75 Best Acting (Performing arts/Drama theatre) schools in England

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in England ranked based on their research performance in Performing arts. A graph of 238K citations received by 13.4K academic papers made by 75 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 Performing arts

#1 in the United Kingdom

#1 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

2. University College London

For Performing arts

#2 in the United Kingdom

#2 in Europe

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

3. University of Cambridge

For Performing arts

#3 in the United Kingdom

#3 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

4. University of Manchester

For Performing arts

#4 in the United Kingdom

#4 in Europe

Founded: 1824

5. University of Leeds

For Performing arts

#5 in the United Kingdom

#5 in Europe

Founded: 1904

6. King's College London

For Performing arts

#7 in the United Kingdom

#9 in Europe

Founded: 1829

7. University of Sheffield

For Performing arts

#8 in the United Kingdom

#10 in Europe

Founded: 1905

8. University of Exeter

For Performing arts

#10 in the United Kingdom

#13 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

9. University of Reading

For Performing arts

#11 in the United Kingdom

#14 in Europe

Founded: 1892

10. University of Nottingham

For Performing arts

#12 in the United Kingdom

#16 in Europe

Founded: 1948

11. University of Bristol

For Performing arts

#13 in the United Kingdom

#17 in Europe

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

12. University of Warwick

For Performing arts

#14 in the United Kingdom

#18 in Europe

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

13. University of Birmingham

For Performing arts

#15 in the United Kingdom

#19 in Europe

Founded: 1900

14. Loughborough University

For Performing arts

#16 in the United Kingdom

#23 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

15. Royal Holloway, University of London

For Performing arts

#17 in the United Kingdom

#24 in Europe

Founded: 1849

16. Lancaster University

For Performing arts

#18 in the United Kingdom

#25 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

17. University of East Anglia

For Performing arts

#19 in the United Kingdom

#29 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

18. Durham University

For Performing arts

#20 in the United Kingdom

#30 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

19. Queen Mary University of London

For Performing arts

#21 in the United Kingdom

#32 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

20. University of Southampton

For Performing arts

#22 in the United Kingdom

#35 in Europe

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

21. University of London

For Performing arts

#23 in the United Kingdom

#36 in Europe

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

22. Newcastle University

Newcastle upon Tyne

For Performing arts

#24 in the United Kingdom

#38 in Europe

Founded: 1963

23. University of Liverpool

For Performing arts

#25 in the United Kingdom

#41 in Europe

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

24. University of York

For Performing arts

#28 in the United Kingdom

#47 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

25. University of Brighton

For Performing arts

#29 in the United Kingdom

#51 in Europe

Founded: 1992

26. University of Kent

For Performing arts

#30 in the United Kingdom

#58 in Europe

Founded: 1965

27. Imperial College London

For Performing arts

#31 in the United Kingdom

#60 in Europe

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

28. University of Leicester

For Performing arts

#33 in the United Kingdom

#63 in Europe

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

29. Goldsmiths, University of London

For Performing arts

#34 in the United Kingdom

#66 in Europe

Founded: 1904

30. University of Sussex

For Performing arts

#35 in the United Kingdom

#70 in Europe

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

31. Brunel University London

For Performing arts

#36 in the United Kingdom

#77 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

32. De Montfort University

For Performing arts

#37 in the United Kingdom

#78 in Europe

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 1992

33. London School of Economics and Political Science

For Performing arts

#39 in the United Kingdom

#82 in Europe

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

34. Sheffield Hallam University

For Performing arts

#40 in the United Kingdom

#86 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

35. University of Hull

Kingston upon Hull

For Performing arts

#42 in the United Kingdom

#92 in Europe

Founded: 1954

36. Kingston University

Kingston upon Thames

For Performing arts

#43 in the United Kingdom

#93 in Europe

Founded: 1992

37. Keele University

For Performing arts

#44 in the United Kingdom

#94 in Europe

Founded: 1962

38. Northumbria University

