Best universities for psychology in the UK 2026
timeshighereducation.com has published the list of Best universities for psychology in the UK 2026
The list is based on a comprehensive assessment that scores top universities in the UK in psychology in areas such as teaching, research and international outlook for studying psychology. The methodology is designed by Times Higher Education’s in-house data team, and it is trusted by students, academics, policymakers, and industry leaders worldwide.
Top universities in the UK for psychology 2026
| UK Psychology Rank 2026 | Global Psychology Rank 2026 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
| 1 | 1 | University of Cambridge | 93.9 | 96.2 | 99.9 | 87.6 | 92.6 | 95.1 |
| 2 | 6 | UCL | 87.8 | 91 | 95.6 | 80.2 | 71 | 93.2 |
| 3 | 9 | King’s College London | 83.9 | 86.4 | 85.5 | 76.5 | 100 | 95.3 |
| 4 | 23 | University of Edinburgh | 75.5 | 76.1 | 73.5 | 73.1 | 73 | 93 |
| 5 | 41 | University of Glasgow | 68.9 | 64.2 | 57.5 | 76.3 | 70.6 | 90.8 |
| 6 | 49 | University of Bristol | 67.6 | 49.5 | 56.2 | 85 | 69.6 | 89.5 |
| 7 | =50 | London School of Economics and Political Science | 67.5 | 57.7 | 54.5 | 81.8 | 40.1 | 95.4 |
| 8 | 61 | University of Sussex | 64.9 | 48.6 | 52.6 | 81.1 | 69.5 | 87.7 |
| 9 | 68 | University of Birmingham | 63.7 | 57.5 | 52 | 71.9 | 68.2 | 86 |
| 10 | =77 | University of York | 61 | 49.9 | 51.7 | 73.5 | 66.9 | 72.2 |
| =11 | =80 | Cardiff University | 60.3 | 52.2 | 48.2 | 69.7 | 76.1 | 79 |
| =11 | =80 | University of Bath | 60.3 | 51.1 | 39 | 78.2 | 55.7 | 87.7 |
| 13 | 87 | University of Exeter | 59.5 | 46 | 34.4 | 85.5 | 49.4 | 80.5 |
| 14 | 88 | University of Sheffield | 59.2 | 43.7 | 40.7 | 81 | 71.4 | 71.7 |
| 15 | 90 | University of Warwick | 58.6 | 45.6 | 44.6 | 72.3 | 53.8 | 92.5 |
| 16 | 91 | Birkbeck, University of London | 57.9 | 42.2 | 47.8 | 69.8 | 67.1 | 88.7 |
| 17 | 92 | University of Kent | 57.7 | 31.9 | 33.5 | 88.3 | 61.7 | 89.5 |
| 18 | =98 | University of Nottingham | 57.1 | 43.5 | 38.3 | 73.4 | 75.6 | 85.9 |
| =19 | 101–125 | University of Essex | 55.3–56.9 | 44.8 | 28.5 | 78.5 | 53.3 | 90.7 |
| =19 | 101–125 | University of Leeds | 55.3–56.9 | 40.1 | 36.6 | 78.1 | 73.3 | 79.7 |
| =19 | 101–125 | University of Manchester | 55.3–56.9 | 43.3 | 42.2 | 73.3 | 74.9 | 70.3 |
| =19 | 101–125 | University of Southampton | 55.3–56.9 | 41 | 28.1 | 82.6 | 67.2 | 90 |
| =19 | 101–125 | University of St Andrews | 55.3–56.9 | 47.8 | 36.5 | 67.8 | 71.6 | 93.8 |
| =24 | 126–150 | Durham University | 52.6–55.2 | 38.4 | 32.3 | 75.6 | 63.9 | 91.9 |
| =24 | 126–150 | Goldsmiths, University of London | 52.6–55.2 | 38.8 | 26.8 | 78.9 | 64 | 88.2 |
| =24 | 126–150 | Lancaster University | 52.6–55.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 | 70.5 | 53.5 | 84.5 |
| =24 | 126–150 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 52.6–55.2 | 43.9 | 28.5 | 69.2 | 61.4 | 87 |
| =28 | 151–175 | Loughborough University | 49.7–52.1 | 39.1 | 38.3 | 67.2 | 38.6 | 76.7 |
