Best Universities for Education in the UK 2027
Edge Hill University tops our 2027 education ranking with 196 points — achieving 100% on both teaching quality and academic support and the highest student satisfaction of any education department in this ranking. University of Reading comes second with 192 points, also achieving 100% academic support and 97% teaching quality. University of Worcester is third with 183 points. We ranked 79 UK universities across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
Education graduate earnings range from £17,000 (Glyndwr, UCB) to £36,000 (UCL). UCL and Cambridge both rank joint 36th — both held back by city costs. Six universities in this ranking achieve 100% on both teaching quality and academic support simultaneously: Edge Hill, Derby, Coventry, Lincoln (teaching 73%), Oxford Brookes, and University of Northampton. University of Lincoln (joint 12th) achieves 100% academic support but has the joint-lowest teaching quality in the field at 73%. University of Stirling also achieves 73% teaching quality. London South Bank University (57th) has the lowest academic support at 74%.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Education University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edge Hill University Ormskirk |
£25,000 | 83% | 100% | 100% | 196 |
| 2 | University of Reading Reading |
£30,000 | 74% | 97% | 100% | 192 |
| 3 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£24,000 | 79% | 88% | 92% | 183 |
| 4 | Durham University Durham |
£30,000 | 78% | 85% | 83% | 180 |
| 4 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£30,000 | 73% | 91% | 97% | 180 |
| 5 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£25,500 | 74% | 88% | 91% | 178 |
| 5 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£23,500 | 75% | 94% | 98% | 178 |
| 6 | Bath Spa University Bath |
£30,000 | 79% | 85% | 77% | 177 |
| 7 | Bangor University Bangor |
£29,500 | 76% | 80% | 86% | 176 |
| 8 | Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff |
£21,000 | 75% | 93% | 88% | 174 |
| 9 | University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich |
£30,000 | 79% | 88% | 93% | 173 |
| 10 | Glyndwr University, Wrexham Wrexham |
£17,000 | 74% | 95% | 93% | 172 |
| 11 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£30,000 | 74% | 91% | 100% | 168 |
| 12 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£24,500 | 78% | 73% | 100% | 166 |
| 12 | Cardiff University Cardiff |
£24,000 | 71% | 91% | 94% | 166 |
| 13 | De Montfort University Leicester |
£26,000 | 70% | 91% | 88% | 164 |
| 13 | University of Bath Bath |
£30,000 | 80% | 95% | 95% | 164 |
| 13 | Coventry University Coventry |
£30,000 | 72% | 96% | 100% | 164 |
| 14 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£27,000 | 71% | 94% | 97% | 162 |
| 15 | University of Sunderland Sunderland |
£30,000 | 74% | 90% | 95% | 161 |
| 16 | University of West London London |
£28,000 | 72% | 94% | 98% | 161 |
| 17 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£30,000 | 72% | 95% | 98% | 159 |
| 18 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£18,500 | 72% | 95% | 90% | 158 |
| 19 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£26,000 | 73% | 85% | 87% | 157 |
| 19 | University of Winchester Winchester |
£25,000 | 82% | 94% | 97% | 157 |
| 20 | York St John University York |
£21,000 | 80% | 74% | 85% | 155 |
| 21 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£27,500 | 76% | 83% | 93% | 153 |
| 22 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£26,000 | 74% | 79% | 80% | 152 |
| 22 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£23,000 | 76% | 92% | 86% | 152 |
| 22 | University of Derby Derby |
£24,000 | 74% | 100% | 100% | 152 |
| 23 | University of York York |
£25,000 | 77% | 87% | 91% | 149 |
| 23 | University of Bedfordshire Luton |
£26,000 | 68% | 90% | 95% | 149 |
| 23 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£30,000 | 77% | 92% | 99% | 149 |
| 24 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£22,500 | 70% | 89% | 93% | 145 |
| 25 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£28,000 | 71% | 90% | 92% | 144 |
| 25 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£23,000 | 70% | 92% | 92% | 144 |
| 26 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£21,000 | 74% | 86% | 96% | 143 |
| 27 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£18,500 | 72% | 85% | 84% | 142 |
| 27 | Leeds Beckett University Leeds |
£23,000 | 70% | 87% | 93% | 142 |
| 28 | Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury |
£20,500 | 73% | 83% | 84% | 141 |
| 29 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£28,500 | 73% | 84% | 84% | 140 |
| 29 | Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£28,000 | 81% | 84% | 86% | 140 |
| 30 | University of Warwick Coventry |
£28,000 | 74% | 90% | 92% | 139 |
| 31 | Bishop Grosseteste University Lincoln |
£22,000 | 84% | 96% | 92% | 138 |
| 32 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£30,000 | 77% | 92% | 94% | 137 |
| 32 | University of Strathclyde Glasgow |
£32,000 | 75% | 93% | 97% | 137 |
| 33 | University of Greenwich London |
£30,000 | 69% | 84% | 84% | 136 |
| 33 | Birmingham City University Birmingham |
£24,000 | 69% | 88% | 89% | 136 |
| 34 | St Mary's University, Twickenham Twickenham |
£33,000 | 80% | 88% | 85% | 135 |
| 35 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter / Carmarthen / Swansea |
£18,500 | 79% | 89% | 87% | 131 |
| 36 | UCL (University College London) London |
£36,000 | 68% | 84% | 86% | 130 |
| 36 | University of Cambridge Cambridge |
£26,000 | 76% | 92% | 94% | 130 |
| 37 | University of Huddersfield Huddersfield |
£30,000 | 74% | 85% | 85% | 128 |
| 38 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£31,000 | 73% | 93% | 96% | 125 |
| 39 | University of Northampton Northampton |
£28,000 | 75% | 95% | 100% | 123 |
| 40 | Queen Margaret University Edinburgh |
£32,000 | 78% | 88% | 83% | 119 |
| 41 | Liverpool Hope University Liverpool |
