Top universities in the UK for arts and humanities degrees
| UK Arts and Humanities Rank 2026 | Global Arts and Humanities Rank 2026 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
| 1 | 3 | University of Cambridge | 91.3 | 94.2 | 98.1 | 74.1 | 88 | 79.1 |
| 2 | 4 | University of Oxford | 90.9 | 93.8 | 97.9 | 77.4 | 68.9 | 77.4 |
| 3 | 8 | UCL | 87.3 | 84.5 | 90.8 | 85.7 | 69.7 | 94.6 |
| 4 | 11 | University of Edinburgh | 84.3 | 85.1 | 88 | 74.7 | 67.6 | 87.6 |
| 5 | 24 | King’s College London | 74.3 | 73.5 | 74.1 | 75.7 | 67.4 | 79.4 |
| 6 | 35 | University of St Andrews | 68.9 | 70.2 | 65.9 | 75.2 | 47.3 | 73.4 |
| 7 | 38 | London School of Economics and Political Science | 66.9 | 62.4 | 63.7 | 86.6 | 22.7 | 83.6 |
| 8 | 41 | University of Manchester | 66.3 | 59.9 | 64 | 76.5 | 81.5 | 82.4 |
| 9 | 50 | Durham University | 63.5 | 60.4 | 62.9 | 69.9 | 54.3 | 73.4 |
| 10 | 60 | University of Glasgow | 61.2 | 57.3 | 56 | 76.4 | 57.3 | 77.2 |
| 11 | 61 | Lancaster University | 60.7 | 51.9 | 57.2 | 80.4 | 64.8 | 80.1 |
| 12 | 62 | University of York | 60.4 | 54.7 | 53.1 | 80.6 | 67.9 | 81.2 |
| 13 | =63 | University of Leeds | 59.3 | 54.4 | 55.2 | 70.4 | 68.9 | 77.5 |
| 14 | =69 | University of Sheffield | 57.9 | 54.1 | 45 | 82.9 | 68.6 | 85.8 |
| 15 | 72 | University of Warwick | 57.7 | 54.8 | 50.6 | 73.5 | 57.9 | 75.4 |
| 16 | 73 | University of Bristol | 56.8 | 49.2 | 50.8 | 83.9 | 64.7 | 67.6 |
| 17 | =84 | SOAS University of London | 54.9 | 53.4 | 52.1 | 61.4 | 28.8 | 73.7 |
| 18 | 86 | University of Birmingham | 54.7 | 48.9 | 48.9 | 72.1 | 62.2 | 75.2 |
| 19 | 95 | University of Exeter | 53 | 44.7 | 46.9 | 80.9 | 31.5 | 77.8 |
| 20 | =97 | Queen Mary University of London | 52.3 | 40.4 | 49.6 | 72.9 | 67.6 | 77.4 |
| 21 | 100 | Birkbeck, University of London | 51.9 | 45.9 | 38.1 | 84.7 | 66.6 | 79.5 |
| =22 | 101–125 | Newcastle University | 47.9–51.7 | 42.1 | 38.9 | 77.8 | 64 | 81.8 |
| =22 | 101–125 | University of Reading | 47.9–51.7 | 45.1 | 33.4 | 81.1 | 48.8 | 81.9 |
| =24 | 126–150 | Cardiff University | 44.9–47.7 | 36.8 | 36.5 | 70 | 67.6 | 70 |
| =24 | 126–150 | University of Liverpool | 44.9–47.7 | 38.9 | 37.6 | 75.2 | 64.4 | 77 |
| =24 | 126–150 | University of Nottingham | 44.9–47.7 | 39.7 | 35.1 | 73 | 65.1 | 68 |
| =27 | 151–175 | Goldsmiths, University of London | 43.2–44.8 | 36.2 | 33.4 | 69.8 | 56.8 | 75.9 |
| =27 | 151–175 | Queen’s University Belfast | 43.2–44.8 | 33.8 | 28.8 | 85.4 | 52 | 87.9 |
| =27 | 151–175 | University of Aberdeen | 43.2–44.8 | 38.3 | 30.5 | 64.7 | 67.6 | 81.4 |
| =27 | 151–175 | University of Leicester | 43.2–44.8 | 38.1 | 30 | 69.2 | 97.6 | 66.8 |
| 31 | 176–200 | University of Southampton | 41.0–43.1 | 30.7 | 25.7 | 83 | 68.1 | 85.4 |
| =32 | 201–250 | Loughborough University | 37.8–40.8 | 28.6 | 25.4 | 75.7 | 66.5 | 83.1 |
| =32 | 201–250 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 37.8–40.8 | 28.2 | 27.8 | 64.8 | 63 | 71.7 |
| =32 | 201–250 | University of Bath | 37.8–40.8 | 24.7 | 18.4 | 92.6 | 64.3 | 92.3 |
| =32 | 201–250 | University of East Anglia | 37.8–40.8 | 31.6 | 24.4 | 70.6 | 67.3 | 71.2 |
| =32 | 201–250 | University of Surrey | 37.8–40.8 | 26 | 21.8 | 79.6 | 67.1 | 84.1 |
