Top universities in the UK for psychology degrees 2022

UK Psychology Rank 2022	WUR Psychology Rank 2022	University
=14	101–125	University of Bath
=14	101–125	University of Bristol
=14	101–125	Durham University
=14	101–125	Lancaster University

Rankings and reputation

Our awards, accolades and league table rankings in university guides.

• Factsheet
• View more corporate information in University of Bath

Highlights

• Ranked 4th overall out of 122 in the THE Student Experience Survey 2018
• Ranked 8th best university in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2022
• Ranked 9th best overall by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022
• 86% for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2021

Guides and rankings

Guide	Year	Ranking	Institutions ranked	Location
The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide	2022	9	135	National
The Guardian University Guide	2022	8	121	National
The Complete University Guide	2022	10	130	National
Whatuni Student Choice Awards	2019	42	131	National
QS World University Rankings	2022	166	1,300	International
Times Higher Education World University Rankings	2021	201-250	1,527	International
Leiden Ranking	2019	163	963	International

National rankings

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 places us 9th out of 135 institutions.

We’re also ranked 7th for graduate prospects.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 ranks 17 of our subjects in the top ten, including:

• 1st for Architecture and Criminology
• 2nd for Psychology, Sociology, and Sports Science
• 3rd for Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering

The Guardian University Guide

We are 8th in the Guardian University Guide 2022, with 13 subjects in the top ten, including ranking 2nd for Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, and Sports Science.

The guide ranks universities in nine key areas, including course satisfaction, student-to-staff ratio, and graduate prospects.

Complete University Guide

We are ranked 10th out of 130 UK universities in the Complete University Guide 2022.

We’re also ranked 6th for graduate prospects.

The guide uses ten factors to score each university. It also publishes individual subject rankings based on:

• student satisfaction
• research quality
• entry standards
• graduate prospects

The Complete University guide ranks 16 of our 26 subjects in the top ten. We are ranked as the number one place to study Marketing in the UK.

Whatuni Student Choice Awards

We are ranked 9th for job prospects and 16th for student clubs and societies in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2019.

These awards are based on reviews submitted by more than 41,000 students across the UK.

International rankings

QS World University Rankings

In the QS World University Rankings 2022 we have an overall ranking of 166 out of 1,300 universities around the world.

Times Higher Education

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 we have an overall ranking of 201-250 out of 1,527 universities from around the world.

Leiden Ranking

In the 2019 Leiden Ranking, we are 163rd in the world for the proportion of our publications that were in the top 10% most frequently cited, compared with other publications in the same field and year.

The Leiden Ranking measures the scientific performance of 963 universities worldwide. Using a sophisticated set of bibliometric indicators, the ranking aims to provide highly accurate measurements of the scientific impact of universities and their involvement in scientific collaboration.

The ranking is based on over 25 years’ bibliometric experience at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) of Leiden University.

This year Leiden introduced new indicator on open access. Bath is ranked 15th in the world for 75% of our papers are open access.

Awards and ratings

National Student Survey

Our students continue to be among the most satisfied in the UK, according to the 2021 National Student Survey (NSS). Our overall student satisfaction rate is 86.06%.

Six of our courses received satisfaction ratings of 100% with a further 20 receiving satisfaction ratings of 90% or above.

Our courses that scored 100% were:

• BA (Hons) Sport & Social Sciences
• BSc (Hons) Chemistry with Industrial Placement
• BSc (Hons) Social Sciences with Year long work placement
• MEng (Hons) Civil and Architectural Engineering with Year long work placement
• MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
• MPharmacol (Hons) Pharmacology with Year-long work placement

Our departments that scored over 90% for student satisfaction were:

• Architecture & Civil Engineering
• Biology & Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Education
• Health
• Pharmacy & Pharmacology

Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey

We are ranked 4th overall out of 122 in the THE Student Experience Survey 2018. Our students scored us highly for our facilities (2nd), the extra-curricular activities and societies on offer (2nd), the campus environment (3rd) and for meeting their personal requirements (3rd).

Around 20,000 full-time undergraduates took part in the survey. They were asked to judge their student experience across 22 categories, including teaching, wellbeing support and campus facilities.

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The results of the REF 2014 confirm the excellence of the research carried out at Bath.

32% of our submitted research activity achieved the highest possible REF classification of 4*, defined as world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour. 87% was graded 4*/3*, defined as world-leading and internationally excellent.

