Best Universities for Psychology in the UK 2027
Swansea University and Durham University are joint first in our 2027 psychology ranking, both achieving 220 points. Bath Spa University is a close second with 216 points, and York St John University is third with 215 points. We ranked 108 UK universities offering psychology degrees across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability. Four partial entries were excluded due to missing data.
Psychology graduate earnings range from £15,500 (Glyndwr University, 9th equal) to £30,000 (University of Bath, 18th). Abertay University (65th), Buckinghamshire New University (joint 48th) and University of Wales Trinity Saint David (21st) all achieve 100% academic support. Solent University (joint 46th) achieves 99% teaching quality. Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (68th) has the lowest academic support at 68%. Newman University (78th, last) has the lowest satisfaction at 83% among those producing a score. Goldsmiths (77th) has the lowest student satisfaction in the field at 64%.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Psychology University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea University Swansea |
£24,000 | 79% | 85% | 86% | 220 |
| 1 | Durham University Durham |
£26,000 | 78% | 90% | 88% | 220 |
| 2 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£24,000 | 79% | 84% | 85% | 216 |
| 3 | York St John University York |
£24,000 | 80% | 91% | 87% | 215 |
| 4 | Bangor University Bangor |
£25,000 | 76% | 85% | 88% | 214 |
| 5 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£28,000 | 79% | 89% | 80% | 212 |
| 6 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£22,000 | 79% | 85% | 88% | 211 |
| 7 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£21,000 | 74% | 84% | 91% | 203 |
| 8 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£26,500 | 73% | 89% | 87% | 199 |
| 9 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk |
£24,000 | 83% | 80% | 88% | 197 |
| 9 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£25,000 | 74% | 85% | 85% | 197 |
| 9 | Glyndwr University, Wrexham Wrexham |
£15,500 | 74% | 88% | 88% | 197 |
| 10 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff |
£24,500 | 75% | 77% | 81% | 196 |
| 11 | University of Reading Reading |
£25,000 | 74% | 82% | 85% | 195 |
| 11 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£25,000 | 75% | 87% | 82% | 195 |
| 11 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£24,000 | 73% | 89% | 91% | 195 |
| 12 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£24,000 | 78% | 82% | 86% | 192 |
| 13 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£24,500 | 71% | 86% | 89% | 190 |
| 14 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£24,000 | 70% | 85% | 86% | 188 |
| 14 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£20,500 | 73% | 87% | 90% | 188 |
| 14 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£27,000 | 76% | 89% | 88% | 188 |
| 15 | University of York York |
£28,500 | 77% | 91% | 90% | 187 |
| 15 | University of Sunderland Sunderland |
£24,000 | 74% | 91% | 97% | 187 |
| 16 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£25,000 | 79% | 86% | 86% | 186 |
| 16 | University of West London London |
£23,000 | 72% | 99% | 94% | 186 |
| 17 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£19,500 | 72% | 90% | 90% | 185 |
| 18 | University of Bath Bath |
£30,000 | 80% | 90% | 92% | 184 |
| 19 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham |
£25,000 | 74% | 89% | 91% | 183 |
| 20 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£25,000 | 76% | 85% | 85% | 180 |
| 20 | Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow |
£26,000 | 71% | 88% | 85% | 180 |
| 21 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea |
£23,500 | 79% | 98% | 100% | 179 |
| 22 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£25,500 | 74% | 89% | 88% | 178 |
| 23 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh |
£21,000 | 72% | 88% | 90% | 178 |
| 24 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£20,000 | 72% | 82% | 85% | 174 |
| 25 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£23,500 | 70% | 88% | 87% | 173 |
| 26 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£23,000 | 74% | 86% | 88% | 172 |
| 27 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£24,000 | 71% | 83% | 84% | 171 |
| 28 | Bournemouth University Bournemouth |
