Best universities for criminology

University of Exeter comes top for criminology, with 81% of graduates in professional jobs and a median salary of £33.5k 15 months after graduating. University of Nottingham, Loughborough University and University of Surrey complete the top four.

110 unis ranked£27k typical early salary48% in graduate jobs

#1 for criminology100

University of Exeter

Satisfaction78%better than 10% of criminology unis
Stay on course89%better than 69% of criminology unis
Graduate jobs81%better than 98% of criminology unis
Early salary£33.5kbetter than 94% of criminology unis

Half of students who started had more than 140 UCAS points, counting all their qualifications

Ranked 2 to 5

2University of Nottingham10084% satisfied, £32.5k salary
3Loughborough University9692% satisfied, £30k salary
4University of Surrey9592% satisfied, £30k salary
5University of Bath9289% satisfied, £31k salary

Scores are out of 100 and relative to other unis offering criminology. Data: Discover Uni, September 2026.

Will my grades get me in?

Enter your predicted grades to see which criminology courses you’d meet the offer for, where you’re a good match and which are a stretch.

We use each university’s typical offer from its course pages. Where we couldn’t get it, we show an estimated offer (marked ~) worked out from courses whose students had similar grades, so always check the course page. Your grades stay on this device. Jump to the table

Best for…

Happiest studentsUniversity College Birmingham96%positive about their course
Highest early salaryBirkbeck, University of London£43kmedian, 15 months after graduating
Best for graduate jobsWrexham University85%of working graduates in professional jobs
Best if you’re aiming below ABBUniversity of Nottingham100/100half of starters had under 120 UCAS points

Full criminology ranking

Tap a column to sort. Bars show where each uni sits between the lowest and highest for criminology. ^* Ranked on fewer than five measures because some data isn’t published. ~ estimate = we couldn’t get the university’s own offer, so it’s estimated from similar courses. Check the course page.

