71 Best universities for Social Work in the United Kingdom

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in the United Kingdom ranked based on their research performance in Social Work. A graph of 156K citations received by 8.08K academic papers made by 71 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. King's College London

England | London

For Social Work

#1 in Europe

#19 in the World

Founded: 1829

2. University of York

England | York

For Social Work

#2 in Europe

#27 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1963

3. University of Edinburgh

Scotland | Edinburgh

For Social Work

#3 in Europe

#30 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

4. University of Nottingham

England | Nottingham

For Social Work

#4 in Europe

#33 in the World

Founded: 1948

5. University of Bristol

England | Bristol

For Social Work

#5 in Europe

#34 in the World

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

6. University of Birmingham

England | Birmingham

For Social Work

#6 in Europe

#37 in the World

Founded: 1900

7. Queen's University Belfast

Northern Ireland | Belfast

For Social Work

#7 in Europe

#39 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

8. University of Manchester

England | Manchester

For Social Work

#8 in Europe

#47 in the World

Founded: 1824

9. University of East Anglia

England | Norwich

For Social Work

#10 in Europe

#49 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

10. University College London

England | London

For Social Work

#11 in Europe

#55 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

11. University of Sheffield

England | Sheffield

For Social Work

#12 in Europe

#63 in the World

Founded: 1905

12. Cardiff University

Wales | Cardiff

For Social Work

#13 in Europe

#65 in the World

Founded: 1997

13. University of Dundee

Scotland | Dundee

For Social Work

#14 in Europe

#67 in the World

Founded: 1967

14. University of Bedfordshire

England | Luton

For Social Work

#15 in Europe

#68 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Founded: 2006

15. Ulster University

Northern Ireland | Coleraine

For Social Work

#16 in Europe

#69 in the World

Founded: 1968

16. Brunel University London

England | Uxbridge

For Social Work

#17 in Europe

#70 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

17. University of Sussex

England | Brighton

For Social Work

#18 in Europe

#71 in the World

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

18. Lancaster University

England | Lancaster

For Social Work

#19 in Europe

#72 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

19. University of Huddersfield

England | Huddersfield

For Social Work

#20 in Europe

#76 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

20. Durham University

England | Durham

For Social Work

#21 in Europe

#87 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

21. University of Kent

England | Canterbury

For Social Work

#24 in Europe

#98 in the World

Founded: 1965

22. University of Warwick

England | Coventry

For Social Work

#25 in Europe

#100 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

23. University of Southampton

England | Southampton

For Social Work

#27 in Europe

#105 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

24. University of Bradford

England | Bradford

For Social Work

#28 in Europe

#112 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1966

25. University of Plymouth

England | Plymouth

For Social Work

#30 in Europe

#116 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1992

26. Manchester Metropolitan University

England | Manchester

For Social Work

#31 in Europe

#117 in the World

Founded: 1992

27. University of Stirling

Scotland | Stirling

For Social Work

#32 in Europe

#120 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 14,000
Founded: 1967

28. London School of Economics and Political Science

England | London

For Social Work

#33 in Europe

#127 in the World

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

29. University of Hull

England | Kingston upon Hull

For Social Work

#35 in Europe

#131 in the World

Founded: 1954

30. University of Salford

England | Salford

For Social Work

#37 in Europe

#135 in the World

Founded: 1967

31. University of Glasgow

Scotland | Glasgow

For Social Work

#38 in Europe

#138 in the World

Founded: 1451

32. University of Leicester

England | Leicester

For Social Work

#39 in Europe

#141 in the World

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

33. Royal Holloway, University of London

England | Egham

For Social Work

#43 in Europe

#148 in the World

Founded: 1849

34. Anglia Ruskin University

England | Cambridge

For Social Work

#44 in Europe

#150 in the World

Founded: 1858

35. University of Central Lancashire

England | Preston

For Social Work

#45 in Europe

#151 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1992

36. Northumbria University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Social Work