£22,500 | 71% | 77% | 72% | 170 |
| 28 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£21,500 | 70% | 88% | 91% | 170 |
| 29 | UCL (University College London) London |
£27,000 | 68% | 91% | 94% | 169 |
| 30 | University of Essex Colchester |
£26,000 | 74% | 71% | 83% | 166 |
| 30 | University of Salford Salford |
£23,000 | 73% | 78% | 83% | 166 |
| 30 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£26,000 | 71% | 86% | 85% | 166 |
| 30 | University of Winchester Winchester |
£24,000 | 82% | 86% | 92% | 166 |
| 31 | University of St Andrews St Andrews |
£26,000 | 84% | 89% | 92% | 164 |
| 32 | University of Derby Derby |
£24,000 | 74% | 90% | 91% | 163 |
| 33 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£25,000 | 75% | 83% | 77% | 162 |
| 34 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£23,500 | 69% | 81% | 90% | 161 |
| 35 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£23,000 | 72% | 88% | 89% | 160 |
| 36 | Coventry University Coventry |
£23,000 | 72% | 88% | 85% | 159 |
| 36 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£25,000 | 75% | 88% | 87% | 159 |
| 36 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£24,000 | 76% | 93% | 96% | 159 |
| 37 | Bishop Grosseteste University Lincoln |
£22,000 | 84% | 97% | 95% | 158 |
| 37 | University of Kent Canterbury |
£25,000 | 72% | 77% | 78% | 156 |
| 37 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£25,000 | 81% | 82% | 80% | 156 |
| 38 | King's College London London |
£27,000 | 67% | 82% | 84% | 155 |
| 38 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£25,000 | 70% | 84% | 78% | 155 |
| 39 | University of Surrey Guildford |
£27,000 | 78% | 85% | 90% | 154 |
| 39 | University of Warwick Coventry |
£25,000 | 74% | 89% | 87% | 154 |
| 39 | St Mary's University, Twickenham Twickenham |
£22,000 | 80% | 90% | 97% | 154 |
| 40 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£23,000 | 73% | 82% | 76% | 152 |
| 41 | Lancaster University Lancaster |
£25,000 | 82% | 86% | 73% | 151 |
| 42 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£25,000 | 75% | 91% | 93% | 149 |
| 42 | University of Greenwich London |
£24,000 | 69% | 78% | 79% | 149 |
| 43 | University of Bedfordshire Luton |
£24,000 | 68% | 70% | 79% | 147 |
| 44 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£26,000 | 77% | 88% | 85% | 146 |
| 45 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£24,000 | 74% | 83% | 84% | 141 |
| 46 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£24,500 | 76% | 89% | 95% | 138 |
| 46 | Solent University Southampton |
£25,000 | 71% | 98% | 98% | 138 |
| 46 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£22,500 | 71% | 80% | 84% | 138 |
| 47 | University of Chester Chester |
£24,000 | 78% | 80% | 89% | 137 |
| 47 | University of East London London |
£28,000 | 68% | 93% | 91% | 137 |
| 48 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£25,000 | 74% | 81% | 77% | 136 |
| 48 | Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe |
£24,000 | 70% | 92% | 100% | 136 |
| 49 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£27,000 | 73% | 79% | 84% | 136 |
| 50 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£23,500 | 80% | 93% | 91% | 135 |
| 51 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow |
£25,000 | 75% | 88% | 90% | 133 |
| 52 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£25,000 | 77% | 86% | 91% | 131 |
| 53 | Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent |
£24,000 | 72% | 90% | 93% | 130 |
| 54 | University of Bradford Bradford |
£23,500 | 71% | 75% | 78% | 129 |
| 54 | University of Suffolk Ipswich |
£23,000 | 76% | 92% | 92% | 129 |
| 55 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£27,000 | 69% | 80% | 84% | 127 |
| 56 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£19,500 | 77% | 86% | 91% | 126 |
| 57 | Aston University Birmingham |
£26,000 | 75% | 89% | 92% | 125 |
| 57 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£25,000 | 68% | 78% | 88% | 125 |
| 58 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£25,000 | 74% | 83% | 79% | 124 |
| 59 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£25,000 | 72% | 89% | 85% | 123 |
| 60 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh |
£22,500 | 75% | 80% | 85% | 123 |
| 61 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£26,000 | 71% | 83% | 78% | 120 |
