Best universities for psychology degrees in the UK 2024

Explore the best universities the UK for psychology degrees using data from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024

Best universities in

November 7 2023

Top 10 universities in the UK for psychology degrees 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities for psychology in the UK

UK psychology rank 2024	Psychology rank 2024	University	City
1	3	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
2	6	UCL	London
3	15	King’s College London	London
4	=25	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
5	=46	London School of Economics and Political Science	London
6	=64	Cardiff University	Cardiff
7	69	University of Manchester	Manchester
8	71	University of Birmingham	Birmingham
9	=74	University of Glasgow	Glasgow
10	82	University of Bristol	Bristol

In the UK, psychology is one of the most popular subjects for students to take at degree level. Often, psychology courses at UK universities are accredited and follow guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society, which is key for students who wish to pursue a career as a practising psychologist with chartered status.

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Courses in psychology are wide-ranging and tend to focus on either scientific research or applied psychology. UK higher education institutions are often equipped with research facilities to conduct studies in either specialisation. Students can conduct research into perception, developmental psychology, cognition or behavioural neuroscience on the scientific side, or neuro-rehabilitation, education and health on the applied side.

There are no strict criteria for studying psychology in the UK, but it is important to have an analytical mind and an interest in human behaviour. Certain grades will be expected depending on the university, as well as a clear interest in the subject.

As for post-graduation prospects, psychology graduates are well equipped to join many industries given the course’s transferable skills.

These are the best universities in the UK for psychology degrees.

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5. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

The LSE’s department of psychological and behavioural science offers both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

It also teaches several taught and research master’s, and doctoral programmes, all from its central London location.

The undergraduate course focuses on developing core knowledge in the subject as well as developing research and statistical analysis skills.

There are a range of postgraduate courses available in areas including social psychology, psychology of economic life and behavioural science. The LSE also has a dedicated library – the Himmelweit Library for Social Psychology.

The psychology department at the LSE hosts a variety of academic and social events, talks, trips, competitions and parties. It also teams up with LSE services, including careers advisers.

4. University of Edinburgh

The department of psychology at the University of Edinburgh was established in 1906 before being incorporated into the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences in 2003.

It offers both undergraduate and postgraduate training, including several taught and research master’s, and doctoral programmes.

The single honours psychology degree and most of the joint undergraduate psychology degrees at the University of Edinburgh are accredited by the British Psychological Society, enabling students to go on to further professional training.

At undergraduate level, teaching is mostly conducted in lectures and small group meetings called tutorials during the first two years. Tutorials, which typically comprise about 10 students, provide an opportunity to discuss topics in greater detail. In years three and four, the emphasis shifts to more specialised, seminar-based courses and independent study.

The department’s teaching facilities include a private psychology library, computer suites and well-equipped teaching rooms.

It has about 40 members of academic staff spanning all major areas of academic psychology: cognition, development, individual differences, neuroscience and social psychology.

3. King’s College London

Psychology courses at King’s College London are taken through the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, which is Europe’s largest centre for research and education in these combined fields.

It’s also home to the to the UK’s oldest clinical psychology training programme.

There are a range of undergraduate and postgraduate psychology courses that cover neuroscience, health psychology and clinical psychology. The course curricula are regularly updated with the latest research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.

King’s College London has partnerships with the South London and Maudsley Hospital, and clinician-scientists will often offer placements and voluntary work to psychology students to help develop their real-world experience.

There is also the opportunity to undertake a year abroad or a year in professional development. Partner professional organisations for this initiative include HM Prison Wandsworth, the Priory Clinic and Community Clinical teams. Partner universities are located in New York, Melbourne, New Zealand, Canada and South Korea.

King’s is also home to the Institute of Psychiatry Library, the largest psychiatric library in western Europe, with a range of specialised resources covering psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, neurology, genetics and psychotherapy.

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2. UCL

UCL was founded in 1826 with the aim of bringing higher education to those who were typically excluded from it.

The first year of the psychology undergraduate course offers students both compulsory and optional modules.

Compulsory modules include experimental design in psychology, behaviour, individual differences, and social psychology. There are no optional modules in the second year, but students will learn across modules in health and clinical psychology, and language and cognition.

In the final year, students will carry out semi-independent research while taking other compulsory modules.

UCL offers a couple of taught psychology master’s programmes, including psychological sciences and psychology of education. There are also research master’s degrees available in psychiatry and human development and psychiatry.

1. University of Cambridge

The psychological and behavioural sciences tripos at the University of Cambridge covers teaching in cognitive, social, developmental and biological psychology within the broader context of the behavioural sciences.

