58 Best universities for Graphic Design in the United Kingdom

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in the United Kingdom ranked based on their research performance in Graphic Design. A graph of 210K citations received by 4.69K academic papers made by 58 universities in the United Kingdom was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Graphic Design

#1 in Europe

#5 in the World

Founded: 1451

2. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Graphic Design

#3 in Europe

#22 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

3. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Graphic Design

#5 in Europe

#42 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

4. Imperial College London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#8 in Europe

#49 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

5. University College London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#9 in Europe

#50 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

6. Durham University

England | Durham

For Graphic Design

#11 in Europe

#53 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

7. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Graphic Design

#13 in Europe

#57 in the World

Founded: 1824

8. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Graphic Design

#15 in Europe

#60 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

9. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Graphic Design

#22 in Europe

#90 in the World

Founded: 1948

10. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Graphic Design

#28 in Europe

#101 in the World

Founded: 1904

11. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Graphic Design

#32 in Europe

#111 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

12. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Graphic Design

#34 in Europe

#113 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Enrollment: 27,513
Founded: 1909

13. University of York

For Graphic Design

#35 in Europe

#119 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

14. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Graphic Design

#37 in Europe

#123 in the World

Founded: 1905

15. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Graphic Design

#55 in Europe

#161 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

16. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Graphic Design

#59 in Europe

#175 in the World

Founded: 1963

17. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Graphic Design

#73 in Europe

#208 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

18. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Graphic Design

#95 in Europe

#255 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

19. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Graphic Design

#103 in Europe

#276 in the World

Enrollment: 17,319
Male:Female: 44:56
Founded: 1961

20. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Graphic Design

#108 in Europe

#291 in the World

Founded: 1997

21. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Graphic Design

#124 in Europe

#325 in the World

Founded: 1920

22. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Graphic Design

#128 in Europe

#338 in the World

Founded: 1900

23. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Graphic Design

#131 in Europe

#342 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

24. University of London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#132 in Europe

#348 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

25. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Graphic Design

#135 in Europe

#359 in the World

Founded: 1892

26. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#142 in Europe

#391 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

27. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Graphic Design

#156 in Europe

#414 in the World

Founded: 1893

28. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Graphic Design

#157 in Europe

#422 in the World

Founded: 1967

29. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Graphic Design

#159 in Europe

#426 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

30. King's College London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#160 in Europe

#432 in the World

Founded: 1829

31. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Graphic Design

#163 in Europe

#436 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

32. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Graphic Design

#165 in Europe

#438 in the World

Enrollment: 24,409
Male:Female: 46:54
Founded: 1957

33. Goldsmiths, University of London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#170 in Europe

#445 in the World

Founded: 1904

34. University of Bath

For Graphic Design

#172 in Europe

#449 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment: 18,857
Male:Female: 53:47
Founded: 1966

35. Bournemouth University

England | Poole

For Graphic Design

#181 in Europe

#468 in the World

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

36. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Graphic Design

#190 in Europe

#488 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

37. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Graphic Design

#198 in Europe

#501 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

38. Royal College of Art

England | London

For Graphic Design

#202 in Europe

#508 in the World

Founded: 1896

39. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Graphic Design

#206 in Europe

#519 in the World

Founded: 1992

40. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Graphic Design

#207 in Europe

#529 in the World

Founded: 1965

41. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Graphic Design

#211 in Europe

#538 in the World

Founded: 1964

42. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Graphic Design

#213 in Europe

#543 in the World

Founded: 1968

43. Edinburgh Napier University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Graphic Design

#219 in Europe

#565 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1992

44. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Graphic Design

#220 in Europe

#567 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

45. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Graphic Design

#222 in Europe

#570 in the World

Founded: 1992

46. City, University of London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#225 in Europe

#574 in the World

Founded: 1966

47. Sheffield Hallam University

England | Sheffield

For Graphic Design

#229 in Europe

#582 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

48. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Graphic Design

#230 in Europe

#587 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

49. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For Graphic Design

#233 in Europe

#600 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

50. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Graphic Design

#255 in Europe

#666 in the World

Founded: 1966

51. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Graphic Design

#264 in Europe

#697 in the World

Founded: 1967

52. Oxford Brookes University

England | Oxford

For Graphic Design

#267 in Europe

#704 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1865

53. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Graphic Design

#273 in Europe

#723 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

54. Middlesex University

England | London

For Graphic Design

#277 in Europe

#743 in the World

Founded: 1973

55. University of Central Lancashire

England | Preston

For Graphic Design

#282 in Europe

#755 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1992

56. London Metropolitan University

England | London

For Graphic Design

#283 in Europe

#756 in the World

Founded: 1848

57. De Montfort University

England | Leicester

For Graphic Design

#284 in Europe

#757 in the World

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 1992

58. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Graphic Design

#289 in Europe

#768 in the World

Founded: 1992

The best cities to study Graphic Design in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are Glasgow, Cambridge, Oxford, and London.