Best UK universities for psychology research
Ranked by the share of research rated world-leading (4★) in the REF 2021 — UoA 4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience.
| # | University | World-leading (4★) | Internationally excellent (3★) | FTE staff submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imperial College London Kensington and Chelsea | 75.0% | 24.0% | 34.9 |
| 2 | The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh | 71.0% | 23.0% | 189.2 |
| 3 | University of Oxford Oxford | 69.0% | 26.0% | 169.2 |
| 4 | University of Cambridge Cambridge | 69.0% | 24.0% | 150.7 |
| 5 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham | 67.0% | 28.0% | 31.3 |
| 6 | UCL (University College London) London | 67.0% | 25.0% | 379.5 |
| 7 | Birkbeck, University of London London | 63.0% | 27.0% | 30.8 |
| 8 | University of York York | 62.0% | 29.0% | 39.3 |
| 9 | King's College London, University of London Westminster | 62.0% | 28.0% | 310.9 |
| 10 | Cardiff University Cardiff | 60.0% | 35.0% | 116.1 |
| 11 | University of Liverpool Liverpool | 58.0% | 30.0% | 60.0 |
| 12 | University of Glasgow Glasgow | 56.0% | 39.0% | 49.5 |
| 13 | University of Birmingham Birmingham | 54.0% | 40.0% | 55.4 |
| 14 | University of Manchester Manchester | 54.0% | 35.0% | 94.7 |
| 15 | University of Exeter Exeter | 53.0% | 39.0% | 48.3 |
| 16 | University of Sheffield Sheffield | 53.0% | 39.0% | 33.0 |
| 17 | University of St Andrews St Andrews | 52.0% | 39.0% | 32.1 |
| 18 | University of Southampton Southampton | 52.0% | 34.0% | 45.9 |
| 19 | University of Sussex Brighton | 50.0% | 38.0% | 53.9 |
| 20 | University of East Anglia UEA Norwich | 49.0% | 47.0% | 30.7 |
| 21 | University of Bristol Bristol | 49.0% | 35.0% | 77.3 |
| 22 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne | 48.0% | 29.0% | 62.2 |
| 23 | University of Warwick Coventry | 47.0% | 42.0% | 28.9 |
| 24 | University of Reading Reading | 46.0% | 41.0% | 44.9 |
| 25 | University of Essex Colchester | 45.0% | 44.0% | 50.7 |
| 26 | University of Leicester Leicester | 44.0% | 44.0% | 47.0 |
| 27 | University of Leeds Leeds | 42.0% | 45.0% | 49.6 |
| 28 | University of Kent Canterbury | 41.0% | 39.0% | 42.0 |
| 29 | University of Nottingham Nottingham | 40.0% | 49.0% | 93.0 |
| 30 | Durham University Durham | 39.0% | 44.0% | 34.0 |
| 31 | Coventry University Coventry | 37.0% | 40.0% | 10.2 |
| 32 | Lancaster University Lancaster | 36.0% | 51.0% | 34.2 |
| 33 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen | 34.0% | 60.0% | 25.0 |
| 34 | University of Stirling Stirling | 34.0% | 53.0% | 27.4 |
| 35 | Bangor University Bangor (Wales) | 34.0% | 52.0% | 28.8 |
| 36 | Ulster University Coleraine | 31.0% | 43.0% | 31.4 |
| 37 | University of Portsmouth Portsmouth | 31.0% | 39.0% | 45.4 |
| 38 | University of Hertfordshire Hatfield | 31.0% | 35.0% | 18.9 |
| 39 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford | 30.0% | 36.0% | 15.9 |
| 40 | University of Lincoln Lincoln | 27.0% | 50.0% | 29.4 |
| 41 | University of Hull Hull | 26.0% | 58.0% | 16.0 |
| 42 | University of Plymouth Plymouth | 26.0% | 58.0% | 42.5 |
| 43 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham | 26.0% | 53.0% | 58.0 |
| 44 | University of Roehampton Wandsworth | 26.0% | 46.0% | 28.4 |
| 45 | City (City St George's, University of London) City of London | 26.0% | 40.0% | 34.9 |
| 46 | University of Dundee Dundee | 25.0% | 56.0% | 19.1 |
| 47 | University of Bath Bath | 22.0% | 61.0% | 61.5 |
| 48 | Keele University Keele | 22.0% | 53.0% | 16.8 |
| 49 | Middlesex University Barnet | 22.0% | 33.0% | 28.9 |
| 50 | Queen's University Belfast Belfast | 21.0% | 40.0% | 34.0 |
Source: REF 2021 Overall profile — results2021.ref.ac.uk. 4★ research is "world-leading"; 3★ is "internationally excellent".