UniversityDB

Education — The Guardian UK University Guide 2026

Subject-level ranking from the The Guardian UK University Guide for Education in UK universities. University of Cambridge leads this subject in 2026.

91 UK universities ranked · See the overall The Guardian UK University Guide table →

RankUniversityScore
TEF G · #1University of Cambridge 100.0
TEF S · #2University of Bath 98.6
TEF B · #3University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) 97.0
#4Durham University 92.4
#5University of Bedfordshire 92.3
#6University of West London 90.7
#7University of Wolverhampton 90.6
#8The University of Edinburgh 87.4
#9Plymouth Marjon University 86.7
#10University of Manchester 85.0
#11University of Sheffield 84.7
#12Oxford Brookes University 84.3
#13UCL (University College London) 83.9
#14University of Glasgow 83.8
#15University of Brighton 83.5
#15University of Staffordshire 83.5
#17University of Chichester 83.4
#18University of East London 83.3
#19University of Bristol 83.2
#20St Mary's University, Twickenham 83.0
#21University of Winchester 82.9
#22University of Greater Manchester 82.2
#23University of Reading 81.1
#24Kingston University 80.5
#25Sheffield Hallam University 80.2
#26University of Warwick 79.2
#27Bangor University 78.9
#28University of Southampton 78.7
#29University of Huddersfield 78.4
#30University of Wales Trinity Saint David 78.3
#31Brunel University of London 77.3
#32Bristol, UWE 76.8
#33University of Derby 76.6
#34Bath Spa University 75.8
#34Liverpool Hope University 75.8
#36University of Dundee 75.7
#37Nottingham Trent University 75.1
#38University of Hertfordshire 74.8
#39Edge Hill University 73.3
#40Leeds Trinity University 72.9
#40University of Roehampton 72.9
#42University of Northampton 72.3
#43Stranmillis University College 72.2
#44University of Sussex 71.9
#45Birmingham City University 70.8
#46Swansea University 70.6
#47University of South Wales 70.2
#48University of Nottingham 69.5
#49University of Aberdeen 69.4
#49University of Hull 69.4
#51York St John University 68.8
#52University of Strathclyde 68.4
#53Northumbria University, Newcastle 67.7
#54University of East Anglia UEA 67.5
#55Manchester Metropolitan University 67.0
#56Birmingham Newman University 66.9
#57Cardiff University 66.5
#58Anglia Ruskin University 66.3
#59St Mary's University College, Belfast 66.2
#60Canterbury Christ Church University 65.9
#61University of the West of Scotland 65.8
#62Bishop Grosseteste University 64.7
#63University of Chester 64.3
#64Coventry University 64.2
#65University of Sunderland 64.0
#66Leeds Beckett University 63.7
#66University of Gloucestershire 63.7
#68Newcastle University 63.4
#69Cardiff Metropolitan University 62.7
#70Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh 62.0
#71University of Birmingham 61.7
#72University of Worcester 61.6
#73Liverpool John Moores University 60.5
#74London Metropolitan University 57.5
#75University of Cumbria 57.2
#76Aberystwyth University 57.0
#77University of Leeds 56.8
#78University of York 56.3
#79London South Bank University 54.4
#80University of Plymouth 53.6
#81Keele University 53.3
#82University of Lincoln 51.4
#83University of Greenwich 49.0
#84Goldsmiths, University of London 48.8
#85University of Central Lancashire 47.7
#86De Montfort University 45.6
#87Teesside University 41.8
#88Wrexham University 39.9
#89Middlesex University 39.4
#90University of Portsmouth 37.7
#91University of Stirling 35.8

Other subjects in the The Guardian UK University Guide

Accounting and finance 100Aerospace engineering 32Anatomy and physiology 26Animal science and agriculture 20Animation and game design 58Anthropology and archaeology 28Architecture 56Biology 83Biomedical science 68Business and management 118Chemical engineering 29Chemistry 49Children's nursing 55Civil engineering 53Classics and ancient history 23Computer science and information systems 110Construction, surveying and planning 41Creative writing 28Criminology 87Dentistry 16Drama and dance 80Earth and marine sciences 38Economics 71Electrical and electronic engineering 58English 84Fashion and textiles 46Film production and photography 70Fine art 57Forensic science 25General engineering 27General nursing 76Geography 62Graphic design 64Health professions 71History 81History of art 19Hospitality, event management and tourism 45Interior design 35International relations 46Journalism 40Languages and linguistics 49Law 110Marketing and public relations 76Mathematics 55Mechanical engineering 69Media and film studies 75Medicine 36Mental health nursing 67Midwifery 54Music 79Nutrition and food science 30Paramedic science 41Pharmacy and pharmacology 40Philosophy 42Physics 44Physiotherapy 47Politics 60Product design 41Psychology 115Social work 78Sociology and social policy 91Sports science 85Theology and religious studies 15Veterinary science 8Zoology 29

How subject rankings work

Uses NSS teaching, NSS feedback, NSS overall satisfaction, student/staff ratio, expenditure per student, average entry tariff, value-added score, and career prospects 15 months after graduation.

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.