100 Best universities for Literature in England

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in England ranked based on their research performance in Literature. A graph of 2.78M citations received by 186K academic papers made by 117 universities in England 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 Oxford

For Literature

#1 in the United Kingdom

#1 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

2. University of Cambridge

For Literature

#2 in the United Kingdom

#2 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

3. University College London

For Literature

#3 in the United Kingdom

#3 in Europe

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

4. University of Manchester

For Literature

#4 in the United Kingdom

#4 in Europe

Founded: 1824

5. King's College London

For Literature

#6 in the United Kingdom

#6 in Europe

Founded: 1829

6. University of Birmingham

For Literature

#7 in the United Kingdom

#7 in Europe

Founded: 1900

7. University of Leeds

For Literature

#8 in the United Kingdom

#8 in Europe

Founded: 1904

8. University of Bristol

For Literature

#10 in the United Kingdom

#12 in Europe

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

9. University of Warwick

For Literature

#11 in the United Kingdom

#13 in Europe

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

10. University of Sheffield

For Literature

#12 in the United Kingdom

#14 in Europe

Founded: 1905

11. University of Nottingham

For Literature

#13 in the United Kingdom

#15 in Europe

Founded: 1948

12. Durham University

For Literature

#14 in the United Kingdom

#17 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

13. University of Exeter

For Literature

#15 in the United Kingdom

#20 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

14. Imperial College London

For Literature

#16 in the United Kingdom

#22 in Europe

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

15. Lancaster University

For Literature

#17 in the United Kingdom

#23 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

16. University of Sussex

For Literature

#18 in the United Kingdom

#24 in Europe

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

17. University of Southampton

For Literature

#19 in the United Kingdom

#25 in Europe

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

18. London School of Economics and Political Science

For Literature

#20 in the United Kingdom

#29 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 9,218
Founded: 1895

19. University of London

For Literature

#21 in the United Kingdom

#30 in Europe

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

20. University of Liverpool

For Literature

#22 in the United Kingdom

#31 in Europe

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

21. University of York

For Literature

#23 in the United Kingdom

#32 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

22. Queen Mary University of London

For Literature

#24 in the United Kingdom

#33 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

23. Newcastle University

Newcastle upon Tyne

For Literature

#25 in the United Kingdom

#37 in Europe

Founded: 1963

24. University of Leicester

For Literature

#28 in the United Kingdom

#53 in Europe

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

25. University of Reading

For Literature

#29 in the United Kingdom

#54 in Europe

Founded: 1892

26. Loughborough University

For Literature

#30 in the United Kingdom

#55 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

27. University of Kent

For Literature

#31 in the United Kingdom

#59 in Europe

Founded: 1965

28. University of East Anglia

For Literature

#32 in the United Kingdom

#61 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

29. Royal Holloway, University of London

For Literature

#33 in the United Kingdom

#65 in Europe

Founded: 1849

30. University of Surrey

For Literature

#36 in the United Kingdom

#85 in Europe

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

31. Birkbeck, University of London

For Literature

#38 in the United Kingdom

#88 in Europe

Founded: 1823

32. Keele University

For Literature

#39 in the United Kingdom

#89 in Europe

Founded: 1962

33. Goldsmiths, University of London

For Literature

#40 in the United Kingdom

#91 in Europe

Founded: 1904

34. University of Essex

For Literature

#42 in the United Kingdom

#98 in Europe

Founded: 1964

35. University of Plymouth

For Literature

#46 in the United Kingdom

#121 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

36. University of Bath

For Literature

#47 in the United Kingdom

#123 in Europe

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

37. Nottingham Trent University

For Literature

#48 in the United Kingdom

#124 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

38. Manchester Metropolitan University

For Literature

#49 in the United Kingdom

#139 in Europe

Founded: 1992

39. Brunel University London

For Literature

#50 in the United Kingdom

#141 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

40. City, University of London

For Literature

#52 in the United Kingdom

#158 in Europe

Founded: 1966

41. University of Hull

Kingston upon Hull

For Literature

#53 in the United Kingdom

#159 in Europe

Founded: 1954

42. University of Salford

For Literature

#54 in the United Kingdom

#163 in Europe

Founded: 1967

43. SOAS, University of London

For Literature

#55 in the United Kingdom

#166 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Enrollment: 6,295
Founded: 1916

