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Sociology and social policy — The Guardian UK University Guide 2026

Subject-level ranking from the The Guardian UK University Guide for Sociology and social policy in UK universities. London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London leads this subject in 2026.

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

RankUniversityScore
TEF G · #1London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London 100.0
TEF S · #2University of Cambridge 99.6
TEF B · #3King's College London, University of London 83.4
#4University of East London 82.9
#5Durham University 82.5
#6York St John University 79.9
#7University of Bristol 79.5
#8University of Warwick 77.9
#9Lancaster University 77.8
#10UCL (University College London) 77.7
#11The University of Edinburgh 76.7
#12University of Essex 75.6
#13University of Strathclyde 74.8
#14University of Exeter 74.5
#15University of Bath 74.3
#16University of Southampton 73.2
#17University of Huddersfield 71.0
#18Loughborough University 70.6
#18Newcastle University 70.6
#20University of Glasgow 70.3
#20University of Sheffield 70.3
#22University of Leicester 69.9
#23University of York 69.7
#24University of Derby 69.3
#25University of Central Lancashire 69.2
#26University of Surrey 69.0
#27University of Leeds 68.9
#28Coventry University 68.7
#29University of Manchester 68.6
#30Cardiff University 68.2
#31Swansea University 67.0
#31University of Aberdeen 67.0
#33Teesside University 66.5
#34Manchester Metropolitan University 66.1
#35London Metropolitan University 65.8
#35University of Plymouth 65.8
#37Bangor University 65.3
#38University of Portsmouth 65.0
#39University of East Anglia UEA 64.5
#40University of Nottingham 64.1
#41Oxford Brookes University 64.0
#42University of Liverpool 63.4
#43Sheffield Hallam University 63.3
#44University of Kent 63.0
#44University of Sussex 63.0
#46University of Birmingham 62.8
#47Edge Hill University 62.5
#48Aston University, Birmingham 61.5
#49Bristol, UWE 61.1
#50Leeds Trinity University 61.0
#51University of Wolverhampton 60.4
#52University of Chester 59.9
#53De Montfort University 59.3
#54University of Salford 59.2
#55Keele University 59.1
#56Liverpool John Moores University 58.6
#57Leeds Beckett University 58.0
#58University of Worcester 57.8
#59Brunel University of London 57.6
#60University of Greenwich 57.3
#61Anglia Ruskin University 56.0
#62Royal Holloway, University of London 55.8
#63University of Stirling 55.3
#64University of Gloucestershire 54.3
#65Queen's University Belfast 53.8
#66University of Suffolk 52.8
#67University of Northampton 52.3
#68Glasgow Caledonian University 51.7
#69City (City St George's, University of London) 51.4
#70Nottingham Trent University 51.3
#71University of Lincoln 50.9
#72University of Staffordshire 50.7
#73Northumbria University, Newcastle 49.3
#74University of Winchester 49.0
#75Bournemouth University 48.3
#76Liverpool Hope University 48.0
#77Bath Spa University 46.9
#78Birmingham City University 46.5
#78University of South Wales 46.5
#80Robert Gordon University 45.8
#81Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh 45.3
#82University of the West of Scotland 44.5
#83University of Brighton 43.6
#84Kingston University 42.4
#85University of Roehampton 41.1
#86Ulster University 39.2
#87Goldsmiths, University of London 36.7
#88Edinburgh Napier University 36.2
#89University of Westminster, London 36.1
#90University of Bedfordshire 34.0
#91University of Hertfordshire 31.0

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 115Social work 78Sports 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.