Best Universities for Law in the UK 2027
Durham University tops our 2027 law ranking with 207 points, combining 90% on both teaching quality and academic support with strong city and sustainability scores. Bangor University comes second with 202 points. Northumbria University is third with 198 points, achieving 93% academic support. We ranked 97 UK universities offering law degrees across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Law graduate earnings range from £18,500 (University of Bedfordshire) to £50,000 (London School of Economics, joint 20th). University of South Wales (7th) achieves 100% academic support and 99% teaching quality. University of Gloucestershire (12th) achieves 100% academic support. UCL (joint 28th) produces £41,000 graduate earnings. Cambridge (joint 34th) ranks below Oxford (joint 6th) — cost of living is the dominant factor. SOAS (49th) has the lowest academic support at 61%. St Mary's Twickenham and Brunel share 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.
Law University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham University Durham |
£26,500 | 78% | 90% | 90% | 207 |
| 2 | Bangor University Bangor |
£25,000 | 76% | 90% | 89% | 202 |
| 3 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£22,500 | 74% | 88% | 93% | 198 |
| 4 | Swansea University Swansea |
£24,000 | 79% | 82% | 83% | 196 |
| 5 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£25,000 | 74% | 90% | 89% | 191 |
| 6 | Glyndwr University, Wrexham Wrexham |
£26,500 | 74% | 85% | 86% | 190 |
| 6 | University of Oxford Oxford |
£33,500 | 76% | 91% | 95% | 190 |
| 7 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£20,000 | 72% | 99% | 100% | 189 |
| 8 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk |
£20,500 | 83% | 91% | 90% | 188 |
| 9 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£26,500 | 79% | 84% | 79% | 186 |
| 10 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£26,500 | 73% | 87% | 87% | 182 |
| 10 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£24,000 | 78% | 89% | 85% | 182 |
| 10 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£25,000 | 79% | 93% | 91% | 182 |
| 11 | University of West London London |
£28,000 | 72% | 99% | 94% | 180 |
| 12 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£23,500 | 76% | 93% | 100% | 179 |
| 13 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£25,000 | 70% | 90% | 86% | 177 |
| 13 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£23,500 | 73% | 92% | 87% | 177 |
| 14 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£23,000 | 75% | 86% | 83% | 176 |
| 15 | University of Reading Reading |
£25,000 | 74% | 87% | 78% | 175 |
| 16 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth |
£26,000 | 71% | 88% | 68% | 170 |
| 17 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh |
£24,000 | 72% | 90% | 89% | 169 |
| 18 | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen |
£25,000 | 77% | 86% | 94% | 168 |
| 19 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£22,500 | 76% | 91% | 87% | 167 |
| 20 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£26,000 | 74% | 86% | 92% | 166 |
| 20 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£26,500 | 75% | 87% | 87% | 166 |
| 20 | London School of Economics and Political Science London |
£50,000 | 69% | 91% | 91% | 166 |
| 21 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£21,000 | 72% | 85% | 84% | 165 |
| 21 | University of Sunderland Sunderland |
£19,000 | 74% | 92% | 97% | 165 |
| 22 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£28,000 | 72% | 85% | 87% | 163 |
| 22 | University of York York |
£26,500 | 77% | 89% | 86% | 163 |
| 23 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£28,000 | 73% | 78% | 76% | 162 |
| 23 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£27,000 | 74% | 83% | 88% | 162 |
| 23 | University of Essex Colchester |
£24,000 | 74% | 85% | 87% | 162 |
| 23 | University of Derby Derby |
£27,000 | 74% | 92% | 95% | 162 |
| 24 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£25,000 | 71% | 81% | 77% | 161 |
| 24 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£23,000 | 71% | 87% | 87% | 161 |
| 25 | King's College London London |
£31,000 | 67% | 90% | 90% | 159 |
| 26 | University of Salford Salford |
£24,000 | 73% | 84% | 85% | 158 |
| 26 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham |
£24,000 | 74% | 85% | 88% | 158 |
| 26 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£25,000 | 75% | 94% | 92% | 158 |
| 27 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£24,500 | 82% | 89% | 90% | 155 |
| 28 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£29,000 | 72% | 88% | 85% | 154 |
| 28 | UCL (University College London) London |
£41,000 | 68% | 91% | 86% | 154 |
| 29 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£23,500 | 71% | 89% | 90% | 153 |
| 30 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£28,000 | 70% | 73% | 80% | 151 |
