100 Best universities for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in the United Kingdom

Below is a list of best universities in the United Kingdom ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 146M citations received by 5.15M academic papers made by 153 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.

1. University of Oxford

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1 in Europe
#6 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Founded
1096

2. University of Cambridge

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#2 in Europe
#9 in the World
Acceptance Rate
21%
Founded
1209

3. University College London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#3 in Europe
#22 in the World
Enrollment
42,000
Founded
1826

4. University of Manchester

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#4 in Europe
#32 in the World
Founded
1824

5. University of Edinburgh

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#5 in Europe
#36 in the World
Acceptance Rate
51%
Founded
1583

6. King's College London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#7 in Europe
#51 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Founded
1829

7. Imperial College London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#9 in Europe
#56 in the World
Acceptance Rate
15%
Enrollment
17,565
Founded
1907

8. University of Bristol

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#10 in Europe
#58 in the World
Acceptance Rate
68%
Enrollment
27,513
Founded
1909

9. University of Sheffield

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#13 in Europe
#65 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Founded
1905

10. University of Birmingham

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#14 in Europe
#67 in the World
Founded
1900

11. London School of Economics and Political Science

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#15 in Europe
#69 in the World
Acceptance Rate
9%
Founded
1895

12. University of Nottingham

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#16 in Europe
#71 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Founded
1948

13. University of Leeds

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#17 in Europe
#76 in the World
Founded
1904

14. University of Glasgow

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#19 in Europe
#85 in the World
Founded
1451

15. University of Warwick

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#23 in Europe
#93 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Enrollment
27,278
Founded
1965

16. University of Southampton

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#26 in Europe
#101 in the World
Acceptance Rate
84%
Enrollment
21,335
Founded
1952

17. University of London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#34 in Europe
#119 in the World
Enrollment
50,000
Founded
1836

18. University of Liverpool

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#36 in Europe
#122 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Enrollment
28,693
Founded
1881

19. Newcastle University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#39 in Europe
#131 in the World
Acceptance Rate
87%
Founded
1963

20. University of Sussex

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#40 in Europe
#132 in the World
Enrollment
17,319
Male:Female
44:56
Founded
1961

21. University of York

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#41 in Europe
#134 in the World
Acceptance Rate
20%
Founded
1963

22. Cardiff University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#46 in Europe
#143 in the World
Acceptance Rate
20%
Founded
1997

23. Lancaster University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#50 in Europe
#157 in the World
Acceptance Rate
19%
Founded
1964

24. Durham University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#51 in Europe
#161 in the World
Acceptance Rate
41%
Enrollment
19,520
Founded
1832

25. University of Exeter

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#53 in Europe
#163 in the World
Acceptance Rate
73%
Founded
1955

26. University of Leicester

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#62 in Europe
#185 in the World
Acceptance Rate
72%
Enrollment
24,409
Male:Female
46:54
Founded
1957

27. Queen Mary University of London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#63 in Europe
#187 in the World
Acceptance Rate
44%
Founded
1989

28. University of Aberdeen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#64 in Europe
#190 in the World
Founded
1495

29. University of Reading

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#68 in Europe
#200 in the World
Acceptance Rate
86%
Founded
1892

30. University of East Anglia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#69 in Europe
#205 in the World
Acceptance Rate
22%
Founded
1963

31. Loughborough University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#83 in Europe
#236 in the World
Acceptance Rate
68%
Enrollment
19,449
Founded
1966

32. University of St Andrews

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#94 in Europe
#254 in the World
Enrollment
10,425
Founded
1413

33. University of Essex

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#97 in Europe
#264 in the World
Founded
1964

34. University of Kent

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#99 in Europe
#271 in the World
Founded
1965

35. Queen's University Belfast

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#101 in Europe
#275 in the World
Acceptance Rate
31%
Founded
1849

36. University of Surrey

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#105 in Europe
#283 in the World
Acceptance Rate
65%
Enrollment
16,900
Founded
1966

37. University of Wales

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#117 in Europe
#304 in the World
Founded
1893

38. University of Strathclyde

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#121 in Europe
#312 in the World
Acceptance Rate
42%
Founded
1964

39. University of Bath

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#130 in Europe
#334 in the World
Acceptance Rate
67%
Enrollment
18,857
Male:Female
53:47
Founded
1966

40. University of the West of England

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#138 in Europe
#348 in the World
Enrollment
30,732
Founded
1992

41. Royal Holloway, University of London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#148 in Europe
#370 in the World
Acceptance Rate
17%
Founded
1849

42. University of Dundee

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#150 in Europe
#374 in the World
Founded
1967

43. Birkbeck, University of London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#153 in Europe
#377 in the World
Acceptance Rate
76%
Founded
1823

44. Swansea University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#156 in Europe
#386 in the World
Founded
1920

45. University of Stirling

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#158 in Europe
#394 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Enrollment
14,000
Founded
1967

46. Keele University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#164 in Europe
#407 in the World
Founded
1962

47. Brunel University London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#170 in Europe
#418 in the World
Acceptance Rate
54%
Founded
1966

48. University of Hull

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#175 in Europe
#427 in the World
Acceptance Rate
79%
Founded
1954

49. City, University of London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#184 in Europe
#455 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Founded
1966

50. Manchester Metropolitan University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#204 in Europe
#503 in the World
Acceptance Rate
80%
Founded
1992

51. Ulster University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#205 in Europe
#506 in the World
Acceptance Rate
81%
Founded
1968