44. University of Portsmouth

For Literature

#56 in the United Kingdom

#167 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

45. University of the West of England

For Literature

#57 in the United Kingdom

#168 in Europe

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

46. University of Roehampton

For Literature

#58 in the United Kingdom

#174 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 2004

47. Northumbria University

Newcastle upon Tyne

For Literature

#59 in the United Kingdom

#183 in Europe

Founded: 1992

48. Sheffield Hallam University

For Literature

#60 in the United Kingdom

#187 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

49. Oxford Brookes University

For Literature

#61 in the United Kingdom

#196 in Europe

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1865

50. De Montfort University

For Literature

#62 in the United Kingdom

#199 in Europe

Founded: 1992

51. University of Wolverhampton

For Literature

#65 in the United Kingdom

#214 in Europe

Founded: 1992

52. University of Brighton

For Literature

#66 in the United Kingdom

#216 in Europe

Founded: 1992

53. University of Huddersfield

For Literature

#67 in the United Kingdom

#221 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

54. University of Bradford

For Literature

#68 in the United Kingdom

#225 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

55. Bournemouth University

For Literature

#69 in the United Kingdom

#229 in Europe

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

56. University of Hertfordshire

For Literature

#70 in the United Kingdom

#235 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

57. Liverpool John Moores University

For Literature

#71 in the United Kingdom

#245 in Europe

Founded: 1992

58. Leeds Beckett University

For Literature

#72 in the United Kingdom

#249 in Europe

Founded: 1992

59. University of Westminster

For Literature

#73 in the United Kingdom

#250 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,000
Founded: 1838

60. Coventry University

For Literature

#74 in the United Kingdom

#252 in Europe

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

61. Aston University

For Literature

#75 in the United Kingdom

#256 in Europe

Founded: 1895

62. Middlesex University

For Literature

#76 in the United Kingdom

#257 in Europe

Founded: 1973

63. Cranfield University

For Literature

#77 in the United Kingdom

#280 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Enrollment: 4,825
Founded: 1993

64. Teesside University

For Literature

#78 in the United Kingdom

#290 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,290
Founded: 1992

65. University of East London

For Literature

#79 in the United Kingdom

#291 in Europe

Founded: 1992

66. University of Lincoln

For Literature

#80 in the United Kingdom

#304 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Founded: 1992

67. University of Central Lancashire

For Literature

#82 in the United Kingdom

#319 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1992

68. Staffordshire University

For Literature

#83 in the United Kingdom

#320 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1992

69. Anglia Ruskin University

For Literature

#84 in the United Kingdom

#321 in Europe

Founded: 1858

70. Canterbury Christ Church University

For Literature

#85 in the United Kingdom

#334 in Europe

Founded: 2005

71. University of Greenwich

For Literature

#87 in the United Kingdom

#343 in Europe

Founded: 1890

72. Kingston University

Kingston upon Thames

For Literature

#88 in the United Kingdom

#345 in Europe

Founded: 1992

73. London Metropolitan University

For Literature

#89 in the United Kingdom

#351 in Europe

Founded: 1848

74. Edge Hill University

For Literature

#91 in the United Kingdom

#364 in Europe

Founded: 2006

75. Birmingham City University

For Literature

#92 in the United Kingdom

#371 in Europe

Founded: 1992

76. London South Bank University

For Literature

#93 in the United Kingdom

#372 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

77. University of Winchester

For Literature

#94 in the United Kingdom

#379 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 2005

78. University of Sunderland

For Literature

#95 in the United Kingdom

#385 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,090
Founded: 1992

79. University of Derby

For Literature

#96 in the United Kingdom

#390 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1992

80. University of Chester

For Literature

#99 in the United Kingdom

#398 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Founded: 2005

81. University of Worcester

For Literature

#100 in the United Kingdom

#408 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Enrollment: 10,798
Founded: 2005

82. University of Northampton

For Literature

#101 in the United Kingdom

#420 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 2005

83. Liverpool Hope University

For Literature

#102 in the United Kingdom

#421 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Founded: 2005

84. University of Bedfordshire

For Literature

#103 in the United Kingdom

#423 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Founded: 2006

85. St George's, University of London

For Literature

#104 in the United Kingdom

#432 in Europe

Founded: 1733

86. Bath Spa University

For Literature

#106 in the United Kingdom

#443 in Europe

Enrollment: 6,863
Founded: 1975

87. Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London

For Literature

#107 in the United Kingdom

#447 in Europe

Founded: 1932

88. University of West London

For Literature

#109 in the United Kingdom

#454 in Europe

Founded: 1990

89. University of Gloucestershire

For Literature

#110 in the United Kingdom

#462 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Founded: 2001

90. University of the Arts London

For Literature

#112 in the United Kingdom

#472 in Europe

Founded: 1986

91. University of Bolton

For Literature

#113 in the United Kingdom

#484 in Europe

Founded: 2004

92. York St John University

For Literature

#114 in the United Kingdom

#497 in Europe

Founded: 1841

93. London Business School

For Literature

#115 in the United Kingdom

#503 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Founded: 1964

94. University of Chichester

For Literature

#117 in the United Kingdom

#543 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 2005

95. Solent University

For Literature

#118 in the United Kingdom

#555 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Enrollment: 11,340
Founded: 2004

96. Heythrop College

For Literature

#119 in the United Kingdom

#571 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Founded: 1614

97. Royal College of Music

For Literature

#120 in the United Kingdom

#598 in Europe

Founded: 1882

98. School of Advanced Study, University of London

For Literature

#121 in the United Kingdom

#631 in Europe

Founded: 1994

99. Royal Veterinary College University of London

For Literature

#122 in the United Kingdom

#633 in Europe

Founded: 1791

100. Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

For Literature

#124 in the United Kingdom

#708 in Europe

Founded: 2005

Closest to England states to learn Literature

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Wales	10	27
Scotland	18	5