| =32 | 201–250 | University of Sussex | 37.8–40.8 | 30.7 | 26.8 | 77.3 | 67.1 | 70.1 |
| 38 | 251–300 | University of Essex | 35.4–37.7 | 27.8 | 18.6 | 79.1 | 67.5 | 86.2 |
| =39 | 301–400 | Aston University | 31.0–35.3 | 24 | 15.9 | 73.7 | 60.2 | 94.4 |
| =39 | 301–400 | Bangor University | 31.0–35.3 | 24.2 | 16.9 | 60.5 | 67.1 | 77.6 |
| =39 | 301–400 | Bournemouth University | 31.0–35.3 | 17.3 | 17.8 | 75.7 | 58.2 | 81.7 |
| =39 | 301–400 | Brunel University of London | 31.0–35.3 | 19.8 | 15.7 | 80.6 | 67.5 | 82.6 |
| =39 | 301–400 | Heriot-Watt University | 31.0–35.3 | 22.3 | 15.4 | 70.4 | 76.3 | 96.8 |
| =39 | 301–400 | Northumbria University | 31.0–35.3 | 25.2 | 15.9 | 68.9 | 40.4 | 75.1 |
| =39 | 301–400 | Oxford Brookes University | 31.0–35.3 | 31.5 | 23.3 | 51.4 | 21.1 | 75.9 |
| =39 | 301–400 | Swansea University | 31.0–35.3 | 25.1 | 17.1 | 78.1 | 59 | 75 |
| =39 | 301–400 | University of Kent | 31.0–35.3 | 29.6 | 17.4 | 67.1 | 54.8 | 74.8 |
| =39 | 301–400 | University of Roehampton | 31.0–35.3 | 24.1 | 19.5 | 63.5 | 37.1 | 69.1 |
| =39 | 301–400 | University of Stirling | 31.0–35.3 | 21.2 | 18.6 | 70.5 | 44.9 | 77.7 |
| =39 | 301–400 | University of Strathclyde | 31.0–35.3 | 20.4 | 18.2 | 72.7 | 61.2 | 76.1 |
| =39 | 301–400 | University of the Arts London | 31.0–35.3 | 37.1 | 25.4 | 30.9 | 17.6 | 67.5 |
| =52 | 401–500 | Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) | 27.4–30.9 | 21.4 | 10.7 | 61.6 | 30.5 | 84 |
| =52 | 401–500 | Coventry University | 27.4–30.9 | 18.3 | 11.6 | 64.8 | 33.2 | 84 |
| =52 | 401–500 | Keele University | 27.4–30.9 | 23.1 | 17 | 65.5 | 56.4 | 51.4 |
| =52 | 401–500 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 27.4–30.9 | 20 | 15.6 | 66.2 | 35.8 | 56.3 |
| =52 | 401–500 | The Open University | 27.4–30.9 | 20 | 13.5 | 69.9 | 59.7 | 52.7 |
| =52 | 401–500 | Ulster University | 27.4–30.9 | 12.4 | 18.4 | 62.9 | 58.5 | 68.8 |
| =52 | 401–500 | University of Huddersfield | 27.4–30.9 | 22.2 | 16.1 | 66.3 | 30.3 | 71.2 |
| =52 | 401–500 | University of Hull | 27.4–30.9 | 23.2 | 15.1 | 53.3 | 58 | 64.1 |
| =52 | 401–500 | University of Wolverhampton | 27.4–30.9 | 18.7 | 12.4 | 69.9 | 67.1 | 73.6 |
| =61 | 501–600 | Aberystwyth University | 24.6–27.3 | 16.7 | 14.4 | 55.6 | 28.5 | 68.4 |
| =61 | 501–600 | Birmingham City University | 24.6–27.3 | 16.1 | 8.8 | 58.9 | 23.5 | 77.2 |
| =61 | 501–600 | De Montfort University | 24.6–27.3 | 14.2 | 12.4 | 58 | 37.6 | 65.4 |
| =61 | 501–600 | Liverpool John Moores University | 24.6–27.3 | 15.6 | 10.2 | 61.8 | 32.9 | 63 |
| =61 | 501–600 | Middlesex University | 24.6–27.3 | 20.8 | 10.9 | 51.7 | 66 | 76.9 |
| =61 | 501–600 | Nottingham Trent University | 24.6–27.3 | 19.5 | 9.6 | 58.7 | 25.4 | 67.8 |
| =61 | 501–600 | Sheffield Hallam University | 24.6–27.3 | 14.7 | 12 | 66.8 | 35.5 | 55.7 |
| =61 | 501–600 | UWE Bristol (University of the West of England) | 24.6–27.3 | 13.6 | 10.6 | 60.2 | 67.4 | 68.6 |
| =61 | 501–600 | University of Brighton | 24.6–27.3 | 15.3 | 10.4 | 59 | 65.3 | 64.4 |
| =61 | 501–600 | University of Dundee | 24.6–27.3 | 18.3 | 13.8 | 48.4 | 68.6 | 70.8 |
