Best universities for social sciences degrees in the UK 2024

Explore the best universities in the UK for social sciences degrees, using data from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024

Best universities in

December 1 2022

Top 10 universities in the UK for social science degrees 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities for social sciences in the UK

UK social sciences rank 2024	Social sciences rank 2024	University	City/town
1	3	University of Oxford	Oxford
2	6	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
3	8	London School of Economics and Political Science	London
4	14	UCL	London
5	28	University of Manchester	Manchester
6	33	King’s College London	London
7	=38	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
8	52	University of Sheffield	Sheffield
9	68	University of Sussex	Brighton
10	=69	University of Leeds	Leeds

The social sciences are fields that explore the relationships between individuals and societies. Subjects under this umbrella include anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, linguistics, politics, psychology and sociology.

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In the UK, undergraduate courses tend to be in one subject within the social sciences as opposed to a singular social sciences degree.

However, if you are looking for a broader foundation in the social sciences, there are an increasing number of joint honours and liberal arts courses on offer that allow you to study several social science subjects alongside each other.

Below are the best universities for social sciences in the, UK according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024.

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5. University of Manchester

The University of Manchester’s School of Social Sciences offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. Courses include criminology, economics, law, philosophy, politics, social anthropology, social statistics and sociology. There are also PhD programmes available.

The university has a number of centres and institutes that facilitate research in the social sciences. These include the Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research and the Mitchell Centre for Social Network Analysis.

4. UCL

Located on its central London campus, UCL’s Social Research Institute specialises in the areas of education, employment, family, gender, health and well-being, migration and inequalities.

At the undergraduate level, UCL offers an interdisciplinary bachelor of social sciences degree for those looking for a broad foundation in the field. Students are taught how to understand and shape future policy and engage with global perspectives. Core modules include sociology, psychology and research methods, but students can choose additional modules that suit their own areas of interest.

At the graduate level, research can be carried out at across any of the institute’s seven sociology centres.

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3. London School of Economics and Political Science

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is located in central London and is one of the world’s leading specialist social science universities. It is particularly well known for its highly international student body, which represents about 140 countries.

There are more than 40 undergraduate degree programmes available across the social sciences. These include courses in anthropology, geography, history, economics and international relations. There are also a range of graduate courses on offer for students seeking to conduct research in these fields.

The university records a monthly podcast that includes discussions with leading social scientists.

2. University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge School of the Humanities and Social Sciences is comprised of seven main institutions including history, human, social and political science and history and philosophy of science among others.

The school offers a range social science courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level including human, social and political sciences (HSPS), geography, law, linguistics and many more. In all courses, students are taught different methodologies such as ethnography, quantitative analysis of big data and analysis of material culture and past societies.

1. University of Oxford

Perhaps the most famous social sciences degree at the University of Oxford is PPE: philosophy, politics and economics. A significant number of British prime ministers studied PPE at Oxford. Nobel Peace prizewinner and advocate for women’s education Malala Yousafzai also recently graduated from the course.

Aside from PPE, undergraduate courses within the social sciences include geography, archaeology and anthropology, and law and human sciences. There are also a range of research and teaching postgraduate courses in the social sciences that includes history, conservation management, international relations and sociology.

The University of Oxford Social Sciences Division is thought to be one of the world’s largest groupings of social scientists. Research is carried out in areas including aid, poverty and development, conflict, justice, climate change and resource management. Most recently, the university’s Blavatnik School of Government agreed to collaborate with other institutions as part of a £2 million global policy project to address the social impacts of Covid-19.

Top universities in the UK for social science degrees 2024

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 results.