52. University of Plymouth

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#207 in Europe
#510 in the World
Acceptance Rate
85%
Founded
1992

53. St George's, University of London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#211 in Europe
#522 in the World
Founded
1733

54. Bangor University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#215 in Europe
#529 in the World
Enrollment
11,270
Founded
1884

55. Goldsmiths, University of London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#217 in Europe
#538 in the World
Acceptance Rate
17%
Founded
1904

56. Northumbria University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#223 in Europe
#552 in the World
Founded
1992

57. University of Bradford

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#242 in Europe
#597 in the World
Acceptance Rate
52%
Founded
1966

58. Cranfield University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#243 in Europe
#599 in the World
Acceptance Rate
68%
Enrollment
4,825
Founded
1993

59. University of Salford

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#244 in Europe
#600 in the World
Acceptance Rate
8%
Founded
1967

60. Nottingham Trent University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#246 in Europe
#603 in the World
Acceptance Rate
22%
Founded
1992

61. University of Portsmouth

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#249 in Europe
#608 in the World
Acceptance Rate
69%
Founded
1992

62. Oxford Brookes University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#259 in Europe
#629 in the World
Enrollment
16,900
Founded
1865

63. De Montfort University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#265 in Europe
#644 in the World
Founded
1992

64. Liverpool John Moores University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#272 in Europe
#661 in the World
Founded
1992

65. Aston University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#274 in Europe
#664 in the World
Acceptance Rate
50%
Founded
1895

66. SOAS, University of London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#279 in Europe
#676 in the World
Acceptance Rate
44%
Enrollment
8,200
Founded
1916

67. Sheffield Hallam University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#282 in Europe
#681 in the World
Acceptance Rate
43%
Founded
1992

68. Aberystwyth University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#289 in Europe
#703 in the World
Acceptance Rate
94%
Founded
1872

69. University of Hertfordshire

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#293 in Europe
#711 in the World
Acceptance Rate
70%
Founded
1992

70. University of Westminster

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#300 in Europe
#732 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Enrollment
19,000
Founded
1838

71. London Business School

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#301 in Europe
#736 in the World
Acceptance Rate
35%
Founded
1964

72. Bournemouth University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#307 in Europe
#752 in the World
Enrollment
14,293
Founded
1992

73. Coventry University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#309 in Europe
#756 in the World
Acceptance Rate
32%
Enrollment
22,980
Founded
1992

74. University of Brighton

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#312 in Europe
#764 in the World
Acceptance Rate
72%
Founded
1992

75. Leeds Beckett University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#321 in Europe
#788 in the World
Acceptance Rate
75%
Founded
1992

76. University of Huddersfield

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#322 in Europe
#789 in the World
Acceptance Rate
69%
Founded
1992

77. Middlesex University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#324 in Europe
#794 in the World
Acceptance Rate
57%
Founded
1973

78. University of Wolverhampton

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#327 in Europe
#807 in the World
Founded
1992

79. University of Central Lancashire

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#329 in Europe
#820 in the World
Acceptance Rate
23%
Founded
1992

80. Heriot-Watt University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#335 in Europe
#827 in the World
Founded
1966

81. Glasgow Caledonian University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#343 in Europe
#852 in the World
Acceptance Rate
23%
Founded
1993

82. University of Greenwich

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#357 in Europe
#901 in the World
Founded
1890

83. London Metropolitan University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#368 in Europe
#939 in the World
Acceptance Rate
84%
Founded
1848

84. University of East London

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#373 in Europe
#965 in the World
Founded
1992

85. London South Bank University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#376 in Europe
#986 in the World
Acceptance Rate
17%
Founded
1892

86. University of Roehampton

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#380 in Europe
#1001 in the World
Acceptance Rate
42%
Founded
2004

87. University of South Wales

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#386 in Europe
#1011 in the World
Acceptance Rate
20%
Founded
1841

88. Edinburgh Napier University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#398 in Europe
#1053 in the World
Acceptance Rate
56%
Founded
1992

89. Kingston University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#411 in Europe
#1085 in the World
Acceptance Rate
41%
Founded
1992

90. Teesside University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#415 in Europe
#1090 in the World
Acceptance Rate
31%
Enrollment
19,290
Founded
1992

91. University of Lincoln

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#416 in Europe
#1093 in the World
Acceptance Rate
91%
Founded
1992

92. Anglia Ruskin University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#438 in Europe
#1162 in the World
Acceptance Rate
52%
Founded
1858

93. Staffordshire University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#440 in Europe
#1169 in the World
Acceptance Rate
57%
Founded
1992

94. Canterbury Christ Church University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#468 in Europe
#1273 in the World
Founded
2005

95. University of Sunderland

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#470 in Europe
#1284 in the World
Enrollment
19,090
Founded
1992

96. University of Bedfordshire

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#473 in Europe
#1294 in the World
Acceptance Rate
80%
Founded
2006

97. Robert Gordon University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#479 in Europe
#1320 in the World
Acceptance Rate
22%
Founded
1992

98. University of the West of Scotland

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#481 in Europe
#1324 in the World
Acceptance Rate
27%
Enrollment
15,555
Founded
1897

99. Birmingham City University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#489 in Europe
#1342 in the World
Acceptance Rate
52%
Founded
1992

100. University of Derby

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#503 in Europe
#1385 in the World
Acceptance Rate
76%
Enrollment
25,000
Founded
1992

The best cities to study Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Manchester.