| =61 | 501–600 | University of Greenwich | 24.6–27.3 | 13.5 | 12 | 66.7 | 18.3 | 81.2 |
| =61 | 501–600 | University of Hertfordshire | 24.6–27.3 | 14.6 | 8.4 | 60.6 | 60.1 | 73.3 |
| =61 | 501–600 | University of Plymouth | 24.6–27.3 | 17.7 | 9.8 | 57.1 | 23.3 | 76.5 |
| =61 | 501–600 | University of Portsmouth | 24.6–27.3 | 14.5 | 8.9 | 61.5 | 35.9 | 86.6 |
| =61 | 501–600 | University of Westminster | 24.6–27.3 | 18.5 | 11 | 58.9 | 21 | 72.3 |
| =76 | 601–800 | Edge Hill University | 16.8–24.5 | 13.7 | 10.4 | 54.8 | 34.2 | 44.1 |
| =76 | 601–800 | Edinburgh Napier University | 16.8–24.5 | 14 | 9.9 | 50.7 | 32.2 | 78.1 |
| =76 | 601–800 | Kingston University | 16.8–24.5 | 17.7 | 10.6 | 46.2 | 25.9 | 69.9 |
| =76 | 601–800 | Leeds Beckett University | 16.8–24.5 | 16 | 9 | 64.4 | 30.3 | 52.8 |
| =76 | 601–800 | University of Lancashire | 16.8–24.5 | 11.6 | 9.5 | 52.6 | 47.5 | 81.4 |
| =76 | 601–800 | University of Lincoln | 16.8–24.5 | 14.6 | 11.4 | 54.9 | 28.9 | 55.2 |
| =76 | 601–800 | University of Salford | 16.8–24.5 | 14.3 | 10.9 | 54.2 | 66.5 | 63.1 |
| =76 | 601–800 | University of Winchester | 16.8–24.5 | 13.4 | 11.4 | 48.9 | 17.5 | 47.7 |
| =76 | 601–800 | York St John University | 16.8–24.5 | 11.8 | 9.2 | 65.3 | 17.8 | 37.3 |
Key Insights into the top universities for arts and humanities degrees in the UK 2026
- The University of Cambridge is the top university in the UK for arts and humanities programmes. The institution achieves a high score for research environment.
- In second place, the University of Oxford has high scores for teaching and research environment.
- UCL takes the third place, scoring particularly well for international outlook.
- The 2026 arts and humanities ranking ranks universities in subject such as languages, literature and linguistics; history; philosophy; theology; architecture; archaeology; and art, performing arts and design.
Choosing a university for arts and humanities
Arts and humanities subjects include history, English literature, philosophy, languages and architecture.
Students who study the arts and humanities develop transferable skills such as the ability to think critically, analyse new information and communicate findings effectively. These can be applied to a range of careers, whether that’s in politics or education, law or the creative industry.
Choosing where to study the arts and humanities in the United Kingdom requires considering a range of factors including teaching and research. These rankings provide critical insights based on:
- Research environment – focuses on research reputation and productivity
- Teaching quality – the student learning experience and faculty strength
- Research quality – influence and innovation in the engineering field
- Industry collaboration – how institutions work with businesses and apply practical knowledge
- International outlook – global diversity of students and faculty
The table for the best universities for arts and humanities in the UK was derived from data collected for the THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Arts and Humanities. 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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