Best Universities for International Relations in the UK 2027
Swansea University tops our 2027 international relations ranking with 168 points, combining 95% academic support and 88% teaching quality. Durham University comes second with 165 points. Northumbria University is third with 159 points and 93% on both course delivery metrics. We ranked 71 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
International relations graduate earnings range from £20,000 (University of Bradford) to £35,000 (London School of Economics, 22nd). University of Hertfordshire (joint 16th) achieves 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — the strongest course delivery double in the field. Eight institutions achieve 100% academic support: Lincoln (joint 5th), Hertfordshire (joint 16th), Coventry (joint 25th), Derby (30th), Bradford (joint 33rd), Leicester (joint 33rd), Teesside (47th) and University of Greenwich (joint 26th) achieves 100% teaching quality. Goldsmiths (53rd) has the lowest academic support at 67%. University of Salford (28th) has the lowest teaching quality at 79%.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
International Relations University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea University Swansea |
£26,000 | 79% | 88% | 95% | 168 |
| 2 | Durham University Durham |
£31,000 | 78% | 88% | 93% | 165 |
| 3 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£25,000 | 74% | 92% | 93% | 159 |
| 4 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk |
£27,000 | 83% | 88% | 97% | 158 |
| 5 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£28,500 | 78% | 88% | 100% | 157 |
| 5 | York St John University York |
£24,000 | 80% | 89% | 98% | 157 |
| 6 | University of Reading Reading |
£26,500 | 74% | 96% | 94% | 154 |
| 7 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£26,000 | 73% | 93% | 98% | 153 |
| 8 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£25,000 | 79% | 81% | 90% | 148 |
| 8 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£30,000 | 73% | 93% | 89% | 148 |
| 9 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£30,500 | 79% | 86% | 78% | 147 |
| 10 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£21,000 | 72% | 93% | 98% | 145 |
| 11 | University of Essex Colchester |
£26,500 | 74% | 96% | 96% | 144 |
| 12 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff |
£21,500 | 75% | 87% | 87% | 143 |
| 12 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£26,000 | 76% | 92% | 96% | 143 |
| 13 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£25,000 | 74% | 89% | 86% | 140 |
| 13 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£24,500 | 70% | 90% | 94% | 140 |
| 14 | University of York York |
£30,000 | 77% | 94% | 96% | 138 |
| 15 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£27,000 | 73% | 94% | 95% | 137 |
| 16 | University of Bath Bath |
£34,000 | 80% | 95% | 94% | 136 |
| 16 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham |
£26,000 | 74% | 95% | 97% | 136 |
| 16 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£29,000 | 71% | 100% | 100% | 136 |
| 17 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£26,500 | 79% | 92% | 87% | 135 |
| 18 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£29,000 | 75% | 85% | 93% | 133 |
| 18 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£24,000 | 75% | 86% | 86% | 133 |
| 18 | University of West London London |
£29,000 | 72% | 90% | 96% | 133 |
| 19 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£26,000 | 73% | 83% | 95% | 132 |
| 20 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£26,000 | 71% | 87% | 92% | 131 |
| 20 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£24,500 | 81% | 93% | 94% | 131 |
| 21 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£31,000 | 72% | 91% | 88% | 130 |
| 21 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£28,000 | 74% | 91% | 91% | 130 |
| 22 | London School of Economics and Political Science London |
£35,000 | 69% | 96% | 91% | 129 |
| 23 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£23,000 | 70% | 92% | 97% | 128 |
| 24 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£28,500 | 75% | 95% | 95% | 127 |
| 25 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£27,000 | 70% | 88% | 94% | 126 |
| 25 | Coventry University Coventry |
£25,000 | 72% | 90% | 100% | 126 |
| 26 | University of St Andrews St Andrews |
£28,000 | 84% | 91% | 92% | 123 |
| 26 | University of Greenwich London |
£23,500 | 69% | 100% | 93% | 123 |
| 27 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£30,000 | 74% | 86% | 82% | 122 |
| 28 | University of Salford Salford |
£26,000 | 73% | 79% | 88% | 121 |
| 29 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£28,000 | 70% | 85% | 85% | 117 |
| 30 | University of Derby Derby |
£25,000 | 74% | 86% | 100% | 116 |
| 31 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£26,000 | 72% | 90% | 91% | 115 |
| 32 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£28,000 | 82% | 88% | 83% | 114 |
| 33 | University of Surrey Guildford |
£31,000 | 78% | 83% | 96% | 113 |
| 33 | University of Bradford Bradford |
£20,000 | 71% | 92% | 100% | 113 |
| 33 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£26,500 | 73% | 92% | 100% | 113 |
| 34 | SOAS University of London London |
£30,000 | 66% | 94% | 78% | 108 |
