Top universities in the UK for psychology 2025
| UK psychology rank 2024 | Global psychology rank 2025 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | University of Cambridge | 90.5 | 96.2 | 90.4 | 87.8 | 67.3 | 95 |
| 2 | 6 | UCL | 88.4 | 91.5 | 95.9 | 81.2 | 70.7 | 93.4 |
| 3 | 9 | King’s College London | 83.6 | 80.5 | 85.8 | 79.8 | 100 | 95.4 |
| 4 | 23 | University of Edinburgh | 75.4 | 73.4 | 72.7 | 75.3 | 74.7 | 93.4 |
| 5 | 52 | University of Glasgow | 66.2 | 61.1 | 53.2 | 74.1 | 70 | 91 |
| 6 | =53 | London School of Economics and Political Science | 65.9 | 60.1 | 46.4 | 82 | 37.6 | 94.6 |
| =7 | =65 | University of Bristol | 63.8 | 39.9 | 48.1 | 87.4 | 71.9 | 89.5 |
| =7 | =65 | University of York | 63.8 | 54.8 | 53.9 | 74.8 | 73 | 75 |
| 9 | =70 | University of Birmingham | 62.7 | 52.7 | 54.5 | 71.2 | 65.9 | 85.3 |
| 10 | 76 | Cardiff University | 61.6 | 52.5 | 48.4 | 72.3 | 79.5 | 80.8 |
| 11 | 77 | University of Sussex | 61.5 | 44.1 | 50 | 77.4 | 69.3 | 84.8 |
| 12 | 81 | University of Manchester | 60.4 | 51.4 | 44.4 | 73.9 | 78.2 | 76.3 |
| 13 | 86 | Birkbeck, University of London | 59.5 | 46.1 | 51.9 | 68.5 | 66.3 | 87.5 |
| 14 | 88 | University of Kent | 59.1 | 34.6 | 32.9 | 91 | 58.1 | 90.1 |
| 15 | 89 | University of Nottingham | 58.2 | 43.6 | 39.2 | 75.8 | 76.5 | 85.8 |
| 16 | 91 | University of Bath | 57.9 | 48 | 32.4 | 78.3 | 59.3 | 86.5 |
| 17 | 94 | University of St Andrews | 57.3 | 46 | 40.4 | 68.8 | 74.1 | 93.9 |
| 18 | 99 | Goldsmiths, University of London | 56.7 | 41.5 | 32.6 | 79.4 | 58.4 | 88.9 |
| 19 | 100 | University of Warwick | 56.6 | 39.2 | 41.9 | 73.9 | 50.7 | 92.4 |
| =20 | 101–125 | Durham University | 54.1–56.4 | 36.2 | 31.8 | 77.4 | 62.3 | 92.7 |
| =20 | 101–125 | University of Exeter | 54.1–56.4 | 36.3 | 33.2 | 82.2 | 43.6 | 83.9 |
| =20 | 101–125 | University of Sheffield | 54.1–56.4 | 39.1 | 32.9 | 80.3 | 72 | 72.9 |
| =20 | 101–125 | University of Southampton | 54.1–56.4 | 42.1 | 28.9 | 79.9 | 66.6 | 88.5 |
| =24 | 126–150 | Lancaster University | 51.3–54.0 | 39.5 | 37.8 | 71.3 | 40.4 | 88.2 |
| =24 | 126–150 | Newcastle University | 51.3–54.0 | 31.2 | 39.5 | 71.7 | 64.6 | 74.3 |
| =24 | 126–150 | University of Essex | 51.3–54.0 | 41.1 | 27.4 | 74.5 | 48.4 | 90.3 |
| =24 | 126–150 | University of Leeds | 51.3–54.0 | 40.3 | 29.1 | 75.7 | 68.1 | 79.5 |
| =28 | 151–175 | City, University of London | 49.5–51.2 | 41.5 | 35.5 | 59.4 | 41.3 | 88.5 |
| =28 | 151–175 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 49.5–51.2 | 39.6 | 27.5 | 68.6 | 61.3 | 84.6 |
| =28 | 151–175 | University of Liverpool | 49.5–51.2 | 31 | 28.7 | 75.5 | 64.2 | 68.9 |
| =28 | 151–175 | University of Reading | 49.5–51.2 | 27.3 | 20.5 | 80.3 | 64.8 | 83.6 |
| =32 | 176–200 | Loughborough University | 47.4–49.3 | 31.5 | 37.8 | 64.1 | 37.8 | 77 |
| =32 | 176–200 | Queen’s University Belfast | 47.4–49.3 | 33.9 | 24.5 | 68.4 | 48.9 | 94.1 |
| =34 | 201–250 | Aston University | 44.5–47.3 | 17.1 | 16.2 | 80.1 | 68 | 70.2 |
| =34 | 201–250 | Nottingham Trent University | 44.5–47.3 | 23.8 | 18.1 | 77.6 | 30.8 | 85.2 |
