Best Universities for Midwifery in the UK 2027
Edge Hill University ranks first for midwifery in 2027, followed by Bangor University in second. The University of East Anglia and the University of Chester share third place. The Unifresher ranking compares 54 universities with complete subject-level results across eight supplied measures.
Midwifery is a regulated healthcare profession, so the ranking should be used alongside the exact professional course information. Students need an NMC-approved programme, substantial clinical practice, safe supervision and experience across pregnancy, labour, birth, postnatal care and care of the newborn. Placement travel, shift patterns and financial support can also have a major effect on day-to-day student life.
Why this ranking is student-first: midwifery students divide their time between university and demanding clinical placements. Unifresher combines teaching and support with graduate outcomes, affordability, safety and the wider student environment so applicants can build a realistic shortlist.
Top universities for midwifery in 2027
The podium contains four universities because UEA and Chester share third place. Edge Hill leads through the strongest overall score and highest satisfaction, Bangor combines second place with the lowest cost-of-living index, while UEA and Chester reach joint third through different combinations of teaching, support and student experience.
Edge Hill University
Ormskirk
The ranking winner also records 94% academic support and the highest satisfaction result at 83%.
Bangor University
Bangor
Second overall, with 98% academic support, 97% teaching quality and the lowest supplied cost index.
University of East Anglia
Norwich
Joint third, with 79% student satisfaction and £28,000 graduate earnings.
University of Chester
Chester
Joint third, with consistently strong course-delivery measures and a current September 2027 BSc Midwifery intake.
How the midwifery ranking works
Eight supplied measures create the final comparison
The final score is built from the per-metric ranks supplied in the midwifery dataset. Higher overall totals rank more strongly. Cost of living is treated as an affordability measure, so a lower cost index receives the stronger per-metric position.
Midwifery University Rankings 2027
Search or sort all 54 ranked universities. The wider table also shows the safety, cost, social-life and pub-density measures contributing to the supplied score.
| Rank | University | Graduate earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching | Academic support | Safety index | Cost index | Social life | Pubs / sq mile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk | £28,000 | 83% | 99% | 94% | 100.00 | 62 | 71 | 1 | 142 |
| 2 | Bangor University Bangor | £34,000 | 76% | 97% | 98% | 73.47 | 59 | 68 | 0 | 137 |
| 3 | University of East Anglia UEA Norwich | £28,000 | 79% | 93% | 91% | 73.94 | 67 | 79 | 10 | 135 |
| 3 | University of Chester Chester | £28,000 | 78% | 97% | 97% | 78.44 | 67 | 73 | 1 | 135 |
| 4 | Cardiff University Cardiff | £34,000 | 71% | 96% | 99% | 60.30 | 66 | 83 | 4 | 131 |
| 5 | University of South Wales Pontypridd | £30,500 | 72% | 98% | 98% | 58.82 | 60 | 75 | 4 | 124 |
| 6 | Swansea University Swansea | £24,000 | 79% | 95% | 91% | 65.67 | 64 | 78 | 1 | 123 |
| 7 | University of Plymouth Plymouth | £29,000 | 75% | 98% | 98% | 59.14 | 67 | 77 | 4 | 122 |
| 8 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme | £31,000 | 81% | 99% | 100% | 51.24 | 64 | 74 | 2 | 121 |
| 9 | University of Lincoln Lincoln | £28,500 | 78% | 85% | 83% | 74.41 | 63 | 76 | 7 | 119 |
| 9 | University of Cumbria Carlisle | £28,000 | 77% | 95% | 96% | 64.45 | 62 | 69 | 0 | 119 |
| 10 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames | £31,000 | 71% | 86% | 89% | 74.81 | 74 | 75 | 7 | 114 |
| 11 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol | £32,000 | 74% | 89% | 91% | 57.03 | 73 | 82 | 9 | 111 |
| 12 | University of Sunderland Sunderland | £29,000 | 74% | 98% | 89% | 55.29 | 62 | 75 | 4 | 110 |
| 13 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield | £28,000 | 73% | 97% | 93% | 57.09 | 68 | 79 | 2 | 109 |