| 30 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£21,000 | 70% | 86% | 87% | 151 |
| 30 | Coventry University Coventry |
£25,000 | 72% | 92% | 85% | 151 |
| 31 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£24,000 | 70% | 87% | 86% | 150 |
| 31 | University of Chester Chester |
£27,000 | 78% | 95% | 91% | 150 |
| 32 | University of Greenwich London |
£25,500 | 69% | 85% | 85% | 148 |
| 32 | University of Winchester Winchester |
£24,000 | 82% | 86% | 90% | 148 |
| 33 | University of Warwick Coventry |
£30,000 | 74% | 89% | 86% | 147 |
| 34 | University of Cambridge Cambridge |
£35,000 | 76% | 96% | 91% | 146 |
| 34 | University of Surrey Guildford |
£25,000 | 78% | 96% | 92% | 146 |
| 34 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£28,000 | 77% | 100% | 94% | 146 |
| 35 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£22,500 | 81% | 86% | 84% | 145 |
| 36 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£27,500 | 77% | 90% | 88% | 142 |
| 37 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£26,000 | 76% | 93% | 88% | 140 |
| 38 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£21,000 | 73% | 82% | 75% | 136 |
| 39 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£26,000 | 74% | 89% | 83% | 135 |
| 39 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£23,000 | 71% | 93% | 83% | 135 |
| 40 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£28,000 | 69% | 91% | 90% | 133 |
| 41 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£27,000 | 74% | 89% | 91% | 132 |
| 42 | University of Bedfordshire Luton |
£18,500 | 68% | 85% | 77% | 131 |
| 43 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£25,000 | 73% | 84% | 88% | 128 |
| 44 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£23,000 | 74% | 86% | 82% | 126 |
| 45 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£20,000 | 69% | 79% | 75% | 124 |
| 45 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£25,000 | 75% | 93% | 80% | 124 |
| 46 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe |
£27,000 | 70% | 94% | 92% | 123 |
| 47 | University of Bradford Bradford |
£19,500 | 71% | 89% | 78% | 122 |
| 48 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow |
£23,500 | 75% | 94% | 90% | 121 |
| 49 | SOAS University of London London |
£28,000 | 66% | 77% | 61% | 120 |
| 50 | Solent University Southampton |
£26,500 | 71% | 96% | 88% | 119 |
| 51 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£25,500 | 77% | 88% | 89% | 118 |
| 52 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£25,000 | 76% | 87% | 87% | 115 |
| 53 | University of East London London |
£27,000 | 68% | 95% | 80% | 114 |
| 54 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£21,000 | 71% | 87% | 89% | 113 |
| 55 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£25,000 | 78% | 94% | 95% | 109 |
| 56 | St Mary's University, Twickenham Twickenham |
£25,000 | 80% | 67% | 76% | 108 |
| 57 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£21,000 | 73% | 91% | 91% | 106 |
| 58 | Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent |
£23,500 | 72% | 84% | 90% | 105 |
| 59 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£24,000 | 75% | 83% | 95% | 104 |
| 60 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£26,000 | 72% | 83% | 81% | 102 |
| 61 | University of Westminster London |
£25,500 | 68% | 86% | 83% | 102 |
| 62 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£23,500 | 78% | 87% | 87% | 101 |
| 62 | Aston University Birmingham |
£23,000 | 75% | 89% | 88% | 101 |
| 63 | Abertay University Dundee |
£23,000 | 72% | 92% | 89% | 100 |
| 64 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£25,500 | 68% | 67% | 73% | 96 |
| 65 | Middlesex University Middlesex |
£20,000 | 69% | 89% | 85% | 93 |
| 66 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£20,500 | 80% | 77% | 78% | 88 |
| 67 | City St George's, University of London London |
£26,000 | 67% | 82% | 85% | 86 |
| 67 | Goldsmiths, University of London London |
£30,000 | 64% | 88% | 85% | 86 |
| 68 | University of Hull Hull |
£24,500 | 76% | 87% | 85% | 85 |
| 69 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£19,500 | 71% | 88% | 93% | 77 |
| 70 | London Metropolitan University London |
£29,000 | 66% | 88% | 79% | 76 |
| 71 | London South Bank University London |
£22,500 | 68% | 89% | 91% | 75 |
| 72 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£21,000 | 75% | 81% | 68% | 70 |
What the ranking tells you about studying law
Law is the most competitive and scrutinised degree in the UK — the entry point to one of the most stratified professional sectors in the economy. With 97 universities in this ranking, the variation in course delivery, bar passage rates, advocacy training, mooting infrastructure and graduate outcomes is enormous. This ranking scores all 97 on eight consistent metrics, giving you comparative data across the full field that most applicant guidance only provides for the top 20.
