37 Best Painting and Drawing schools in the United Kingdom

Updated: February 29, 2024

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 22.7K citations received by 3.64K academic papers made by 37 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 College London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#1 in Europe

#1 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

2. Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#4 in Europe

#4 in the World

Founded: 1932

3. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Painting and Drawing

#5 in Europe

#6 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

4. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Painting and Drawing

#6 in Europe

#7 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

5. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Painting and Drawing

#11 in Europe

#16 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

6. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Painting and Drawing

#18 in Europe

#33 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

7. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Painting and Drawing

#27 in Europe

#50 in the World

Founded: 1824

8. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Painting and Drawing

#30 in Europe

#55 in the World

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

9. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Painting and Drawing

#33 in Europe

#61 in the World

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

10. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#35 in Europe

#63 in the World

Founded: 1823

11. Imperial College London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#36 in Europe

#64 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

12. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Painting and Drawing

#37 in Europe

#65 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

13. Durham University

England | Durham

For Painting and Drawing

#40 in Europe

#68 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

14. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Painting and Drawing

#42 in Europe

#74 in the World

Founded: 1451

15. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Painting and Drawing

#44 in Europe

#78 in the World

Founded: 1495

16. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Painting and Drawing

#52 in Europe

#99 in the World

Founded: 1948

17. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Painting and Drawing

#54 in Europe

#105 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

18. University of York

For Painting and Drawing

#59 in Europe

#111 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

19. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Painting and Drawing

#60 in Europe

#112 in the World

Founded: 1992

20. King's College London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#71 in Europe

#128 in the World

Founded: 1829

21. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Painting and Drawing

#72 in Europe

#129 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

22. University of Bath

For Painting and Drawing

#75 in Europe

#133 in the World

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

23. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Painting and Drawing

#76 in Europe

#138 in the World

Founded: 1904

24. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Painting and Drawing

#84 in Europe

#155 in the World

Founded: 1849

25. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Painting and Drawing

#86 in Europe

#159 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

26. Goldsmiths, University of London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#89 in Europe

#168 in the World

Founded: 1904

27. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Painting and Drawing

#94 in Europe

#180 in the World

Founded: 1968

28. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Painting and Drawing

#99 in Europe

#189 in the World

Founded: 1905

29. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Painting and Drawing

#100 in Europe

#190 in the World

Founded: 1965

30. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Painting and Drawing

#104 in Europe

#203 in the World

Founded: 1900

31. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Painting and Drawing

#106 in Europe

#210 in the World

Founded: 1892

32. University of Westminster

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#110 in Europe

#221 in the World

Enrollment: 19,000
Founded: 1838

33. University of London

England | London

For Painting and Drawing

#113 in Europe

#224 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

34. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Painting and Drawing

#122 in Europe

#240 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

35. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Painting and Drawing

#124 in Europe

#242 in the World

Founded: 1964

36. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Painting and Drawing

#125 in Europe

#247 in the World

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

37. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Painting and Drawing

#129 in Europe

#255 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

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.