| 14 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh | £28,500 | 72% | 93% | 87% | 69.54 | 75 | 77 | 5 | 108 |
| 14 | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen | £30,000 | 77% | 93% | 88% | 63.34 | 73 | 73 | 3 | 108 |
| 14 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge | £28,500 | 70% | 98% | 95% | 60.75 | 75 | 73 | 6 | 108 |
| 15 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford | £28,500 | 74% | 96% | 93% | 63.00 | 80 | 75 | 0 | 104 |
| 16 | University of Derby Derby | £28,000 | 74% | 97% | 86% | 56.57 | 66 | 74 | 7 | 103 |
| 17 | University of Leeds Leeds | £31,500 | 74% | 89% | 85% | 54.87 | 68 | 84 | 3 | 101 |
| 17 | University of Southampton Southampton | £28,000 | 76% | 92% | 95% | 46.71 | 69 | 78 | 8 | 101 |
| 18 | University of Nottingham Nottingham | £28,500 | 74% | 92% | 90% | 47.33 | 69 | 82 | 9 | 100 |
| 19 | University of Surrey Guildford | £35,000 | 78% | 75% | 79% | 74.79 | 78 | 74 | 1 | 99 |
| 19 | University of Manchester Manchester | £28,000 | 70% | 92% | 97% | 44.11 | 69 | 85 | 7 | 99 |
| 19 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe | £32,000 | 70% | 99% | 100% | 50.46 | 73 | 70 | 1 | 99 |
| 20 | University of Winchester Winchester | £28,500 | 82% | 84% | 79% | 77.50 | 78 | 72 | 0 | 98 |
| 21 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne | £28,000 | 74% | 65% | 86% | 60.61 | 69 | 84 | 6 | 94 |
| 21 | University of Suffolk Ipswich | £28,500 | 76% | 89% | 76% | 60.89 | 63 | 70 | 4 | 94 |
| 22 | University of Hull Hull | £28,000 | 76% | 88% | 93% | 43.77 | 63 | 74 | 7 | 92 |
| 23 | University of Brighton Brighton | £28,500 | 72% | 88% | 73% | 60.55 | 79 | 82 | 11 | 89 |
| 23 | University of Lancashire Preston | £28,000 | 71% | 100% | 99% | 30.72 | 64 | 72 | 2 | 89 |
| 24 | University of West London London | £34,000 | 72% | 93% | 92% | 44.41 | 91 | 74 | 7 | 88 |
| 25 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury | £29,000 | 73% | 82% | 78% | 68.66 | 70 | 71 | 1 | 85 |
| 25 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth | £31,000 | 71% | 85% | 79% | 53.92 | 70 | 80 | 6 | 85 |
| 26 | University of Salford Salford | £28,500 | 73% | 91% | 90% | 39.42 | 68 | 78 | 5 | 84 |
| 27 | University of Worcester Worcester | £28,500 | 79% | 71% | 62% | 61.79 | 65 | 73 | 8 | 83 |
| 27 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool | £28,000 | 72% | 73% | 82% | 51.45 | 68 | 83 | 11 | 83 |
| 27 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire | £28,500 | 71% | 76% | 68% | 78.31 | 70 | 74 | 1 | 83 |
| 28 | University of York York | £27,000 | 77% | 64% | 72% | 72.87 | 73 | 78 | 2 | 81 |
| 29 | Teesside University, Middlesbrough Middlesbrough | £27,000 | 78% | 91% | 79% | 49.78 | 73 | 75 | 6 | 80 |
| 30 | Middlesex University Middlesex | £33,000 | 69% | 92% | 89% | 31.37 | 72 | 74 | 7 | 78 |
| 31 | University of Northampton Northampton | £28,500 | 75% | 90% | 81% | 45.44 | 65 | 71 | 4 | 77 |
| 32 | Coventry University Coventry | £27,000 | 72% | 85% | 91% | 38.29 | 67 | 76 | 5 | 75 |
| 33 | University of East London London | £30,000 | 68% | 94% | 86% | 44.41 | 91 | 74 | 7 | 73 |
| 34 | University of Birmingham Birmingham | £28,000 | 72% | 84% | 86% | 36.06 | 70 | 82 | 4 | 70 |
| 35 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow | £28,000 | 73% | 81% | 71% | 54.76 | 69 | 74 | 5 | 66 |
| 35 | London South Bank University London | £35,000 | 68% | 89% | 75% | 44.41 | 91 | 75 | 7 | 66 |
| 36 | King's College London London | £36,000 | 67% | 79% | 77% | 44.41 | 91 | 78 | 7 | 63 |
| 37 | City St George's, University of London London | £36,000 | 67% | 76% | 82% | 44.41 | 91 | 73 | 7 | 61 |
| 37 | University of Bedfordshire Luton | £28,000 | 68% | 83% | 84% | 42.64 | 66 | 72 | 3 | 61 |
| 38 | University of Bradford Bradford | £27,000 | 71% | 76% | 77% | 40.97 | 60 | 73 | 3 | 58 |
| 39 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield | £27,000 | 74% | 81% | 64% | 35.54 | 63 | 75 | 3 | 51 |
| 40 | Birmingham City University Birmingham | £27,000 | 69% | 85% | 70% | 36.06 | 70 | 78 | 4 | 50 |
What the midwifery ranking shows
Edge Hill ranks first
Edge Hill University leads with a score of 142, 99% teaching and 94% support.
