UniversityDB

Social work — The Guardian UK University Guide 2026

Subject-level ranking from the The Guardian UK University Guide for Social work in UK universities. London South Bank University leads this subject in 2026.

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

RankUniversityScore
TEF G · #1London South Bank University 100.0
TEF S · #2University of Salford 98.6
TEF B · #3University of Sussex 96.6
#4Teesside University 92.6
#5University of Hertfordshire 90.9
#6University of Warwick 88.4
#7Lancaster University 87.7
#8University of Leeds 87.3
#9University of Hull 87.0
#10Queen's University Belfast 86.6
#10University of Nottingham 86.6
#12University of Bristol 85.9
#13Manchester Metropolitan University 85.4
#14Glasgow Caledonian University 84.1
#15University of Chester 83.8
#16University of Kent 83.1
#17University of York 82.6
#18Liverpool John Moores University 80.2
#19University of Bath 78.9
#19University of Chichester 78.9
#21Kingston University 78.6
#22Buckinghamshire New University 76.6
#23University of East London 76.4
#23University of Stirling 76.4
#25University of Dundee 76.2
#26University of Strathclyde 75.8
#27University of Essex 75.3
#28Bournemouth University 74.4
#29Ulster University 73.6
#30University of East Anglia UEA 73.3
#31Anglia Ruskin University 73.1
#32University of Central Lancashire 72.8
#33Liverpool Hope University 72.5
#34University of Sunderland 72.4
#35Swansea University 72.3
#36Cardiff Metropolitan University 71.9
#37Bangor University 71.8
#37University of Birmingham 71.8
#39Wrexham University 70.9
#40University of Bedfordshire 70.6
#41Keele University 69.9
#42University of Gloucestershire 69.6
#43University of Lincoln 69.0
#44Northumbria University, Newcastle 67.9
#45University of Portsmouth 66.2
#46Coventry University 65.3
#47Leeds Trinity University 64.9
#48Bristol, UWE 64.7
#49University of Winchester 64.4
#50University of Plymouth 63.7
#51Robert Gordon University 63.3
#52Nottingham Trent University 62.8
#53University of Huddersfield 61.8
#54The University of Edinburgh 61.6
#55Birmingham City University 61.3
#56University of Brighton 60.9
#56University of Derby 60.9
#58University of Wolverhampton 60.1
#59Oxford Brookes University 59.9
#60Goldsmiths, University of London 59.8
#61Edge Hill University 59.1
#62Southampton, Solent University 58.5
#63University of Worcester 58.4
#64Leeds Beckett University 57.6
#65University of Staffordshire 56.4
#66Birmingham Newman University 56.1
#67London Metropolitan University 54.8
#67University of Cumbria 54.8
#69University of Northampton 53.7
#70De Montfort University 53.1
#71University of Bradford 52.2
#72Sheffield Hallam University 48.4
#73University of South Wales 45.2
#74University of the West of Scotland 44.7
#75University of Wales Trinity Saint David 43.4
#76Middlesex University 43.1
#77University of Greenwich 42.8
#78Canterbury Christ Church University 35.0

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 54Music 79Nutrition and food science 30Paramedic science 41Pharmacy and pharmacology 40Philosophy 42Physics 44Physiotherapy 47Politics 60Product design 41Psychology 115Sociology 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.