See a detailed breakdown of our REF results.

Queen’s Anniversary Prizes

We have been awarded two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education. This is the country’s most prestigious national recognition for a UK academic or vocational institution.

In 2011, we received the Queen’s award for our Department of Social & Policy Sciences’ ‘Influential research into child poverty and support for vulnerable people‘.

We were also awarded the prize in 2000 to recognise the ‘invaluable services to industrial and scientific communities’ of the Centre for Power Transmission & Motion Control.

Part of Times
Higher Education

• Discover
• Before you go
• Events
• Courses

LoginFree sign upTHE Academic

Best universities for psychology degrees in the UK 2022

Explore the best universities the UK for psychology degrees using data from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022

In the UK, psychology is one of the most popular subjects for students to take at degree level. Often, psychology courses at UK universities are accredited and follow guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society, which is key for students who wish to pursue a career as a practising psychologist with chartered status.

There are no strict criteria for studying psychology in the UK, but it is important to have an analytical mind and an interest in human behaviour. Certain grades will be expected depending on the university, as well as a clear interest in the subject.

As for post-graduation prospects, psychology graduates are well equipped to join many industries given the course’s transferable skills.

These are the best universities in the UK for psychology degrees.

---

Best universities in the world for psychology degrees
Best universities for psychology degrees in Canada
Best universities for psychology degrees in Australia
Best universities for psychology degrees in the US

---

1. University of Cambridge 

The psychological and behavioural sciences tripos at the University of Cambridge covers teaching in cognitive, social, developmental and biological psychology within the broader context of the behavioural sciences.

Undergraduates are able to conduct laboratory work from their second year onwards to supplement their coursework and seminar learning. As students progress through the course there are are opportunities to specialise further. 

Potential study areas include statistics, neuroanatomy, neurotransmitters, neuroimaging, developmental psychology, psychopathology, cognitive psychology, language,  gender, family relationships and influences, personality and group social behaviour.

2. UCL

UCL was founded in 1826 with the aim of bringing higher education to those who were typically excluded from it.

The first year of the psychology undergraduate course offers students both compulsory and optional modules. Compulsory modules include experimental design in psychology, behaviour, individual differences, and social psychology. There are no optional modules in the second year, but students will learn across modules in health and clinical psychology, and language and cognition.

In the final year, students will carry out semi-independent research while taking other compulsory modules.

UCL offers a couple of taught psychology master’s programmes, including psychological sciences and psychology of education. There are also research master’s degrees available in psychiatry and human development and psychiatry.

---

---

3. King’s College London

Psychology courses at King’s College London are taken through the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, which is Europe’s largest centre for research and education in these combined fields. It’s also home to the to the UK’s oldest clinical psychology training programme.

There are a range of undergraduate and postgraduate psychology courses that cover neuroscience, health psychology and clinical psychology. The course curricula are regularly updated with the latest research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.

King’s College London has partnerships with the South London and Maudsley Hospital, and clinician-scientists will often offer placements and voluntary work to psychology students to help develop their real-world experience.

There is also the opportunity to undertake a year abroad or a year in professional development. Partner professional organisations for this initiative include HM Prison Wandsworth, the Priory Clinic and Community Clinical teams. Partner universities are located in New York, Melbourne, New Zealand, Canada and South Korea.

King’s is also home to the Institute of Psychiatry Library, the largest psychiatric library in western Europe, with a range of specialised resources covering psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, neurology, genetics and psychotherapy.

4. University of Edinburgh

The department of psychology at the University of Edinburgh was established in 1906 before being incorporated into the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences in 2003.

It offers both undergraduate and postgraduate training, including several taught and research master’s, and doctoral programmes.

ADVERTISEMENT

The single honours psychology degree and most of the joint undergraduate psychology degrees at the University of Edinburgh are accredited by the British Psychological Society, enabling students to go on to further professional training.

At undergraduate level, teaching is mostly conducted in lectures and small group meetings called tutorials during your first two years. Tutorials, which typically comprise about 10 students, provide an opportunity to discuss topics in greater detail.  In years three and four, the emphasis shifts to more specialised, seminar-based courses and independent study.

The department’s teaching facilities include a private psychology library, computer suites and well-equipped teaching rooms.

It has about 40 members of academic staff spanning all major areas of academic psychology: cognition, development, individual differences, neuroscience and social psychology.

5. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

The LSE’s department of psychological and behavioural science offers both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including several taught and research master’s, and doctoral programmes, all from its central London location.

The undergraduate course focuses on developing core knowledge in the subject as well as developing research and statistical analysis skills.

There are a range of postgraduate courses available in areas including social psychology, psychology of economic life and behavioural science. The LSE also has a dedicated library – the Himmelweit Library for Social Psychology.

ADVERTISEMENT

The psychology department at the LSE hosts a variety of academic and social events, talks, trips, competitions and parties. It also teams up with LSE services, including careers advisers.

---

Top universities in the UK for psychology degrees 2022

Click each institution to view its World University Ranking 2022 profile

UK Psychology Rank 2022	WUR Psychology Rank 2022	University	City/ Town
1	1	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
2	6	UCL	London
3	12	King’s College London	London
4	18	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
5	43	London School of Economics and Political Science	London
6	=49	University of Kent	Canterbury
7	57	University of Manchester	Manchester
8	=67	Cardiff University	Cardiff
9	=70	University of St Andrews	St Andrews
10	76	University of Warwick	Coventry
11	91	University of Glasgow	Glasgow
=12	=95	University of Exeter	Exeter
=12	=95	University of York	York
=14	101–125	University of Bath	Bath
=14	101–125	University of Bristol	Bristol
=14	101–125	Durham University	Durham
=14	101–125	Lancaster University	Lancaster
=14	101–125	Nottingham Trent University	Nottingham
=14	101–125	University of Sheffield	Sheffield
=14	101–125	University of Southampton	Southampton
=14	101–125	University of Sussex	Brighton
=22	126–150	Birkbeck, University of London	London
=22	126–150	University of Birmingham	Birmingham
=22	126–150	University of Nottingham	Nottingham
=22	126–150	University of Reading	Reading
=26	151–175	Aston University	Birmingham
=26	151–175	Goldsmiths, University of London	London
=26	151–175	University of Leeds	Leeds
=26	151–175	Newcastle University	Newcastle
=30	176–200	City, University of London	London
=30	176–200	University of East Anglia	Norwich
=30	176–200	Middlesex University	London
=30	176–200	Queen’s University Belfast	Belfast
=30	176–200	University of the West of England	Bristol
=35	201–250	Anglia Ruskin University ARU	Cambridge
=35	201–250	Brunel University London	London
=35	201–250	University of Derby	Derby
=35	201–250	Edinburgh Napier University	Edinburgh
=35	201–250	Kingston University	London
=35	201–250	Loughborough University	Loughborough
=35	201–250	University of Portsmouth	Portsmouth
=35	201–250	Royal Holloway, University of London	London
=35	201–250	University of Stirling	Stirling
=35	201–250	University of Surrey	Guildford
=35	201–250	Ulster University	Belfast
=46	251–300	Bangor University	Bangor
=46	251–300	Coventry University	Coventry
=46	251–300	University of Essex	Essex
=46	251–300	Keele University	Keele
=46	251–300	Leeds Beckett University	Leeds
=46	251–300	University of Leicester	Leicester
=46	251–300	University of Liverpool	Liverpool
=53	301–400	University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen
=53	301–400	University of Dundee	Dundee
=53	301–400	University of Plymouth	Plymouth
=53	301–400	Bournemouth University	Bournemouth
=53	301–400	De Montfort University	Leicester
=53	301–400	University of Greenwich	London
=53	301–400	University of Hertfordshire	Hatfield
=53	301–400	Northumbria University	Newcastle
=53	301–400	Swansea University	Swansea
=62	401–500	Canterbury Christ Church University	Canterbury
=62	401–500	University of Central Lancashire	Preston
=62	401–500	University of East London	London
=62	401–500	Edge Hill University	Ormskirk
=62	401–500	University of Huddersfield	Huddersfield
=62	401–500	University of Hull	Hull
=62	401–500	University of Lincoln	Lincoln
=62	401–500	Liverpool John Moores University	Liverpool
=62	401–500	London South Bank University	London
=62	401–500	Manchester Metropolitan University	Manchester
=62	401–500	The Open University	Nationwide
=62	401–500	Oxford Brookes University	Oxford
=62	401–500	University of Roehampton	London
=62	401–500	University of Salford	Salford
=62	401–500	Sheffield Hallam University	Sheffield
=62	401–500	University of Strathclyde	Glasgow
=62	401–500	University of Wolverhampton	Wolverhampton

---