62 Best Acting (Performing arts/Drama theatre) schools in the United Kingdom

Ranking by academic field

Below is the list of best universities in the United Kingdom ranked based on their research performance in Performing arts. A graph of 49.8K citations received by 7.56K academic papers made by 62 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 topical rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science profiles.

1. University of Cambridge

England | Cambridge

For Performing arts

#1 in Europe

#3 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Enrollment: 22,500
Founded: 1209

2. University College London

England | London

For Performing arts

#2 in Europe

#5 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

3. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Performing arts

#3 in Europe

#6 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Enrollment: 27,500
Founded: 1096

4. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Performing arts

#4 in Europe

#8 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1948

5. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Performing arts

#5 in Europe

#13 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1964

6. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Performing arts

#6 in Europe

#14 in the World

Enrollment: 37,500
Founded: 1904

7. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Performing arts

#7 in Europe

#17 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

8. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Performing arts

#8 in Europe

#19 in the World

Enrollment: 42,500
Founded: 1824

9. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Performing arts

#9 in Europe

#20 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1905

10. King's College London

England | London

For Performing arts

#10 in Europe

#21 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1829

11. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Performing arts

#12 in Europe

#28 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1583

12. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Performing arts

#13 in Europe

#31 in the World

Enrollment: 27,500
Founded: 1955

13. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Performing arts

#16 in Europe

#39 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1892

14. Durham University

England | Durham

For Performing arts

#17 in Europe

#41 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

15. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Performing arts

#18 in Europe

#44 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Enrollment: 27,500
Founded: 1963

16. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Performing arts

#19 in Europe

#48 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Enrollment: 23,590
Founded: 1909

17. University of York

For Performing arts

#20 in Europe

#49 in the World

Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1963

18. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Performing arts

#21 in Europe

#52 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Enrollment: 24,409
Male:Female: 46:54
Founded: 1957

19. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Performing arts

#24 in Europe

#58 in the World

Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1451

20. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Performing arts

#25 in Europe

#59 in the World

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

21. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Performing arts

#26 in Europe

#60 in the World

Enrollment: 37,500
Founded: 1900

22. University of London

England | London

For Performing arts

#28 in Europe

#65 in the World

Enrollment: 170,000
Founded: 1836

23. Queen Mary University of London

England | London

For Performing arts

#30 in Europe

#68 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Enrollment: 22,500
Founded: 1989

24. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Performing arts

#31 in Europe

#74 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1997

25. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Performing arts

#32 in Europe

#76 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1849

26. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Performing arts

#35 in Europe

#82 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

27. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Performing arts

#37 in Europe

#88 in the World

Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1963

28. London School of Economics and Political Science

England | London

For Performing arts

#39 in Europe

#90 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1895

29. Sheffield Hallam University

England | Sheffield

For Performing arts

#41 in Europe

#92 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1992

30. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Performing arts

#47 in Europe

#112 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1992

31. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Performing arts

#48 in Europe

#117 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Enrollment: 22,500
Founded: 1967

32. Oxford Brookes University

England | Oxford

For Performing arts

#49 in Europe

#118 in the World

Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1865

33. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Performing arts

#50 in Europe

#124 in the World

Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1965

34. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Performing arts

#51 in Europe

#127 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

35. University of the West of England

England | Bristol

For Performing arts

#54 in Europe

#136 in the World

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

36. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Performing arts

#55 in Europe

#139 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 22,500
Founded: 1849

37. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Performing arts

#56 in Europe

#141 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1966

38. Keele University

England | Keele

For Performing arts

#61 in Europe

#152 in the World

Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1962

39. University of St Andrews

Scotland | St Andrews

For Performing arts

#64 in Europe

#158 in the World

Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1413

40. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Performing arts

#65 in Europe

#161 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1992

41. University of Sunderland

England | Sunderland

For Performing arts

#68 in Europe

#173 in the World

Enrollment: 19,090
Founded: 1992

42. University of Huddersfield

England | Huddersfield

For Performing arts

#69 in Europe

#178 in the World

Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1992

43. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Performing arts

#70 in Europe

#180 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1966

44. University of Surrey

England | Guildford

For Performing arts

#71 in Europe

#182 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

45. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Performing arts

#72 in Europe

#184 in the World

Enrollment: 27,500
Founded: 1992

46. De Montfort University

England | Leicester

For Performing arts

#73 in Europe

#189 in the World

Enrollment: 27,500
Founded: 1992

47. Birkbeck, University of London

England | London

For Performing arts

#75 in Europe

#192 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1823

48. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Performing arts

#77 in Europe

#197 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Enrollment: 22,500
Founded: 1992

49. Aberystwyth University

Wales | Aberystwyth

For Performing arts

#78 in Europe

#198 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Enrollment: 7,500
Founded: 1872

50. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Performing arts

#79 in Europe

#199 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 14,000
Founded: 1967

51. Leeds Beckett University

England | Leeds

For Performing arts

#80 in Europe

#201 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Enrollment: 22,500
Founded: 1992

52. Middlesex University

England | London

For Performing arts

#81 in Europe

#202 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1973

53. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Performing arts

#82 in Europe

#208 in the World

Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1495

54. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Performing arts

#83 in Europe

#209 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1954

55. University of Winchester

England | Winchester

For Performing arts

#85 in Europe

#221 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Enrollment: 7,500
Founded: 2005

56. Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London

England | London

For Performing arts

#86 in Europe

#230 in the World

Enrollment: 375
Founded: 1932

57. Goldsmiths, University of London

England | London

For Performing arts

#90 in Europe

#236 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 1904

58. University of Northampton

England | Northampton

For Performing arts

#92 in Europe

#241 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 2005

59. Bangor University

For Performing arts

#97 in Europe

#251 in the World

Enrollment: 11,270
Founded: 1884

60. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Performing arts

#99 in Europe

#257 in the World

Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1964

61. University of Roehampton

England | London

For Performing arts

#100 in Europe

#259 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Enrollment: 12,500
Founded: 2004

62. Kingston University

England | Kingston upon Thames

For Performing arts

#103 in Europe

#271 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Enrollment: 17,500
Founded: 1992

The best cities to study Performing arts in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are Cambridge, London, Oxford, and Nottingham.