| 34 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£28,000 | 68% | 94% | 98% | 108 |
| 35 | UCL (University College London) London |
£32,000 | 68% | 86% | 84% | 107 |
| 36 | University of Winchester Winchester |
£26,500 | 82% | 83% | 85% | 103 |
| 36 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£30,000 | 74% | 89% | 90% | 103 |
| 37 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£31,000 | 69% | 90% | 90% | 101 |
| 38 | St Mary's University, Twickenham Twickenham |
£24,000 | 80% | 90% | 90% | 99 |
| 39 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£24,000 | 80% | 90% | 97% | 98 |
| 40 | University of Chester Chester |
£26,000 | 78% | 86% | 83% | 97 |
| 41 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£30,000 | 77% | 87% | 89% | 94 |
| 42 | University of East London London |
£27,000 | 68% | 96% | 91% | 92 |
| 43 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£26,000 | 77% | 87% | 81% | 91 |
| 44 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£28,000 | 72% | 88% | 88% | 85 |
| 45 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£28,000 | 76% | 85% | 84% | 83 |
| 46 | Aston University Birmingham |
£27,000 | 75% | 89% | 91% | 82 |
| 47 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£21,000 | 78% | 89% | 100% | 80 |
| 48 | University of Westminster London |
£26,000 | 68% | 85% | 87% | 73 |
| 49 | University of Hull Hull |
£26,000 | 76% | 84% | 93% | 72 |
| 50 | University of Chichester Chichester |
£27,000 | 80% | 81% | 93% | 67 |
| 51 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£27,000 | 71% | 88% | 87% | 65 |
| 52 | University of Roehampton London |
£26,000 | 72% | 84% | 93% | 60 |
| 53 | Goldsmiths, University of London London |
£27,000 | 64% | 88% | 67% | 52 |
| 54 | London Metropolitan University London |
£24,000 | 66% | 83% | 88% | 50 |
| 55 | London South Bank University London |
£24,000 | 68% | 84% | 71% | 38 |
What the ranking tells you about studying international relations
International relations is one of the most popular politics-adjacent degrees in the UK, offered at 71 universities. The variation in research depth, geopolitical specialism, language requirements, study abroad pathways and graduate outcomes across those 71 institutions is significant. This ranking scores all 71 on eight consistent metrics — giving you comparative course delivery data that most IR applicant guidance overlooks.
LSE at 22nd: £35,000 — the highest IR graduate earnings in the UK
London School of Economics ranks 22nd in this field with 129 points and produces international relations graduates earning £35,000 — the highest in this ranking by £1,000 above the next-highest (University of Bath at £34,000). LSE's IR department is internationally one of the most prestigious in the world, with particular strengths in international political economy, global governance, security studies and international law. It ranks 22nd because London's maximum cost of living score suppresses its overall position significantly, alongside the lowest student satisfaction in the field at 69%. LSE's course delivery of 96% teaching quality and 91% academic support are strong. For students targeting careers in international organisations, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, major NGOs, international finance, think tanks or global consultancy, LSE's IR earnings premium and employer network carry weight that this ranking does not fully capture.
University of Hertfordshire at joint 16th: 100% on both metrics
University of Hertfordshire ranks joint 16th with 136 points and achieves 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — the strongest course delivery double in this field. Hertfordshire produces graduates earning £29,000 — above the field average. Its joint 16th position reflects Hertfordshire's relatively low sustainability index and social life scores. For students who want the best-measured course delivery in this subject, Hertfordshire's data is the most compelling in the entire field.
University of Bath at joint 16th: £34,000 — the second-highest IR earnings. Bath ranks joint 16th with 136 points and achieves 94% academic support and 95% teaching quality alongside £34,000 graduate earnings. Bath's IR programme sits within a strong social science faculty and benefits from language study integration and strong placement infrastructure in international business and government. Both Bath and LSE produce IR graduates into premium career pathways — Bath from a position that avoids London's cost penalty. Bath at joint 16th with £34,000 versus LSE at 22nd with £35,000 is one of the most direct value comparisons in this ranking series.
Exeter at 9th: academic support anomaly in the top 10
University of Exeter ranks 9th with 147 points and achieves 86% teaching quality — solid — but only 78% academic support, which is the joint-lowest in the top 20 alongside SOAS (34th). The field average academic support is approximately 91%. Exeter's IR department is research-active and particularly strong in European politics, security studies and international development. Its 78% academic support is a specific figure worth querying at open day for students who value structured one-to-one academic guidance alongside research-led seminars.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
