPD membership is the standard professional credential for HR practitioners and is expected or required by most major employers for HR graduate roles. Not all HRM degrees are CIPD-accredited — and accreditation applies to specific programmes, not whole universities. Confirm CIPD accreditation on the CIPD website for your specific programme before applying. An accredited degree is the most important single quality check for HRM applicants.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