UK social sciences rank 2024	Social sciences rank 2024	University	City/town
1	3	University of Oxford	Oxford
2	6	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
3	8	London School of Economics and Political Science	London
4	14	UCL	London
5	28	University of Manchester	Manchester
6	33	King’s College London	London
7	=38	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
8	52	University of Sheffield	Sheffield
9	68	University of Sussex	Brighton
10	=69	University of Leeds	Leeds
11	74	University of Essex	Essex
12	81	Durham University	Durham
13	83	University of Warwick	Warwick
14	97	Loughborough University	Loughborough
15	=98	University of Southampton	Southampton
=16	101–125	University of Bristol	Bristol
=16	101–125	University of Glasgow	Glasgow
=16	101–125	Lancaster University	Lancaster
=16	101–125	University of Surrey	Guildford
=20	126–150	University of Birmingham	Birmingham
=20	126–150	Cardiff University	Cardiff
=20	126–150	University of Exeter	Exeter
=20	126–150	Newcastle University	Newcastle
=20	126–150	University of Nottingham	Nottingham
=20	126–150	SOAS University of London	London
=20	126–150	University of York	York
=27	151–175	University of Bath	Bath
=27	151–175	Birkbeck, University of London	London
=27	151–175	City, University of London	London
=30	176–200	University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen
=30	176–200	University of East Anglia	Norwich
=30	176–200	Goldsmiths, University of London	London
=30	176–200	University of Reading	Reading
=30	176–200	University of St Andrews	St Andrews
=35	201–250	University of Kent	Kent
=35	201–250	University of Liverpool	Liverpool
=35	201–250	Queen Mary University of London	London
=35	201–250	University of Strathclyde	Strathclyde
=39	251–300	Aston University	Birmingham
=39	251–300	Bournemouth University	Bournemouth
=39	251–300	University of Bradford	Bradford
=39	251–300	Brunel University London	London
=39	251–300	University of Leicester	Leicester
=39	251–300	Queen’s University Belfast	Belfast
=39	251–300	Royal Holloway, University of London	London
=39	251–300	University of Stirling	Stirling
=39	251–300	Swansea University	Swansea
=48	301–400	Coventry University	Coventry
=48	301–400	University of Dundee	Dundee
=48	301–400	Edinburgh Napier University	Edinburgh
=48	301–400	Glasgow Caledonian University	Glasgow
=48	301–400	University of Huddersfield	Huddersfield
=48	301–400	Keele University	Keele
=48	301–400	Liverpool John Moores University	Liverpool
=48	301–400	Manchester Metropolitan University	Manchester
=48	301–400	The Open University	Nationwide
=48	301–400	University of the West of England	Bristol
=48	301–400	University of Westminster	London
=59	401–500	Aberystwyth University	Aberystwyth
=59	401–500	Bangor University	Bangor
=59	401–500	University of Brighton	Brighton
=59	401–500	De Montfort University	Leicester
=59	401–500	University of Hull	Hull
=59	401–500	Leeds Beckett University	Leeds
=59	401–500	Middlesex University	London
=59	401–500	Northumbria University	Northumbria
=59	401–500	Nottingham Trent University	Nottingham
=59	401–500	Oxford Brookes University	Oxford
=59	401–500	University of Portsmouth	Portsmouth
=59	401–500	University of Wolverhampton	Wolverhampton
=71	501–600	Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)	East Anglia
=71	501–600	University of Bedfordshire	Luton
=71	501–600	University of Derby	Derby
=71	501–600	University of Lincoln	Lincoln
=71	501–600	Sheffield Hallam University	Sheffield
=71	501–600	Ulster University	Ulster
=77	601–800	Birmingham City University	Birmingham
=77	601–800	Canterbury Christ Church University	Kent
=77	601–800	University of Central Lancashire	Preston
=77	601–800	University of East London	London
=77	601–800	Edge Hill University	Ormskirk
=77	601–800	University of Gloucestershire	Cheltenham
=77	601–800	University of Hertfordshire	Hatfield
=77	601–800	Kingston University	London
=77	601–800	London South Bank University	London
=77	601–800	Robert Gordon University	Aberdeen
=77	601–800	University of Roehampton	London
=77	601–800	University of Salford	Salford
=77	601–800	Staffordshire University	Stoke-on-Trent
=77	601–800	University of Sunderland	Sunderland
=77	601–800	Teesside University	Teesside
=77	601–800	University of West London	London
=77	601–800	University of the West of Scotland	Paisley
=77	601–800	University of Winchester	Winchester
=95	801+	University of Chester	Chester
=95	801+	University of South Wales	Newport