| =34 | 201–250 | University of Aberdeen | 44.5–47.3 | 28.2 | 28.7 | 61.8 | 66.8 | 93.8 |
| =34 | 201–250 | University of Leicester | 44.5–47.3 | 20.4 | 15.2 | 81 | 41.5 | 83.6 |
| =34 | 201–250 | University of Portsmouth | 44.5–47.3 | 26.9 | 20.1 | 69.4 | 45.9 | 89.5 |
| 201–250 | UWE Bristol (University of the West of England) | 44.5–47.3 | 21.4 | 13.1 | 83.8 | 71.7 | 74.5 | |
| =39 | 251–300 | Brunel University of London | 42.2–44.4 | 18.2 | 15.7 | 73 | 47.2 | 93.5 |
| =39 | 251–300 | Heriot-Watt University | 42.2–44.4 | 20.2 | 12.9 | 75.2 | 39.7 | 92.6 |
| =39 | 251–300 | Middlesex University | 42.2–44.4 | 32.1 | 18 | 62.3 | 32.8 | 78.7 |
| =39 | 251–300 | Swansea University | 42.2–44.4 | 15.9 | 17.7 | 74.9 | 67.9 | 78 |
| =39 | 251–300 | University of East Anglia | 42.2–44.4 | 29.6 | 18.3 | 65.4 | 24.3 | 83.9 |
| =39 | 251–300 | University of Stirling | 42.2–44.4 | 21.9 | 19.6 | 66.1 | 47.6 | 88.8 |
| =39 | 251–300 | University of Surrey | 42.2–44.4 | 27.3 | 17.1 | 68.8 | 54.3 | 77.1 |
| =46 | 301–400 | Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) | 37.2–42.1 | 14.4 | 14.5 | 67.6 | 28 | 92.5 |
| =46 | 301–400 | Bangor University | 37.2–42.1 | 32.5 | 18.1 | 47.3 | 67 | 86.8 |
| =46 | 301–400 | Coventry University | 37.2–42.1 | 20.4 | 12.1 | 64.3 | 27.5 | 85.6 |
| =46 | 301–400 | Edinburgh Napier University | 37.2–42.1 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 76.7 | 22.6 | 79.9 |
| =46 | 301–400 | Kingston University | 37.2–42.1 | 16 | 12.3 | 61.8 | 61.1 | 89.7 |
| =46 | 301–400 | Liverpool John Moores University | 37.2–42.1 | 21.1 | 19.5 | 59.9 | 59.4 | 65 |
| =46 | 301–400 | Northumbria University | 37.2–42.1 | 13.4 | 16 | 65.4 | 67 | 77.8 |
| =46 | 301–400 | Ulster University | 37.2–42.1 | 16.6 | 18 | 66.2 | 39.8 | 76 |
| =46 | 301–400 | University of Brighton | 37.2–42.1 | 14.1 | 19.4 | 58 | 64.9 | 76.2 |
| =46 | 301–400 | University of Derby | 37.2–42.1 | 20.4 | 12.7 | 67.6 | 29 | 64.2 |
| =46 | 301–400 | University of Dundee | 37.2–42.1 | 13.6 | 17.6 | 56.9 | 62.7 | 87.9 |
| =46 | 301–400 | University of East London | 37.2–42.1 | 28.8 | 13.3 | 53.2 | 30.1 | 80.3 |
| =46 | 301–400 | University of Greenwich | 37.2–42.1 | 10.8 | 10.7 | 66.4 | 30.5 | 92.6 |
| =46 | 301–400 | University of Hertfordshire | 37.2–42.1 | 25.4 | 14.9 | 61.7 | 50 | 73.7 |
| =46 | 301–400 | University of Strathclyde | 37.2–42.1 | 24.7 | 18 | 63.9 | 45.1 | 70 |
| =61 | 401–500 | Bournemouth University | 31.9–37.0 | 12.7 | 12.6 | 59.1 | 32.4 | 79.6 |
| =61 | 401–500 | De Montfort University | 31.9–37.0 | 13.8 | 8.9 | 60.5 | 31 | 90.7 |
| =61 | 401–500 | Glasgow Caledonian University | 31.9–37.0 | 18.1 | 13 | 56.4 | 45.3 | 71.9 |
| =61 | 401–500 | Keele University | 31.9–37.0 | 13.2 | 12.5 | 56.6 | 54.3 | 73.9 |
| =61 | 401–500 | Leeds Beckett University | 31.9–37.0 | 19.4 | 11 | 56.5 | 19.9 | 58.4 |
| =61 | 401–500 | London South Bank University | 31.9–37.0 | 17.6 | 11.6 | 55.3 | 17.3 | 94.8 |
| =61 | 401–500 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 31.9–37.0 | 18.2 | 14.1 | 60.1 | 27.8 | 66.6 |
