Music — Complete University Guide 2027

Subject-level ranking from the Complete University Guide for Music in UK universities. University of Cambridge leads this subject in 2027.

80 UK universities ranked · See the overall Complete University Guide table →

Rank	University	Score
TEF G · #1	University of Cambridge	—
TEF S · #2	Durham University	—
TEF B · #3	University of Manchester	—
#4	University of Oxford	—
#5	Royal Holloway, University of London	—
#6	University of Bristol	—
#7	King's College London, University of London	—
#8	University of Sheffield	—
#9	The University of Edinburgh	—
#10	Royal Academy of Music, University of London	—
#11	University of Surrey	—
#12	University of Birmingham	—
#13	Royal College of Music	—
#14	University of Glasgow	—
#15	University of York	—
#16	University of Liverpool	—
#17	Cardiff University	—
#18	Guildhall School of Music & Drama	—
#19	University of Southampton	—
#20	Queen's University Belfast	—
#21	University of Leeds	—
#22	City (City St George's, University of London)	—
#23	University of Sussex	—
#24	Royal Conservatoire of Scotland	—
#25	Bangor University	—
#26	Newcastle University	—
#27	Birmingham City University	—
#28	Manchester Metropolitan University	—
#29	Trinity Laban	—
#30	University of Brighton	—
#31	University of Bedfordshire	—
#32	University of Huddersfield	—
#33	University of Lincoln	—
#34	De Montfort University	—
#35	Royal Northern College of Music	—
#36	Edinburgh Napier University	—
#37	Rose Bruford College	—
#38	University of Chester	—
#39	University of Staffordshire	—
#40	University of Aberdeen	—
#41	University of West London	—
#42	University of East London	—
#43	University of Greenwich	—
#44	Bournemouth University	—
#45	Goldsmiths, University of London	—
#46	Bath Spa University	—
#47	University of Chichester	—
#48	University of Gloucestershire	—
#49	York St John University	—
#50	University of Plymouth	—
#51	Kingston University	—
#52	Coventry University	—
#53	University of Salford	—
#54	Ulster University	—
#55	Falmouth University	—
#56	Edge Hill University	—
#57	Canterbury Christ Church University	—
#58	University of Winchester	—
#59	University of Sunderland	—
#60	Leeds Beckett University	—
#61	University of Hertfordshire	—
#62	Anglia Ruskin University	—
#63	University of Hull	—
#64	Liverpool Hope University	—
#65	Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts	—
#66	Leeds Arts University	—
#67	University of Northampton	—
#68	Middlesex University	—
#69	University of South Wales	—
#70	Nottingham Trent University	—
#71	University of Central Lancashire	—
#72	Liverpool John Moores University	—
#73	University of the West of Scotland	—
#74	University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)	—
#75	University for the Creative Arts	—
#76	Buckinghamshire New University	—
#77	Southampton, Solent University	—
#78	Institute of Contemporary Music Performance	—
#79	University of Westminster, London	—
#80	BIMM University	—

Other subjects in the Complete University Guide

Accounting and Finance 104 Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering 33 African and Middle Eastern Studies 7 Agriculture and Forestry 19 American Studies 6 Anthropology 23 Archaeology 25 Architecture 57 Art and Design 82 Asian Studies 12 Biological Sciences 87 Biomedical Sciences 87 Building 37 Business and Management Studies 124 Celtic Studies 6 Chemical Engineering 33 Chemistry 48 Childhood and Youth Studies 46 Civil Engineering 59 Classics 24 Communication and Media Studies 92 Complementary Medicine 10 Computer Science 118 Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy 47 Creative Writing 47 Dentistry 16 Drama, Dance and Cinematics 96 Economics 76 Education 91 Electrical and Electronic Engineering 71 English 89 Food Science 35 Forensic Science 37 French 42 General Engineering 31 Geography and Environmental Science 70 Geology 29 German 31 Health Studies 30 History 91 History of Art, Architecture and Design 23 Iberian Languages 43 Information Technology and Systems 18 Italian 23 Land and Property Management 11 Law 113 Linguistics 24 Manufacturing and Production Engineering 31 Marketing 93 Materials Technology 12 Mathematics 65 Mechanical Engineering 74 Medical Technology and Bioengineering 45 Medicine 40 Nursing and Midwifery 86 Optometry, Ophthalmics and Orthoptics 14 Paramedic Science 45 Pharmacology and Pharmacy 47 Philosophy 45 Physics and Astronomy 46 Physiotherapy 48 Politics 77 Psychology 118 Russian and East European Languages 13 Social Policy 33 Social Work 75 Sociology 103 Speech and Language Therapy 19 Sports Science 86 Theology and Religious Studies 17 Tourism, Transport, Travel and Heritage Studies 53 Town and Country Planning and Landscape Design 22 Veterinary Medicine 13

How subject rankings work

CUG combines entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, research intensity, academic services spend, facilities spend, graduate prospects (outcomes + on-track), student-staff ratio, and continuation.

Subject rankings apply the same methodology to courses within a single discipline. They tend to reorder the overall table — a top-10 overall university may rank lower in a specific subject, and vice versa.