LSE at joint 20th: £50,000 — the highest law graduate earnings in the UK
London School of Economics ranks joint 20th with 166 points and produces law graduates earning £50,000 — the highest in this entire ranking by £9,000 above UCL (£41,000) and £15,000 above Cambridge (£35,000). LSE's law graduates predominantly enter Magic Circle and City law firms (Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Freshfields, Allen and Overy, Slaughter and May), which offer training contracts at £50,000+ plus salary and bonuses that push total first-year compensation well above £50,000. LSE ranks joint 20th because London's cost of living is maximum (91) and its student satisfaction is the second-lowest in the top 40 at 69%. Its course delivery of 91% teaching and 91% academic support is solid but not leading. For students aiming at Magic Circle or City law, LSE's alumni network and firm partnerships are unmatched in this ranking.
Oxford at joint 6th, Cambridge at joint 34th
University of Oxford ranks joint 6th with 190 points, achieving 95% academic support and 91% teaching quality and producing graduates earning £33,500. University of Cambridge ranks joint 34th with 146 points, achieving 96% teaching quality — the joint-highest in the field alongside Surrey and Cumbria — and 91% academic support, producing graduates earning £35,000. Cambridge ranks 28 positions below Oxford primarily because of Cambridge's higher cost of living penalty. Both course delivery profiles are strong — Cambridge achieves the joint-highest teaching quality in the entire field. For students choosing between Oxford and Cambridge law, this ranking positions are driven by city-level factors rather than academic quality differences, and both produce graduates who access the same premium law firm pathways.
University of South Wales at 7th achieves 100% academic support and 99% teaching quality — the strongest course delivery in this field. USW ranks 7th with 189 points despite producing the fifth-lowest graduate earnings at £20,000. USW's law programme is well-regarded in Wales and produces strong bar passage rates; the low earnings reflect the South Wales regional labour market for newly qualified solicitors rather than poor graduate outcomes. For students choosing a law programme purely on course delivery quality, USW and University of Gloucestershire (12th, 100% academic support, 93% teaching quality) make the strongest data case in the entire 97-university field.
The SQE and what it means for choosing a law university
Since September 2021, qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales requires passing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) — a centralised assessment administered by Kaplan, not by individual universities. The SQE replaced the LPC (Legal Practice Course) as the route to solicitor qualification. This means the law degree itself no longer automatically progresses you to solicitor qualification — you also need to pass SQE1 (multiple choice assessments on legal knowledge) and SQE2 (skills assessments) and complete two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). Most law firms now sponsor trainees through SQE preparation alongside their training contracts. For independent applicants not on a training contract, SQE preparation courses are offered by BPP, the University of Law and Kaplan. The degree remains the critical first step and foundation — but the path to qualification has changed significantly.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking. For graduate employment data, see the employability ranking.