Find a university

Region Fits my grades Placement year Year abroad Foundation year

	University
1	University of Exeter2 courses	ABB–BBB	100	78%	89%	81%	£33.5k	140
2	University of Nottingham2 courses	AAB+ others	100	84%	95%	77%	£32.5k	120
3	Loughborough University6 courses	ABB+ others	96	92%	95%	64%	£30k	132
4	University of Surrey12 courses	BBB+ others	95	92%	89%	66%	£30k	120
5	University of Bath2 courses	AAB	92	89%	97%	66%	£31k	144
6	King's College London4 courses	A*AA	91	83%	91%	66%	£35k	144
7	Wrexham University1 course	96–112 UCAS points	90	92%	90%	85%	£33k	112
8	Queen's University Belfast3 courses	ABB	87	93%	90%	62%	£27k	130
9	University of Liverpool5 courses	BBB+ others	82	86%	91%	62%	£29k	129
10	University of Bristol3 courses	AAB	78	86%	91%	66%	£27.5k	134
11	University of Leeds1 course	AAB	78	88%	95%	56%	£28.5k	142
12	Durham University2 courses	AAB	78	84%	91%	58%	£30k	143
13	De Montfort University3 courses	BBC	77	81%	84%	72%	£35k	91
14	University of Birmingham6 courses	ABB	73	88%	92%	48%	£28.3k	130
15	University of Manchester8 courses	ABB+ others	73	81%	94%	60%	£28k	142
16	Lancaster University15 courses	BBB+ others	71	87%	93%	54%	£26k	131
17	University of Sussex^*5 courses	BBB–BBC+ others	71	87%	97%	–	–	120
18	University of Reading7 courses	ABB+ others	70	88%	85%	60%	£31k	118
19	Nottingham Trent University^*7 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	69	88%	88%	65%	–	103
20	Swansea University16 courses	ABB–BBC+ others	68	88%	92%	50%	£27k	120
21	University College Birmingham2 courses	CCC	68	96%	82%	65%	£24k	100
22	University of Warwick1 course	ABB	68	88%	95%	45%	£27k	138
23	University of Sheffield3 courses	AAB	67	82%	95%	57%	£25k	144
24	Cardiff University^*5 courses	AAB–BBB+ others	66	84%	90%	–	–	134
25	Middlesex University6 courses	BBC	66	88%	74%	62%	£32k	93
26	University of York4 courses	AAB+ others	66	82%	93%	58%	£25.8k	134
27	Birkbeck, University of London6 courses	BBC	65	76%	67%	60%	£43k	78
28	Bath Spa University^*12 courses	BBB–BCC	65	89%	85%	–	–	110
29	University of Chester^*11 courses	BBC–BCC	65	92%	79%	–	–	113
30	University of Leicester5 courses	BBB+ others	63	83%	93%	56%	£26.5k	116
31	Roehampton University^*5 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	63	88%	92%	–	–	103
32	Kingston University9 courses	112–128 UCAS points	62	87%	83%	58%	£29k	93
33	Ulster University^*5 courses	AAA	62	86%	85%	–	–	118
33	University of Stirling5 courses	BBB	62	85%	86%	50%	£28k	169
35	University of East Anglia2 courses	ABB+ others	62	86%	92%	55%	£26.5k	113
36	Leeds Beckett University^*4 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	61	87%	88%	–	–	106
37	University of Salford7 courses	104 UCAS points	61	82%	82%	61%	£30k	109
38	City St George's, University of London^*3 courses	BBB	61	86%	88%	–	–	109
39	University of Chichester3 courses	BCC	60	87%	78%	70%	£28.5k	89
40	University of Hertfordshire^*1 course	BBC	60	89%	85%	–	–	107
41	Manchester Metropolitan University4 courses	BCC	60	89%	91%	45%	£25.5k	109
42	University of Sunderland2 courses	104–120 UCAS points	60	90%	83%	40%	£28k	121
43	Liverpool John Moores University^*7 courses	BBC+ others	59	86%	86%	–	–	108
44	Edinburgh Napier University^*2 courses	BCC	59	85%	89%	–	–	146
45	Birmingham Newman University2 courses	BBC	59	87%	86%	65%	£28.5k	80
46	Farnborough College of Technology^*3 courses	72 UCAS points	58	95%	81%	25%	–	–
47	University of Suffolk4 courses	BBC	58	92%	80%	65%	£24k	100
47	Edge Hill University^*3 courses	BBB–BBC	58	86%	88%	35%	–	110
49	Abertay University^*3 courses	CCC	57	90%	78%	–	–	128
50	University of Southampton3 courses	ABB+ others	57	85%	87%	48%	£26k	129
51	Cardiff Metropolitan University2 courses	BCC+ others	57	78%	90%	65%	£28k	110
52	Lincoln College^*1 course	64 UCAS points	57	94%	85%	35%	–	–
52	Keele University9 courses	BBC+ others	57	82%	85%	59%	£27k	111
54	Birmingham City University5 courses	BBC	56	89%	86%	46%	£26k	100
54	University of West London^*4 courses	112–120 UCAS points	56	87%	84%	–	–	102
56	University of Portsmouth^*13 courses	BBB–BCC+ others	55	84%	89%	–	–	106
57	York St John University^*4 courses	104 UCAS points	55	85%	86%	–	–	102
58	University of Worcester^*6 courses	BBC	55	86%	83%	–	–	100
59	St Mary's University, Twickenham^*7 courses	112 UCAS points	54	89%	85%	–	–	77
60	University of Bedfordshire9 courses	96 UCAS points	53	93%	74%	30%	£30.5k	77
60	Plymouth Marjon University2 courses	BBC–CCC	53	94%	85%	38%	£25k	118
62	Teesside University^*10 courses	80–104 UCAS points	52	87%	79%	–	–	97
63	University of the West of Scotland^*1 course	CCC	52	87%	86%	–	–	88
64	University of Essex22 courses	112 UCAS points	52	88%	78%	48%	£27k	101
65	University of Aberdeen1 course	BBC	51	81%	100%	30%	£25.5k	178
66	London Metropolitan University6 courses	BBC	50	85%	76%	52%	£30k	86
67	Aston University2 courses	BBC+ others	49	82%	85%	60%	£28k	90
68	Coventry University^*11 courses	BBC	48	84%	80%	55%	–	98
69	London South Bank University3 courses	112 UCAS points	48	86%	85%	42%	£28k	92
70	University of Westminster^*4 courses	CCC	47	84%	91%	40%	–	94
71	UWE, Bristol^*10 courses	112 UCAS points	47	81%	88%	55%	–	99
72	University of Northumbria at Newcastle^*10 courses	96–112 UCAS points	47	80%	85%	–	–	119
73	University of Hull10 courses	BBC	47	84%	87%	44%	£26k	110
74	University of Greenwich (Part of London and South East University Group)^*7 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	45	86%	89%	20%	–	98
75	University of Law^*8 courses	BBC+ others	45	84%	78%	–	–	98
76	University of Plymouth6 courses	104 UCAS points	45	83%	94%	42%	£25k	105
77	University of Wolverhampton6 courses	~BBB–CCCestimate	45	91%	84%	42%	£24k	83
78	Royal Holloway, University of London7 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	44	80%	84%	47%	£28k	117
79	Bangor University6 courses	104–128 UCAS points	44	83%	82%	45%	£25.8k	110
80	University of Lincoln^*3 courses	BBC–BCC	43	78%	86%	–	–	105
81	University of Staffordshire^*6 courses	BBC+ others	43	80%	80%	50%	–	101
82	University of the Highlands and Islands^*1 course	–	43	89%	60%	35%	–	112
82	Aberystwyth University7 courses	BBB–CCC+ others	43	87%	88%	30%	£26k	97
82	Oxford Brookes University13 courses	BBC+ others	43	84%	90%	30%	£28k	102
85	University of Greater Manchester^*1 course	112 UCAS points	43	79%	70%	–	–	100
86	Leeds Trinity University14 courses	104 UCAS points	42	92%	77%	42%	£24k	86
87	Brunel University of London^*5 courses	BBB–BCC	42	85%	75%	40%	–	92
88	University of Northampton6 courses	BBC+ others	40	76%	77%	66%	£28.5k	82
88	Sheffield Hallam University^*4 courses	BBC+ others	40	78%	84%	–	–	105
90	University of Kent (Part of London and South East University Group)6 courses	BBB+ others	40	80%	84%	45%	£27k	110
91	University of Huddersfield4 courses	BBC–BCC+ others	39	88%	82%	31%	£24k	112
92	University of East London4 courses	112 UCAS points	37	87%	67%	30%	£29.5k	95
93	Lincoln Bishop University2 courses	96 UCAS points	37	77%	75%	65%	£24k	94
94	Robert Gordon University2 courses	BCC	37	86%	73%	40%	£25k	125
95	Bournemouth University^*5 courses	BBB–BCC+ others	36	77%	83%	–	–	101
96	Canterbury Christ Church University9 courses	BBC	35	88%	76%	40%	£24k	85
97	University of Brighton4 courses	ABB–BCC	34	85%	83%	38%	£25k	94
98	Anglia Ruskin University16 courses	96–112 UCAS points	32	83%	78%	44%	£26k	89
99	University of Bradford^*2 courses	112 UCAS points	31	82%	69%	25%	–	93
100	University of Derby13 courses	BBB+ others	30	82%	85%	34%	£25.5k	100
101	South East London Teaching Partnership2 courses	CCC	29	73%	75%	45%	£28k	104
101	University of Gloucestershire4 courses	BCC	29	69%	89%	45%	£26k	102
103	University of Wales: Trinity Saint David1 course	96–112 UCAS points	28	88%	75%	34%	£25k	84
104	Southampton Solent University4 courses	104–120 UCAS points	27	84%	73%	35%	£26k	85
105	University of Winchester6 courses	BBB–BBC+ others	26	78%	85%	37%	£26k	104
106	Liverpool Hope University11 courses	BBC	21	80%	77%	41%	£24k	95
107	University of Cumbria2 courses	104–112 UCAS points	15	46%	65%	75%	£26k	80
108	Buckinghamshire New University^*6 courses	88–112 UCAS points	12	72%	58%	–	–	75
109	University of Lancashire5 courses	104–112 UCAS points	10	65%	91%	42%	£25k	109
110	Arden University2 courses	–	0	85%	61%	27%	£26k	38