Newcastle upon Tyne

For Performing arts

#45 in the United Kingdom

#95 in Europe

Founded: 1992

39. Birkbeck, University of London

For Performing arts

#47 in the United Kingdom

#105 in Europe

Founded: 1823

40. University of Surrey

For Performing arts

#48 in the United Kingdom

#107 in Europe

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

41. University of Roehampton

For Performing arts

#49 in the United Kingdom

#108 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 2004

42. University of Huddersfield

For Performing arts

#50 in the United Kingdom

#113 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

43. University of Salford

For Performing arts

#51 in the United Kingdom

#115 in Europe

Founded: 1967

44. Oxford Brookes University

For Performing arts

#54 in the United Kingdom

#128 in Europe

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1865

45. Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London

For Performing arts

#56 in the United Kingdom

#131 in Europe

Founded: 1932

46. University of the West of England

For Performing arts

#57 in the United Kingdom

#141 in Europe

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

47. University of Bath

For Performing arts

#60 in the United Kingdom

#147 in Europe

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

48. University of Winchester

For Performing arts

#61 in the United Kingdom

#150 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 2005

49. University of Essex

For Performing arts

#62 in the United Kingdom

#151 in Europe

Founded: 1964

50. Nottingham Trent University

For Performing arts

#63 in the United Kingdom

#152 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

51. Manchester Metropolitan University

For Performing arts

#64 in the United Kingdom

#153 in Europe

Founded: 1992

52. University of Plymouth

For Performing arts

#65 in the United Kingdom

#161 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

53. City, University of London

For Performing arts

#66 in the United Kingdom

#164 in Europe

Founded: 1966

54. Anglia Ruskin University

For Performing arts

#67 in the United Kingdom

#169 in Europe

Founded: 1858

55. Edge Hill University

For Performing arts

#68 in the United Kingdom

#189 in Europe

Founded: 2006

56. Birmingham City University

For Performing arts

#70 in the United Kingdom

#205 in Europe

Founded: 1992

57. University of Lincoln

For Performing arts

#71 in the United Kingdom

#210 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Enrollment: 19,710
Founded: 1992

58. Coventry University

For Performing arts

#72 in the United Kingdom

#214 in Europe

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

59. Leeds Beckett University

For Performing arts

#73 in the United Kingdom

#218 in Europe

Founded: 1992

60. Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

For Performing arts

#74 in the United Kingdom

#221 in Europe

Enrollment: 1,000
Founded: 1906

61. Liverpool John Moores University

For Performing arts

#75 in the United Kingdom

#231 in Europe

Founded: 1992

62. University of Hertfordshire

For Performing arts

#76 in the United Kingdom

#235 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

63. Middlesex University

For Performing arts

#77 in the United Kingdom

#237 in Europe

Founded: 1973

64. University of Portsmouth

For Performing arts

#78 in the United Kingdom

#243 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

65. University of the Arts London

For Performing arts

#79 in the United Kingdom

#247 in Europe

Founded: 1986

66. Teesside University

For Performing arts

#80 in the United Kingdom

#255 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,290
Founded: 1992

67. Bournemouth University

For Performing arts

#81 in the United Kingdom

#261 in Europe

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

68. University of Westminster

For Performing arts

#82 in the United Kingdom

#265 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,000
Founded: 1838

69. Canterbury Christ Church University

For Performing arts

#83 in the United Kingdom

#266 in Europe

Founded: 2005

70. University of Sunderland

For Performing arts

#84 in the United Kingdom

#267 in Europe

Enrollment: 19,090
Founded: 1992

71. London South Bank University

For Performing arts

#85 in the United Kingdom

#272 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

72. University of East London

For Performing arts

#87 in the United Kingdom

#276 in Europe

Founded: 1992

73. University of Wolverhampton

For Performing arts

#88 in the United Kingdom

#283 in Europe

Founded: 1992

74. University of Northampton

For Performing arts

#91 in the United Kingdom

#304 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 2005

75. London Metropolitan University

For Performing arts

#92 in the United Kingdom

#308 in Europe

Founded: 1848

Closest to England states to learn Performing arts

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Wales	7	27
Scotland	9	6