| =28 | 151–175 | University of Reading | 49.7–52.1 | 25.4 | 17.4 | 83.4 | 67.1 | 83.6 |
| =28 | 151–175 | University of Surrey | 49.7–52.1 | 39 | 26 | 70.9 | 66.7 | 79.8 |
| =31 | 201–250 | Aston University | 45.3–48.3 | 15.7 | 15.1 | 83.3 | 79.3 | 70.2 |
| =31 | 201–250 | City St George’s, University of London | 45.3–48.3 | 31.7 | 25.4 | 66.1 | 64.8 | 89.5 |
| =31 | 201–250 | Newcastle University | 45.3–48.3 | 31.4 | 29.1 | 66.7 | 68.1 | 72.3 |
| =31 | 201–250 | Nottingham Trent University | 45.3–48.3 | 23.9 | 22.2 | 78 | 26 | 86.4 |
| =31 | 201–250 | Queen’s University Belfast | 45.3–48.3 | 27.7 | 27.9 | 68.3 | 55.4 | 94.5 |
| =31 | 201–250 | Swansea University | 45.3–48.3 | 20.1 | 18.3 | 80.1 | 66.3 | 76.8 |
| =31 | 201–250 | UWE Bristol (University of the West of England) | 45.3–48.3 | 22.2 | 11.8 | 83.8 | 74 | 73.7 |
| =31 | 201–250 | University of Aberdeen | 45.3–48.3 | 31.1 | 26.1 | 63.1 | 67.1 | 92.8 |
| =31 | 201–250 | University of Liverpool | 45.3–48.3 | 29.1 | 26.3 | 72.5 | 64.4 | 70.6 |
| =31 | 201–250 | University of Portsmouth | 45.3–48.3 | 21.1 | 23.4 | 72.1 | 49.1 | 88.9 |
| =41 | 251–300 | Brunel University of London | 42.8–45.2 | 20.6 | 18.5 | 71.4 | 54.5 | 94.2 |
| =41 | 251–300 | Oxford Brookes University | 42.8–45.2 | 23.2 | 24.1 | 66.6 | 26.5 | 79 |
| =41 | 251–300 | University of Hertfordshire | 42.8–45.2 | 25.4 | 14.4 | 69.5 | 59.3 | 76.1 |
| =41 | 251–300 | University of Leicester | 42.8–45.2 | 22.4 | 13.6 | 75.2 | 50.3 | 84.1 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) | 38.3–42.6 | 16.7 | 15 | 69.3 | 28.1 | 90.2 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Bangor University | 38.3–42.6 | 28.4 | 18.5 | 48.7 | 67.3 | 85.4 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Edinburgh Napier University | 38.3–42.6 | 16 | 13 | 73.7 | 22.7 | 79.5 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Heriot-Watt University | 38.3–42.6 | 18.5 | 10.5 | 73.6 | 44.9 | 90.6 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Kingston University | 38.3–42.6 | 17.5 | 13.4 | 65.8 | 63.4 | 91.7 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Liverpool John Moores University | 38.3–42.6 | 19.1 | 17.5 | 60.8 | 62.7 | 64.6 |
| =45 | 301–400 | London South Bank University | 38.3–42.6 | 18.1 | 12.8 | 64.5 | 17.4 | 93.6 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 38.3–42.6 | 22.5 | 14.3 | 64.3 | 33.7 | 65.4 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Middlesex University | 38.3–42.6 | 27.5 | 17.1 | 63.5 | 31.8 | 80.9 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Northumbria University | 38.3–42.6 | 14.6 | 17.6 | 67.8 | 70.8 | 75.1 |
| =45 | 301–400 | Ulster University | 38.3–42.6 | 16.9 | 17.8 | 66.3 | 42.5 | 79.2 |
| =45 | 301–400 | University of Brighton | 38.3–42.6 | 14.3 | 18.2 | 63.5 | 66.8 | 75.2 |
| =45 | 301–400 | University of Derby | 38.3–42.6 | 22.7 | 14.4 | 69.1 | 34.3 | 62.5 |
| =45 | 301–400 | University of Dundee | 38.3–42.6 | 19.6 | 15.9 | 57.9 | 60.6 | 88.4 |
| =45 | 301–400 | University of East Anglia | 38.3–42.6 | 28.2 | 16.9 | 63.7 | 26.5 | 80.4 |
