Social Work — Complete University Guide 2027

Subject-level ranking from the Complete University Guide for Social Work in UK universities. Queen's University Belfast leads this subject in 2027.

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

Rank	University	Score
TEF G · #1	Queen's University Belfast	—
TEF S · #2	University of Birmingham	—
TEF B · #3	Lancaster University	—
#4	University of York	—
#5	University of Lincoln	—
#6	Swansea University	—
#7	Edge Hill University	—
#8	Glasgow Caledonian University	—
#9	University of Sunderland	—
#10	University of Nottingham	—
#11	University of Hull	—
#12	University of Dundee	—
#13	Liverpool Hope University	—
#14	University of Bath	—
#15	The University of Edinburgh	—
#16	University of Bristol	—
#17	University of Huddersfield	—
#18	Ulster University	—
#19	Bristol, UWE	—
#20	University of Plymouth	—
#21	Teesside University	—
#22	University of Salford	—
#23	University of East Anglia UEA	—
#24	University of Strathclyde	—
#25	London South Bank University	—
#26	University of Staffordshire	—
#27	University of Bedfordshire	—
#28	University of Sussex	—
#29	Manchester Metropolitan University	—
#30	University of Portsmouth	—
#31	University of Kent	—
#32	University of Hertfordshire	—
#33	University of Central Lancashire	—
#34	University of Chester	—
#35	University of Essex	—
#36	University of Bradford	—
#37	University of Derby	—
#38	University of Worcester	—
#39	University of Suffolk	—
#40	Middlesex University	—
#41	University of Wolverhampton	—
#42	Bournemouth University	—
#43	Nottingham Trent University	—
#44	Kingston University	—
#45	Keele University	—
#46	Sheffield Hallam University	—
#47	University of Northampton	—
#48	University of Leeds	—
#49	Anglia Ruskin University	—
#50	Northumbria University, Newcastle	—
#51	De Montfort University	—
#52	University of Brighton	—
#53	Canterbury Christ Church University	—
#54	Robert Gordon University	—
#55	University of South Wales	—
#56	Cardiff Metropolitan University	—
#57	University of East London	—
#58	Wrexham University	—
#59	University of Greenwich	—
#60	Birmingham City University	—
#61	Leeds Beckett University	—
#62	Oxford Brookes University	—
#63	University of Gloucestershire	—
#64	University of Chichester	—
#65	Coventry University	—
#66	Southampton, Solent University	—
#67	University of the West of Scotland	—
#68	London Metropolitan University	—
#69	Goldsmiths, University of London	—
#70	Buckinghamshire New University	—
#71	University of Cumbria	—
#72	University of Winchester	—
#73	University of Warwick	—
#74	Birmingham Newman University	—
#75	University of Greater Manchester	—

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 Music 80 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 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.