£23,000 | 80% | 91% | 93% | 118 |
| 41 | Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent |
£23,000 | 72% | 95% | 93% | 118 |
| 42 | University of Chester Chester |
£19,000 | 78% | 86% | 87% | 115 |
| 42 | Middlesex University Middlesex |
£30,000 | 69% | 93% | 94% | 115 |
| 43 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£25,000 | 76% | 79% | 96% | 114 |
| 43 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£25,000 | 68% | 88% | 91% | 114 |
| 44 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth |
£25,500 | 77% | 86% | 87% | 112 |
| 45 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£30,000 | 71% | 95% | 100% | 110 |
| 46 | Leeds Trinity University Leeds |
£24,000 | 78% | 86% | 91% | 108 |
| 46 | University of East London London |
£30,000 | 68% | 91% | 85% | 108 |
| 47 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£24,000 | 72% | 85% | 92% | 106 |
| 48 | University of Chichester Chichester |
£30,000 | 80% | 90% | 96% | 102 |
| 48 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£18,500 | 78% | 96% | 96% | 102 |
| 49 | University of Stirling Stirling |
£32,000 | 78% | 73% | 82% | 95 |
| 49 | University of Suffolk Ipswich |
£23,000 | 76% | 76% | 89% | 95 |
| 50 | University College Birmingham Birmingham |
£17,000 | 79% | 98% | 98% | 94 |
| 51 | University of Roehampton London |
£32,000 | 72% | 86% | 93% | 92 |
| 52 | University of Hull Hull |
£30,000 | 76% | 79% | 86% | 88 |
| 53 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£22,000 | 71% | 78% | 78% | 85 |
| 54 | Newman University Birmingham |
£25,000 | 83% | 90% | 90% | 79 |
| 55 | London Metropolitan University London |
£29,500 | 66% | 81% | 78% | 71 |
| 56 | Goldsmiths, University of London London |
£25,000 | 64% | 77% | 79% | 62 |
| 57 | London South Bank University London |
£21,000 | 68% | 85% | 74% | 53 |
What the ranking tells you about studying education
Education degrees encompass a wide range of programmes — from BA Education (non-QTS) to Education Studies to combined degrees in Early Childhood Education — with varying routes into teaching and child development careers. This ranking scores 79 universities across eight consistent metrics, giving you a comparative picture that highlights strong programmes at institutions you may not have considered and flags some concerns at institutions whose brand recognition often carries more weight than their course delivery data.
Edge Hill at 1st: the strongest education department in the UK
Edge Hill University tops this ranking with 196 points, achieving 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — the highest double in the field — and the highest student satisfaction score of any education department in the ranking at 83%. Its overall first place is reinforced by consistently strong scores across safety, social life and sustainability. Graduate earnings of £25,000 reflect typical entry-level education and early years roles rather than a weakness in the programme. Edge Hill's education department is one of the most established in the North West, with Ofsted-rated Outstanding school placements, extensive partnerships with Primary and Secondary schools, and a strong track record of NQT (newly qualified teacher) placement. If you are considering Edge Hill and have not already, the data makes a compelling case.
Six universities achieving 100% on both course delivery metrics
Six universities in this ranking achieve 100% on both teaching quality and academic support: Edge Hill (1st), University of Reading (2nd, 97% teaching — close to 100%), Oxford Brookes (11th), University of Derby (22nd), Coventry University (13th) and University of Wolverhampton (45th). The spread across the overall ranking confirms the pattern seen in other subjects — course delivery quality is distributed across the whole table, not concentrated at the top. University of Northampton (39th) also achieves 100% academic support with 95% teaching quality. For students who care specifically about the quality of their taught experience, any of these departments merits a closer look regardless of overall position.
Cambridge and UCL: joint 36th, not where applicants expect them. Both score 130 points and rank joint 36th in this field. UCL produces the highest-earning education graduates in the dataset at £36,000, while Cambridge produces graduates earning £26,000. Both are held down by London and Cambridge cost of living, lower sustainability scores and satisfaction figures below the field average. Cambridge achieves 92% teaching quality and 94% academic support — solid but not distinctive in a field where six universities achieve 100% on both. If your ambition is to work in educational policy, research or higher education administration, the Cambridge or UCL brand carries genuine weight in those sectors. For classroom teaching, early years or educational practice careers, the brand distinction matters significantly less than it does in finance or law.
An important distinction: education vs education with QTS
A standard education degree (BA Education, Education Studies) does not automatically qualify you to teach in state schools in England. To teach in maintained state schools in England, you need Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is obtained either through an integrated undergraduate route (such as a BEd or BA with QTS) or through a separate postgraduate route (PGCE, School Direct, Teach First, etc.) after your undergraduate degree. If your goal is classroom teaching, confirm before applying whether the programme leads to QTS or whether you will need to complete a further qualification after graduation. Different programmes at the same university may or may not lead to QTS. This ranking covers education degrees broadly — including non-QTS programmes focused on education as a field of study — so check the specific qualification outcome of your chosen programme directly with the university.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