| =61 | 401–500 | Oxford Brookes University | 31.9–37.0 | 15.9 | 17 | 56.8 | 29.9 | 79.9 |
| =61 | 401–500 | Teesside University | 31.9–37.0 | 26.4 | 9.4 | 59 | 17.3 | 62.8 |
| =61 | 401–500 | University of Central Lancashire | 31.9–37.0 | 17 | 13.8 | 53 | 49 | 66.3 |
| =61 | 401–500 | University of Huddersfield | 31.9–37.0 | 24.3 | 11.5 | 56.9 | 27.7 | 62.7 |
| =61 | 401–500 | University of Hull | 31.9–37.0 | 23.8 | 11.2 | 51.4 | 49.2 | 74 |
| =61 | 401–500 | University of Lincoln | 31.9–37.0 | 19.6 | 12 | 62.6 | 28.2 | 70.6 |
| =61 | 401–500 | University of Plymouth | 31.9–37.0 | 28.6 | 14.2 | 48.9 | 61.6 | 75.7 |
| =61 | 401–500 | University of Roehampton | 31.9–37.0 | 20.9 | 10.6 | 54.2 | 44.4 | 80.4 |
| =61 | 401–500 | University of Westminster | 31.9–37.0 | 14.1 | 8.1 | 56.6 | 69.7 | 80.3 |
| =77 | 501–600 | Canterbury Christ Church University | 25.9–31.8 | 25.3 | 9.3 | 44.7 | 35.1 | 62.3 |
| =77 | 501–600 | Edge Hill University | 25.9–31.8 | 13 | 9.5 | 53.5 | 17.6 | 61.2 |
| =77 | 501–600 | Sheffield Hallam University | 25.9–31.8 | 13.3 | 9.7 | 52.1 | 32.7 | 66.3 |
| =77 | 501–600 | The Open University | 25.9–31.8 | 20.1 | 10 | 41.6 | 29.7 | 52.9 |
| =77 | 501–600 | University of Salford | 25.9–31.8 | 15 | 10.4 | 44.1 | 25.7 | 54.6 |
| =77 | 501–600 | University of South Wales | 25.9–31.8 | 16.6 | 9.1 | 39.7 | 20 | 58.2 |
| =77 | 501–600 | University of Staffordshire | 25.9–31.8 | 22.4 | 7.8 | 41.9 | 20.8 | 45.2 |
| =77 | 501–600 | University of the West of Scotland | 25.9–31.8 | 12.1 | 9.6 | 49.6 | 25.3 | 64.1 |
| =77 | 501–600 | University of Wolverhampton | 25.9–31.8 | 19.9 | 9.2 | 44.7 | 24.2 | 62.7 |
| 86 | 601+ | Birmingham City University | 15.8–25.8 | 12.7 | 8.5 | 34.7 | 17.4 | 68.9 |
Key insights into the top schools for psychology in the UK
- The University of Cambridge is the top university in the UK for a psychology degree.
- Some 86 universities in the UK are featured in the table for the best universities for psychology in the UK.
- King's College London achieves the top score for its links to industry.
- The Psychology table evaluates schools and colleges across several narrower disciplines: Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, Sport Psychology, Business Psychology and Animal Psychology.
Choosing the Right University in the UK for Psychology
When selecting a university for psychology in the UK, rankings can provide a helpful benchmark for assessing academic strength and how well a university prepares you for a future career.
The Times Higher Education Subject Rankings: Psychology assess universities using five core pillars:
- Research environment
- Teaching quality
- Research quality
- Industry collaboration
- International outlook
These indicators give students and families reliable insights into how institutions perform across critical areas of education and innovation.
The table for the best universities for psychology in the UK was derived from data collected for the THE World University Subject Rankings: Psychology. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.
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