#47 in Europe

#158 in the World

Founded: 1992

37. Bournemouth University

England | Poole

For Social Work

#48 in Europe

#163 in the World

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

38. University of Oxford

England | Oxford

For Social Work

#50 in Europe

#167 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

39. University of Exeter

England | Exeter

For Social Work

#52 in Europe

#171 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

40. University of Bath

England | Bath

For Social Work

#55 in Europe

#181 in the World

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

41. Keele University

England | Keele

For Social Work

#56 in Europe

#185 in the World

Founded: 1962

42. Nottingham Trent University

England | Nottingham

For Social Work

#57 in Europe

#187 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1992

43. University of Strathclyde

Scotland | Glasgow

For Social Work

#59 in Europe

#193 in the World

Founded: 1964

44. University of Liverpool

England | Liverpool

For Social Work

#60 in Europe

#196 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

45. London Metropolitan University

England | London

For Social Work

#63 in Europe

#203 in the World

Founded: 1848

46. Swansea University

Wales | Swansea

For Social Work

#64 in Europe

#204 in the World

Founded: 1920

47. University of Leeds

England | Leeds

For Social Work

#65 in Europe

#205 in the World

Founded: 1904

48. Newcastle University

England | Newcastle upon Tyne

For Social Work

#66 in Europe

#207 in the World

Founded: 1963

49. Kingston University

England | Kingston upon Thames

For Social Work

#67 in Europe

#209 in the World

Founded: 1992

50. London South Bank University

England | London

For Social Work

#69 in Europe

#215 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 1892

51. Goldsmiths, University of London

England | London

For Social Work

#71 in Europe

#220 in the World

Founded: 1904

52. University of London

England | London

For Social Work

#72 in Europe

#222 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

53. University of Wolverhampton

England | Wolverhampton

For Social Work

#73 in Europe

#224 in the World

Founded: 1992

54. University of the West of England

England | Bristol

For Social Work

#74 in Europe

#225 in the World

Enrollment: 30,732
Founded: 1992

55. Coventry University

England | Coventry

For Social Work

#79 in Europe

#232 in the World

Enrollment: 22,980
Founded: 1992

56. University of Brighton

England | Brighton

For Social Work

#80 in Europe

#237 in the World

Founded: 1992

57. University of Wales

Wales | Cardiff

For Social Work

#81 in Europe

#238 in the World

Founded: 1893

58. Bangor University

Wales | Bangor

For Social Work

#82 in Europe

#246 in the World

Enrollment: 11,270
Founded: 1884

59. University of East London

England | London

For Social Work

#83 in Europe

#248 in the World

Founded: 1992

60. University of Lincoln

England | Lincoln

For Social Work

#84 in Europe

#249 in the World

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

61. Leeds Beckett University

England | Leeds

For Social Work

#85 in Europe

#257 in the World

Founded: 1992

62. University of Hertfordshire

England | Hatfield

For Social Work

#87 in Europe

#260 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

63. Loughborough University

England | Loughborough

For Social Work

#91 in Europe

#269 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

64. University of Essex

England | Colchester

For Social Work

#93 in Europe

#277 in the World

Founded: 1964

65. St George's, University of London

England | London

For Social Work

#94 in Europe

#278 in the World

Founded: 1733

66. University of Aberdeen

Scotland | Aberdeen

For Social Work

#96 in Europe

#284 in the World

Founded: 1495

67. Middlesex University

England | London

For Social Work

#98 in Europe

#287 in the World

Founded: 1973

68. University of Reading

England | Reading

For Social Work

#99 in Europe

#289 in the World

Founded: 1892

69. Glasgow Caledonian University

Scotland | Glasgow

For Social Work

#100 in Europe

#296 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1993

70. Staffordshire University

England | Stoke-on-Trent

For Social Work

#101 in Europe

#297 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1992

71. Sheffield Hallam University

England | Sheffield

For Social Work

#102 in Europe

#299 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1992

The best cities to study Social Work in the United Kingdom based on the number of universities and their ranks are London, York, Edinburgh, and Nottingham.

Psychology subfields in the United Kingdom

Child Psychology131

Clinical Psychology126

Cognitive Science129

Education Majors138

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution101

Neuroscience138

Occupational Therapy87

Organizational / Business / IO Psychology72