Two London universities share the lead
King's College London and City St George's, University of London both record £36,000.
Edge Hill University
The overall winner also records the strongest student-satisfaction result at 83%.
University of Lancashire
The University of Lancashire is the only ranked entry to record 100% teaching quality.
Keele and Buckinghamshire New
Both universities reach 100% for academic support.
Bangor University
Bangor has the lowest supplied cost-of-living index at 59.
What this ranking tells you about studying midwifery
Midwifery is a professional degree rather than a purely academic subject. Students must develop knowledge of pregnancy, labour, birth, postnatal care, newborn health, public health, pharmacology, emergency care, communication, safeguarding and evidence-based practice while simultaneously becoming safe practitioners in clinical settings.
Edge Hill leads through an unusually strong all-round result
Edge Hill ranks first with 99% teaching quality, 94% academic support and 83% student satisfaction. Its current Midwifery BSc is a three-year full-time course starting in September 2027 and states that successful graduates are eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. For applicants, the combination of professional approval, strong course-delivery data and high satisfaction makes Edge Hill a useful benchmark for comparing other shortlisted programmes.
Why Unifresher looks beyond reputation: midwifery students spend around half their programme in clinical practice, often working shifts and travelling to placement sites. Strong teaching and hospital partnerships matter, but so do supervision, living costs and the practical realities of getting to placement.
Bangor combines second place with affordability and strong course measures
Bangor ranks second, records £34,000 graduate earnings, 98% academic support and 97% teaching quality, while also having the lowest cost-of-living index in the complete table. Its current undergraduate midwifery route is a three-year BM (Hons). Students considering Bangor should compare local placement geography and travel alongside the financial advantage suggested by the ranking's affordability measure.
UEA and Chester share third place
UEA and Chester both score 135 but have different profiles. UEA records 79% satisfaction and 93% teaching quality, while Chester records 97% for both teaching and academic support. Chester currently lists a three-year BSc Midwifery starting in September 2027. This tie shows why students should use the individual metrics rather than treating the headline position as the full story.
NMC approval is non-negotiable for the UK registration route
All midwives working in the UK must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Before joining the register through the UK education route, students must complete an NMC-approved programme and meet the regulator's good-health and good-character requirements. The NMC maintains a current approved-programmes search, so applicants should verify the exact university, course and route before applying.
Half the course is clinical practice
The NMC states that half of pre-registration midwifery education takes place in clinical practice with direct contact with women, babies and families. Practice learning can include hospitals, community services, homes, midwife-led units and birth centres. That makes placement structure one of the most important differences between universities.
Ask where placements are, not simply how many there are
Students should find out which maternity services partner with the university, how placements are allocated, how far they may need to travel and whether temporary accommodation is ever required. Shift patterns can include early starts, nights and weekends, so a placement that looks manageable on a map can feel very different when public transport is limited.
Simulation should prepare students for clinical practice
High-quality simulation can let students rehearse communication, labour and birth care, newborn assessment, escalation and emergency situations before facing them in real settings. The strongest facilities are not simply impressive rooms. Ask how frequently simulation is used, whether scenarios are assessed and how they connect to later placement learning.
Continuity of care is a useful course-comparison question
Midwifery education covers care across pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period rather than isolated clinical tasks. Applicants should ask how programmes help students follow women and families across stages of care, learn from community settings and understand how maternity services work as a whole.
Professional checks form part of the admissions process
Midwifery courses can require interviews, occupational-health screening, vaccination evidence, criminal-record checks and evidence that applicants understand the responsibilities of the profession. Exact requirements vary, so students should read the full admissions information and not rely only on the headline UCAS tariff.
Funding differs between UK nations
In England, eligible students on pre-registration midwifery courses can currently apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund Training Grant of £5,000 per academic year. Midwifery does not currently receive the extra £1,000 Specialist Subject Payment. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different funding systems, so applicants should use the rules for the nation where they will study rather than assuming one UK-wide model.
Placement travel support can materially affect total costs
Eligible NHS Learning Support Fund students in England may also be able to claim Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses for additional placement travel or temporary accommodation. Students should still budget carefully because reimbursement rules, normal commuting deductions and eligibility conditions can affect how much is ultimately covered.
