Best Universities for Surveying in the UK 2027
University of Reading tops our 2027 surveying ranking with 92 points, achieving 97% academic support and 92% teaching quality. Northumbria University comes second with 90 points. University of the West of England, Bristol is third with 88 points. We ranked 24 UK universities offering surveying degrees across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability. Three partial entries were excluded due to missing data.
University of South Wales (joint 5th) produces £38,000 — the highest surveying graduate earnings in this ranking by £5,000. London Metropolitan University (18th) achieves 98% academic support — the highest in the field. London South Bank University (21st, last) has the lowest academic support at 63% — the lowest in this field. Liverpool John Moores University (joint 11th) has the lowest teaching quality at 67%. All surveying programmes should hold RICS accreditation — confirm before applying.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Surveying University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Reading Reading |
£32,000 | 74% | 92% | 97% | 92 |
| 2 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£30,500 | 74% | 86% | 88% | 90 |
| 3 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£31,000 | 74% | 92% | 84% | 88 |
| 4 | University of Salford Salford |
£30,000 | 73% | 93% | 93% | 84 |
| 5 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£27,000 | 75% | 81% | 96% | 81 |
| 5 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£38,000 | 72% | 88% | 84% | 81 |
| 6 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£31,000 | 74% | 91% | 91% | 77 |
| 7 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£32,500 | 70% | 82% | 93% | 75 |
| 8 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£33,000 | 77% | 89% | 91% | 73 |
| 9 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£30,000 | 76% | 73% | 89% | 72 |
| 10 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£31,000 | 70% | 87% | 92% | 71 |
| 11 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£30,000 | 72% | 67% | 85% | 70 |
| 11 | University of West London London |
£29,000 | 72% | 90% | 93% | 70 |
| 12 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£30,000 | 72% | 79% | 94% | 67 |
| 13 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£26,500 | 71% | 86% | 97% | 65 |
| 14 | Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh |
£30,500 | 72% | 71% | 85% | 63 |
| 15 | Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow |
£29,000 | 71% | 80% | 75% | 59 |
| 16 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£28,500 | 73% | 76% | 70% | 56 |
| 17 | Coventry University Coventry |
£30,000 | 72% | 73% | 81% | 54 |
| 18 | London Metropolitan University London |
£25,000 | 66% | 91% | 98% | 46 |
| 19 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£28,000 | 71% | 88% | 78% | 44 |
| 19 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£30,000 | 71% | 89% | 75% | 44 |
| 20 | University of East London London |
£30,000 | 68% | 86% | 82% | 40 |
| 21 | London South Bank University London |
£27,000 | 68% | 81% | 63% | 25 |
What the ranking tells you about studying surveying
Surveying as an undergraduate degree covers building surveying, general practice surveying, commercial property, construction, project management and the built environment more broadly. The specific specialisation varies significantly between programmes — some focus on building pathology and defects, others on commercial property valuation and investment. All surveying programmes are accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and RICS accreditation is the professional standard for the industry. Confirm RICS accreditation for any programme before applying.
University of South Wales at joint 5th: £38,000 — the highest surveying earnings in the UK
University of South Wales ranks joint 5th with 81 points and produces surveying graduates earning £38,000 — the highest in this field by £5,000 above Portsmouth (8th, £33,000) and £5,500 above Leeds Beckett (7th, £32,500). South Wales achieves 88% teaching quality and 84% academic support. It ranks joint 5th because low cost of living and safety scores suppress the position. The £38,000 figure reflects strong industry connections and employment outcomes for South Wales graduates entering the Welsh and South West construction and building markets, consistent with its performance in the quantity surveying ranking. For students specifically comparing on graduate earnings, South Wales is the standout data point in this table.
London Metropolitan at 18th: 98% academic support, 91% teaching quality
London Metropolitan University ranks 18th with 46 points and achieves 98% academic support — the highest in this 24-university field — alongside 91% teaching quality. London Met ranks 18th because of London's maximum cost of living penalty, lowest satisfaction in the field (66%) and the lowest earnings in the field (£25,000). Its course delivery data is the strongest measured in this ranking. For students comparing London Metropolitan with other London surveying programmes (University of West London, joint 11th; Kingston, 13th; East London, 20th; London South Bank, 21st), London Met's 98%/91% significantly outperforms all of them on course delivery.
London South Bank University (21st, last) achieves 63% academic support — the lowest in this field. The next-lowest are Sheffield Hallam at 70% and Glasgow Caledonian at 75%. London South Bank ranks 21st because London's cost of living, a low earnings rank and the lowest academic support in the field all combine to suppress the position. Its 81% teaching quality is in the lower half of the field. For students comparing London surveying options, University of Reading (1st, 97% academic support) and London Metropolitan (18th, 98% academic support) provide very strong course delivery at both ends of the overall ranking. London South Bank's course delivery data is the primary concern for applicants.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
