38 Best Painting and Drawing schools 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 Painting and Drawing. A graph of 35.9K citations received by 4.1K academic papers made by 38 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. Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#1 in Europe

#1 in the World

Founded: 1932

2. University College London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#2 in Europe

#2 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

3. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Painting and Drawing

#3 in Europe

#4 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

4. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Painting and Drawing

#6 in Europe

#8 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

5. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Painting and Drawing

#9 in Europe

#17 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

6. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Painting and Drawing

#23 in Europe

#43 in the World

Founded: 1824

7. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Painting and Drawing

#26 in Europe

#50 in the World

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

8. Durham University

England | Durham

For Painting and Drawing

#30 in Europe

#57 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

9. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Painting and Drawing

#32 in Europe

#61 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

10. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#35 in Europe

#69 in the World

Founded: 1823

11. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Painting and Drawing

#37 in Europe

#72 in the World

Founded: 1948

12. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Painting and Drawing

#39 in Europe

#76 in the World

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

13. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Painting and Drawing

#40 in Europe

#79 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

14. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Painting and Drawing

#41 in Europe

#80 in the World

Founded: 1451

15. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Painting and Drawing

#42 in Europe

#82 in the World

Founded: 1900

16. University of York

For Painting and Drawing

#44 in Europe

#86 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

17. Imperial College London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#52 in Europe

#102 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

18. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Painting and Drawing

#53 in Europe

#103 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

19. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Painting and Drawing

#56 in Europe

#108 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

20. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Painting and Drawing

#58 in Europe

#111 in the World

Founded: 1992

21. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Painting and Drawing

#60 in Europe

#115 in the World

Founded: 1495

22. King's College London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#68 in Europe

#127 in the World

Founded: 1829

23. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Painting and Drawing

#72 in Europe

#137 in the World

Founded: 1904

24. Goldsmiths, University of London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#78 in Europe

#153 in the World

Founded: 1904

25. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Painting and Drawing

#83 in Europe

#161 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

26. University of Bath

For Painting and Drawing

#88 in Europe

#173 in the World

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

27. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Painting and Drawing

#92 in Europe

#181 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

28. University of the Arts London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#93 in Europe

#186 in the World

Founded: 1986

29. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Painting and Drawing

#97 in Europe

#192 in the World

Founded: 1965

30. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Painting and Drawing

#99 in Europe

#199 in the World

Founded: 1849

31. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Painting and Drawing

#100 in Europe

#201 in the World

Founded: 1892

32. University of Westminster

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#113 in Europe

#230 in the World

Enrollment: 19,000
Founded: 1838

33. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Painting and Drawing

#115 in Europe

#234 in the World

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

34. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Painting and Drawing

#119 in Europe

#239 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

35. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Painting and Drawing

#123 in Europe

#248 in the World

Founded: 1905

36. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Painting and Drawing

#124 in Europe

#250 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

37. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Painting and Drawing

#126 in Europe

#255 in the World

Founded: 1968

38. University of London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#129 in Europe

#262 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

The best cities to study Painting and Drawing in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are London, Oxford, Cambridge, and Edinburgh.