| 62 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£19,500 | 73% | 89% | 96% | 118 |
| 62 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£23,000 | 78% | 92% | 98% | 118 |
| 63 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£23,500 | 78% | 92% | 86% | 116 |
| 64 | Leeds Trinity University Leeds |
£25,000 | 78% | 78% | 85% | 113 |
| 64 | Middlesex University Middlesex |
£25,500 | 69% | 84% | 87% | 113 |
| 65 | Abertay University Dundee |
£23,000 | 72% | 82% | 100% | 112 |
| 66 | University of Dundee Dundee |
£25,000 | 75% | 88% | 83% | 110 |
| 67 | University of Chichester Chichester |
£25,000 | 80% | 93% | 97% | 109 |
| 68 | Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£25,000 | 78% | 82% | 68% | 109 |
| 69 | University of Westminster London |
£25,500 | 68% | 81% | 77% | 104 |
| 70 | City St George's, University of London London |
£25,000 | 67% | 84% | 87% | 101 |
| 71 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£25,000 | 75% | 81% | 75% | 93 |
| 72 | University of Hull Hull |
£25,000 | 76% | 78% | 85% | 87 |
| 73 | London South Bank University London |
£24,000 | 68% | 84% | 88% | 81 |
| 74 | University of Roehampton London |
£25,000 | 72% | 83% | 81% | 80 |
| 75 | London Metropolitan University London |
£19,000 | 66% | 83% | 90% | 77 |
| 76 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£25,000 | 71% | 78% | 80% | 74 |
| 77 | Goldsmiths, University of London London |
£27,000 | 64% | 77% | 72% | 70 |
| 78 | Newman University, Birmingham Birmingham |
£25,000 | 83% | 79% | 75% | 62 |
What the ranking tells you about studying psychology
Psychology is the most popular undergraduate subject in the UK by application volume. With 108 universities in this ranking, variation in research specialisation, laboratory access, dissertation supervision quality, clinical placement opportunities and graduate employer connections is enormous. BPS accreditation is the most important structural factor for applicants: only BPS-accredited programmes qualify graduates for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), which is the prerequisite for postgraduate training in clinical, counselling, forensic and educational psychology. Check accreditation before applying to any programme.
University of Bath at 18th: £30,000 — the highest psychology earnings from outside the top 10
University of Bath ranks 18th with 184 points and produces psychology graduates earning £30,000 — the highest in this 108-university field. Bath ranks 18th because its cost of living, sustainability and safety city-level metrics suppress the overall position. Its 92% academic support and 90% teaching quality are both above the field average. Bath's psychology graduates access premium roles in research, data analysis and organisational psychology at earnings significantly above the field median, reflecting Bath's employer connections and graduate network. For students specifically targeting the highest-earning psychology pathway, Bath's earnings are the most significant data point in this table.
Glyndwr University at joint 9th: £15,500 — the lowest earnings, 9th position
Glyndwr University, Wrexham ranks joint 9th — in the top 10 — with 197 points, yet produces graduates earning £15,500 — the lowest in this entire ranking by a significant margin. The next-lowest is London Metropolitan at £19,000. Glyndwr's earnings figure reflects the regional salary differential for graduate roles in Wrexham and North Wales combined with the timing of graduate employment data collection. Its 88% on both teaching quality and academic support are comfortably above the field average. Glyndwr's 9th-place position is built on very strong safety, social life and sustainability scores. The earnings figure should not be interpreted as a reflection of programme quality.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David (21st) achieves 100% academic support and 98% teaching quality — the strongest course delivery double in this 108-university field outside institutions achieving 98%+ on both. Abertay University (65th) and Buckinghamshire New University (joint 48th) also achieve 100% academic support. University of West London (joint 16th) achieves 99% teaching quality. Solent University (joint 46th) achieves 98% on both metrics. For students comparing on course delivery quality specifically, these five institutions provide the strongest measured data in this field.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