| =45 | 301–400 | University of Greenwich | 38.3–42.6 | 14.2 | 9.1 | 68.5 | 28.9 | 92.8 |
| =45 | 301–400 | University of Stirling | 38.3–42.6 | 22.6 | 19.2 | 62.2 | 50.3 | 88.6 |
| =45 | 301–400 | University of Strathclyde | 38.3–42.6 | 21.3 | 19.5 | 63.6 | 46.2 | 72 |
| =63 | 401–500 | Bournemouth University | 33.6–38.2 | 13.9 | 11.7 | 62.1 | 34.9 | 83.4 |
| =63 | 401–500 | Coventry University | 33.6–38.2 | 19.5 | 10.7 | 61 | 28.3 | 85.6 |
| =63 | 401–500 | De Montfort University | 33.6–38.2 | 14.8 | 9.2 | 57.9 | 32.6 | 89.7 |
| =63 | 401–500 | Glasgow Caledonian University | 33.6–38.2 | 18.3 | 11.7 | 52.6 | 56.4 | 67.6 |
| =63 | 401–500 | Keele University | 33.6–38.2 | 17.2 | 11.2 | 56.9 | 56.2 | 70 |
| =63 | 401–500 | Leeds Beckett University | 33.6–38.2 | 17.5 | 10.7 | 63.3 | 21.3 | 58.1 |
| =63 | 401–500 | Teesside University | 33.6–38.2 | 25.5 | 9.1 | 63.3 | 17.4 | 67.9 |
| =63 | 401–500 | University of East London | 33.6–38.2 | 29.3 | 12.8 | 53.4 | 45.5 | 80 |
| =63 | 401–500 | University of Huddersfield | 33.6–38.2 | 19.6 | 11 | 68.1 | 29.8 | 63.3 |
| =63 | 401–500 | University of Lincoln | 33.6–38.2 | 20.1 | 13.7 | 61.6 | 37.3 | 69.9 |
| =63 | 401–500 | University of Plymouth | 33.6–38.2 | 25.9 | 14.9 | 51 | 61.1 | 82.3 |
| =63 | 401–500 | University of Roehampton | 33.6–38.2 | 17.9 | 10.2 | 52.9 | 44.7 | 82.9 |
| =63 | 401–500 | University of Westminster | 33.6–38.2 | 13.3 | 9.3 | 54.9 | 69.4 | 78 |
| =63 | 401–500 | University of Winchester | 33.6–38.2 | 12 | 8.8 | 66.2 | 22.5 | 67.8 |
| =63 | 401–500 | York St John University | 33.6–38.2 | 18.1 | 12.9 | 68.5 | 17.4 | 54.6 |
| =78 | 501–600 | Canterbury Christ Church University | 28.2–33.5 | 24.9 | 8 | 44.9 | 33.4 | 60.7 |
| =78 | 501–600 | Cardiff Metropolitan University | 28.2–33.5 | 14.3 | 11.7 | 48.5 | 27.4 | 63.9 |
| =78 | 501–600 | Edge Hill University | 28.2–33.5 | 15.3 | 10.4 | 54.6 | 24.9 | 63.4 |
| =78 | 501–600 | Liverpool Hope University | 28.2–33.5 | 14.4 | 9.7 | 53.7 | 21.9 | 81 |
| =78 | 501–600 | Sheffield Hallam University | 28.2–33.5 | 12.1 | 9.4 | 53.2 | 37.9 | 65.8 |
| =78 | 501–600 | The Open University | 28.2–33.5 | 16.7 | 9.5 | 47.1 | 28.3 | 55 |
| =78 | 501–600 | University of Hull | 28.2–33.5 | 24.5 | 11.7 | 45.3 | 56.1 | 73.4 |
| =78 | 501–600 | University of Lancashire | 28.2–33.5 | 12.8 | 12.7 | 55.2 | 46.8 | 65.6 |
| =78 | 501–600 | University of Salford | 28.2–33.5 | 13.6 | 10.4 | 46.6 | 33.5 | 61 |
| =78 | 501–600 | University of Wolverhampton | 28.2–33.5 | 20 | 9.8 | 45.6 | 22.5 | 64.5 |
| =88 | 601+ | Birmingham City University | 15.4–28.1 | 11.9 | 8.3 | 46.6 | 20.3 | 73.6 |
| =88 | 601+ | University of Chester | 15.4–28.1 | 12.8 | 8.2 | 33.4 | 31.6 | 54.6 |
| =88 | 601+ | University of South Wales | 15.4–28.1 | 21.4 | 12.1 | 37.1 | 17.4 | 50.7 |
| =88 | 601+ | University of Staffordshire | 15.4–28.1 | 24.9 | 7.8 | 35.5 | 17.4 | 43.3 |
| =88 | 601+ | University of the West of Scotland | 15.4–28.1 | 11.9 | 9.2 | 41.2 | 44.4 | 62.8 |

