57 Best universities for Graphic Design in the United Kingdom

Updated: March 15, 2026

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 223K citations received by 4.76K academic papers made by 57 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

#41 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

4. University College London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#8 in Europe

#48 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

5. Imperial College London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#9 in Europe

#50 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

6. Durham University

England | Durham

For Graphic Design

#10 in Europe

#51 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

7. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Graphic Design

#15 in Europe

#64 in the World

Founded: 1824

8. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Graphic Design

#16 in Europe

#71 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

9. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Graphic Design

#23 in Europe

#93 in the World

Founded: 1948

10. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Graphic Design

#31 in Europe

#110 in the World

Founded: 1904

11. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Graphic Design

#35 in Europe

#115 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

12. University of York

For Graphic Design

#37 in Europe

#121 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

13. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Graphic Design

#40 in Europe

#127 in the World

Founded: 1905

14. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Graphic Design

#44 in Europe

#134 in the World

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

15. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Graphic Design

#55 in Europe

#165 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

16. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Graphic Design

#61 in Europe

#180 in the World

Founded: 1963

17. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Graphic Design

#76 in Europe

#217 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

18. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Graphic Design

#99 in Europe

#264 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

19. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Graphic Design

#110 in Europe

#294 in the World

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

20. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Graphic Design

#112 in Europe

#301 in the World

Founded: 1997

21. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Graphic Design

#118 in Europe

#309 in the World

Founded: 1900

22. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Graphic Design

#128 in Europe

#336 in the World

Founded: 1920

23. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Graphic Design

#129 in Europe

#337 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

24. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#130 in Europe

#340 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

25. University of London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#134 in Europe

#358 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

26. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Graphic Design

#137 in Europe

#364 in the World

Founded: 1892

27. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Graphic Design

#143 in Europe

#387 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

28. King's College London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#154 in Europe

#414 in the World

Founded: 1829

29. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Graphic Design

#159 in Europe

#425 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

30. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Graphic Design

#163 in Europe

#432 in the World

Founded: 1967

31. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Graphic Design

#165 in Europe

#436 in the World

Founded: 1893

32. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Graphic Design

#172 in Europe

#447 in the World

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

33. Goldsmiths, University of London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#173 in Europe

#450 in the World

Founded: 1904

34. Bournemouth University

England | Poole

For Graphic Design

#184 in Europe

#480 in the World

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

35. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Graphic Design

#190 in Europe

#491 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

36. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Graphic Design

#193 in Europe

#497 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

37. University of Bath

For Graphic Design

#194 in Europe

#498 in the World

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

38. Royal College of Art

England | London

For Graphic Design

#204 in Europe

#518 in the World

Founded: 1896

39. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Graphic Design

#205 in Europe

#526 in the World

Founded: 1992

40. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Graphic Design

#209 in Europe

#541 in the World

Founded: 1968

41. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Graphic Design

#210 in Europe

#542 in the World

Founded: 1965

42. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Graphic Design

#215 in Europe

#554 in the World

Founded: 1964

43. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Graphic Design

#217 in Europe

#565 in the World

Founded: 1992

44. Edinburgh Napier University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Graphic Design

#218 in Europe

#566 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1992

45. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Graphic Design

#224 in Europe

#577 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

46. City, University of London

England | London

For Graphic Design

#226 in Europe

#582 in the World

Founded: 1966

47. Sheffield Hallam University

England | Sheffield

For Graphic Design

#228 in Europe

#588 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

48. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Graphic Design

#234 in Europe

#602 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

49. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For Graphic Design

#237 in Europe

#606 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

50. Heriot-Watt University

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Graphic Design

#262 in Europe

#681 in the World

Founded: 1966

51. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Graphic Design

#269 in Europe

#709 in the World

Founded: 1967

52. Oxford Brookes University

England | Oxford

For Graphic Design

#275 in Europe

#725 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1865

53. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Graphic Design

#278 in Europe

#729 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

54. Middlesex University

England | London

For Graphic Design

#287 in Europe

#764 in the World

Founded: 1973

55. University of Central Lancashire

England | Preston

For Graphic Design

#288 in Europe

#766 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1992

56. De Montfort University

England | Leicester

For Graphic Design

#289 in Europe

#767 in the World

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 1992

57. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Graphic Design

#290 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.