UniversityDB

Music — The Guardian UK University Guide 2026

Subject-level ranking from the The Guardian UK University Guide for Music in UK universities. University of Wales Trinity Saint David leads this subject in 2026.

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

RankUniversityScore
TEF G · #1University of Wales Trinity Saint David 100.0
TEF S · #2University of Bristol 97.2
TEF B · #3University of Surrey 95.8
#4Royal Academy of Music, University of London 94.3
#5University of Birmingham 93.5
#6Durham University 93.2
#6University of Greenwich 93.2
#8University of Cambridge 92.6
#9Guildhall School of Music & Drama 90.9
#10Birmingham City University 89.9
#11Royal College of Music 89.6
#12Royal Northern College of Music 86.4
#13Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 86.3
#14University of Oxford 86.1
#15University of Liverpool 86.0
#16University of Sheffield 85.2
#17Bangor University 84.9
#18Edinburgh Napier University 83.9
#19De Montfort University 83.7
#20York St John University 83.5
#21University of Manchester 82.8
#22Bath Spa University 82.3
#23Liverpool John Moores University 81.5
#24University of Brighton 81.4
#25Edge Hill University 79.6
#26Cardiff University 79.5
#27Royal Holloway, University of London 79.3
#28Queen's University Belfast 79.0
#29University of Lincoln 78.8
#30University of West London 77.4
#31Trinity Laban 77.1
#31University of Leeds 77.1
#33Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama 76.6
#34University of Chester 75.1
#35University of Nottingham 74.7
#36University of Central Lancashire 73.8
#37University of Southampton 72.9
#38University of Huddersfield 72.6
#39University of Chichester 72.3
#40The University of Edinburgh 71.7
#41London South Bank University 70.5
#42University of Northampton 69.8
#43King's College London, University of London 69.5
#44University of Derby 69.4
#45University of Sussex 69.1
#46Kingston University 68.9
#47University of Glasgow 68.8
#48Newcastle University 67.9
#49University of Salford 67.0
#50Liverpool Hope University 66.8
#51University of York 66.3
#52Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 65.3
#53Nottingham Trent University 64.6
#53Plymouth Marjon University 64.6
#55Middlesex University 64.5
#56Goldsmiths, University of London 64.4
#57Bristol, UWE 64.3
#58University for the Creative Arts 64.0
#58University of Hertfordshire 64.0
#60University of South Wales 63.9
#61City (City St George's, University of London) 63.4
#62Ulster University 58.9
#63University of Aberdeen 57.3
#64Buckinghamshire New University 56.8
#65Southampton, Solent University 54.6
#66Anglia Ruskin University 54.3
#67Falmouth University 54.0
#68University of Winchester 53.6
#69University of the West of Scotland 53.1
#70Leeds Conservatoire 51.8
#70University of Staffordshire 51.8
#72University of Gloucestershire 49.8
#73Leeds Beckett University 48.0
#75University of Westminster, London 46.9
#76University of Plymouth 46.6
#77University of Hull 41.3
#78Canterbury Christ Church University 37.7
#79Bournemouth University 36.9
#80Leeds Arts University 35.9

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 71Education 91Electrical 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 54Nutrition 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.