What criminology graduates earn

Typical (median) earnings for criminology graduates, across the universities we rank.

£27kAfter 15 months
£22.5kAfter 3 years
£27.5kAfter 5 years

Highest earnings five years after graduating

The 15-month figure comes from the Graduate Outcomes survey and covers graduates in full-time work. The 3 and 5-year figures come from tax records and include everyone in work, including part-time, so they can be lower than the 15-month figure. Pay also depends on where people live. Compare earnings across all subjects or see what you’d repay on your student loan.

What the measures mean

Student satisfaction: Average share of final-year students answering positively across the seven themes of the National Student Survey: teaching, learning opportunities, assessment, support, organisation, resources and student voice.
Stay on course: Share of students still studying or having qualified a year after starting. Lower numbers mean more people drop out.
Graduate-level jobs: Of graduates in work 15 months after finishing, the share in professional or managerial roles.
Salary after 15 months: Median salary of graduates in full-time work in the UK, 15 months after finishing.
Entry points (median): The middle UCAS tariff score of students who started: half had more, half had less. It counts all their qualifications (a fourth A-level, EPQ, AS levels, music grades and so on), so it usually sits above the published offer, especially at selective universities. It shows how competitive entry is. Always check the real offer on the university’s course page.

See exactly how the overall score is calculated

Not ranked yet

These offer criminology but don’t yet have enough published data to rank fairly, often because the course is new or small.

Bishop Auckland College, Loughborough College, Dn Colleges Group, Richmond, The American International University in London, South Essex College of Further and Higher Education, Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, West Suffolk College, University Centre Weston, Wirral Metropolitan College, University of South Wales/Prifysgol De Cymru, Tec Partnership, University Centre Peterborough