Undergraduates are able to conduct laboratory work from their second year onwards to supplement their coursework and seminar learning.

As students progress through the course there are are opportunities to specialise further.

Potential study areas include statistics, neuroanatomy, neurotransmitters, neuroimaging, developmental psychology, psychopathology, cognitive psychology, language, gender, family relationships and influences, personality and group social behaviour.

Top universities in the UK for psychology degrees 2024

Click each institution to view its World University Ranking 2024 profile

UK psychology rank 2024	Psychology rank 2024	University	City
1	3	University of Cambridge	Cambridge
2	6	UCL	London
3	15	King’s College London	London
4	=25	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh
5	=46	London School of Economics and Political Science	London
6	=64	Cardiff University	Cardiff
7	69	University of Manchester	Manchester
8	71	University of Birmingham	Birmingham
9	=74	University of Glasgow	Glasgow
10	82	University of Bristol	Bristol
11	86	University of York	York
12	89	University of Kent	Kent
13	=92	University of St Andrews	St Andrews
14	=95	University of Nottingham	Nottingham
15	100	Birkbeck, University of London	London
=16	101–125	University of Bath	Bath
=16	101–125	University of Exeter	Exeter
=16	101–125	University of Sheffield	Sheffield
=16	101–125	University of Southampton	Southampton
=16	101–125	University of Sussex	Brighton
=16	101–125	University of Warwick	Warwick
=22	126–150	City, University of London	London
=22	126–150	Durham University	Durham
=22	126–150	Lancaster University	Lancaster
=22	126–150	University of Liverpool	Liverpool
=26	151–175	Goldsmiths, University of London	London
=26	151–175	University of Leeds	Leeds
=26	151–175	Newcastle University	Newcastle
=26	151–175	Royal Holloway, University of London	Surrey
=30	176–200	University of Essex	Essex
=30	176–200	Loughborough University	Loughborough
=30	176–200	University of Reading	Reading
=30	176–200	University of Surrey	Guildford
=34	201–250	University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen
=34	201–250	University of Leicester	Leicester
=34	201–250	Nottingham Trent University	Nottingham
=34	201–250	Queen’s University Belfast	Belfast
=34	201–250	University of the West of England	Bristol
=39	251–300	University of East Anglia	East Anglia
=39	251–300	University of Portsmouth	Portsmouth
=39	251–300	University of Stirling	Stirling
=39	251–300	Swansea University	Swansea
=43	301–400	Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)	Norwich
=43	301–400	Aston University	Birmingham
=43	301–400	Bangor University	Bangor
=43	301–400	Brunel University London	London
=43	301–400	Coventry University	Coventry
=43	301–400	University of Derby	Derby
=43	301–400	University of Dundee	Dundee
=43	301–400	Edinburgh Napier University	Edinburgh
=43	301–400	University of Greenwich	London
=43	301–400	Heriot-Watt University	Edinburgh
=43	301–400	University of Hertfordshire	Hatfield
=43	301–400	Kingston University	London
=43	301–400	Liverpool John Moores University	Liverpool
=43	301–400	Northumbria University	Northumbria
=43	301–400	University of Plymouth	Plymouth
=43	301–400	University of Strathclyde	Strathclyde
=43	301–400	Ulster University	Ulster
=60	401–500	Bournemouth University	Bournemouth
=60	401–500	University of Brighton	Brighton
=60	401–500	University of Central Lancashire	Preston
=60	401–500	De Montfort University	Leicester
=60	401–500	University of East London	London
=60	401–500	Glasgow Caledonian University	Glasgow
=60	401–500	University of Huddersfield	Huddersfield
=60	401–500	University of Hull	Hull
=60	401–500	Keele University	Keele
=60	401–500	Leeds Beckett University	Leeds
=60	401–500	University of Lincoln	Lincoln
=60	401–500	London South Bank University	London
=60	401–500	Manchester Metropolitan University	Manchester
=60	401–500	Middlesex University	London
=60	401–500	Oxford Brookes University	Oxford
=60	401–500	University of Roehampton	London
=60	401–500	Sheffield Hallam University	Sheffield
=60	401–500	Teesside University	Teesside
=78	501–600	Canterbury Christ Church University	Kent
=78	501–600	Edge Hill University	Ormskirk
=78	501–600	The Open University	Nationwide
=78	501–600	University of Salford	Salford
=78	501–600	University of South Wales	Cardiff
=78	501–600	University of the West of Scotland	Paisley
=78	501–600	University of Wolverhampton	Wolverhampton