Most direct-entry midwifery degrees take at least three years
The NMC says UK midwifery programmes usually take a minimum of three years. A registered level 1 adult nurse can undertake an approved shortened course of around 18 months for dual registration. That shortened route is specifically for eligible registered adult nurses and should not be confused with a standard graduate-entry route for any first degree.
Graduate earnings need context
The published figures range from £24,000 to £36,000, with a median of £28,500. HESA Graduate Outcomes information is collected approximately 15 months after course completion. Midwifery is a professional healthcare route, but early earnings can still vary with UK nation, employer, pay band, working pattern, London weighting, role and whether graduates move directly into registered practice.
How to use the ranking when choosing a midwifery degree
Verify NMC approval first
Check the exact course in the NMC approved-programmes search and make sure it is a pre-registration route leading towards midwife registration.
Compare placement partners and travel
Ask which hospitals and community services host students, how allocations work and what shift, transport and accommodation demands are typical.
Inspect simulation, supervision and support
Look for realistic maternity simulation, strong links between theory and practice and clear processes for raising concerns or getting help on placement.
Model funding and placement costs
Check nation-specific funding, NHS Learning Support Fund eligibility where relevant and the real cost of transport, uniforms, occupational-health requirements and temporary accommodation.
Related Unifresher rankings and student guides
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best university for midwifery in the UK in 2027?
Edge Hill University ranks first in the 2027 Unifresher midwifery ranking with an overall score of 142. Bangor University is second with 137, while the University of East Anglia and the University of Chester share third place with scores of 135.
How many universities are included in the midwifery ranking?
The published 2027 Unifresher midwifery ranking contains 54 universities with complete subject-level results. Published tied positions are preserved exactly in the table.
What graduate earnings are shown for midwifery?
The graduate-earnings figures range from £24,000 to £36,000, with a median of £28,500 across the 54 ranked universities. King's College London and City St George's, University of London share the highest figure at £36,000. These are comparative graduate outcomes rather than guaranteed starting salaries.
When are graduate outcomes measured?
HESA Graduate Outcomes information is collected approximately 15 months after students complete their higher education studies. The figures describe outcomes at that survey point and should not be treated as guaranteed starting salaries.
Do I need an NMC-approved degree to become a midwife?
Yes. All midwives working in the UK must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Before registration, applicants must successfully complete an NMC-approved midwifery programme and meet the NMC's health and character requirements.
How long does a midwifery degree take?
NMC-approved pre-registration midwifery programmes usually take a minimum of three years. A registered level 1 adult nurse may be able to complete an approved shortened midwifery programme of around 18 months for dual registration, depending on the course and eligibility.
How much of a midwifery degree is spent on placement?
The NMC states that half of a pre-registration midwifery programme is based in clinical practice with direct contact with women, babies and families. Placements can take place in hospitals, community settings, midwife-led units, birth centres and other maternity services.
What should I look for in a midwifery degree?
Compare NMC approval, placement partners, travel requirements, shift patterns, simulation facilities, continuity of care, antenatal and postnatal learning, labour and birth experience, newborn care, public health, emergency skills, research, teaching quality and academic support.
What financial support is available for midwifery students?
Eligible students on pre-registration midwifery courses in England can currently apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund Training Grant of £5,000 per academic year. Midwifery is eligible for the Training Grant but is not currently one of the subjects receiving the additional £1,000 Specialist Subject Payment. Funding arrangements differ across the UK, so check the rules for the nation and intake in which you will study.
Why does Unifresher include student-life measures in a midwifery ranking?
Midwifery students are choosing both a demanding professional course and a place to live. Unifresher combines teaching, support and graduate outcomes with safety, affordability, social life and local pub density so students can compare more of the complete university experience.
Midwifery course, registration and funding information
- Unifresher university rankings methodology for wider ranking context.
- HESA Graduate Outcomes 2023/24 for the approximately 15-month graduate survey point.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council becoming-a-midwife guidance for registration, programme length and the 50% clinical-practice requirement.
- NMC approved-programmes search for checking the exact current pre-registration midwifery course.
- NHS Learning Support Fund for current Training Grant and placement-cost support in England.
- NHSBSA Training Grant guidance for the current £5,000 annual grant and Specialist Subject Payment rules.
- Edge Hill University Midwifery BSc for current September 2027 course and registration information.
- Bangor University Midwifery for current undergraduate course information.
- University of Chester Midwifery BSc for current September 2027 course information.
- Cardiff University Midwifery BMid for 2027 course, placement and Wales funding information.
- University of South Wales Midwifery BSc for current 2027 course and placement information.
- UCAS 2027 Midwifery course search for current course availability and entry requirements.
