Best universities for english literature

Loughborough University comes top for english literature, with 89% of graduates in professional jobs and a median salary of £30k 15 months after graduating. Oxford University, Durham University and UCL complete the top four.

94 unis ranked£26k typical early salary53% in graduate jobs

#1 for english literature100

Loughborough University

Satisfaction92%better than 71% of english literature unis
Stay on course94%better than 70% of english literature unis
Graduate jobs89%better than 99% of english literature unis
Early salary£30kbetter than 86% of english literature unis

Half of students who started had more than 142 UCAS points, counting all their qualifications

Ranked 2 to 5

1Oxford University10089% satisfied, £30k salary
3Durham University9685% satisfied, £30k salary
4UCL9589% satisfied, £30k salary
5University of Surrey8693% satisfied, £31.5k salary

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

Will my grades get me in?

Enter your predicted grades to see which english literature 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 studentsEdinburgh Napier University98%positive about their course
Highest early salaryUniversity of Surrey£31.5kmedian, 15 months after graduating
Best for graduate jobsLoughborough University89%of working graduates in professional jobs
Best if you’re aiming below ABBUniversity of Surrey86/100half of starters had under 120 UCAS points

Full english literature ranking

Tap a column to sort. Bars show where each uni sits between the lowest and highest for english literature. ^* 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	Loughborough University12 courses	ABB	100	92%	94%	89%	£30k	142
1	Oxford University16 courses	AAA	100	89%	96%	71%	£30k	184
3	Durham University4 courses	A*AA	96	85%	96%	76%	£30k	173
4	UCL5 courses	AAA	95	89%	98%	67%	£30k	174
5	University of Surrey6 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	86	93%	95%	70%	£31.5k	120
6	University of Cambridge2 courses	A*AA	85	82%	99%	81%	£28k	183
7	University of St Andrews40 courses	AAA+ others	84	91%	96%	75%	£27.5k	208
8	University of Birmingham5 courses	AAB	83	92%	95%	70%	£28k	142
9	University of York10 courses	AAA–A*AB+ others	77	88%	95%	68%	£27k	153
10	University of Nottingham9 courses	AAB+ others	73	89%	92%	72%	£27k	135
11	University of Southampton11 courses	ABB+ others	72	96%	100%	65%	£25k	123
12	University of Exeter10 courses	AAB+ others	70	88%	97%	61%	£27k	149
13	Queen Mary University of London11 courses	BBB	67	91%	91%	56%	£29k	135
14	University of Manchester10 courses	AAA+ others	65	89%	93%	60%	£26k	159
15	University of Leicester5 courses	ABB+ others	64	92%	95%	65%	£28k	117
16	University of Glasgow40 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	61	86%	92%	65%	£27k	181
17	King's College London5 courses	AAA+ others	60	88%	96%	50%	£28k	142
18	University of Liverpool4 courses	ABB	60	90%	93%	54%	£27k	128
19	Liverpool John Moores University^*7 courses	BCC	58	96%	89%	–	–	106
20	City St George's, University of London2 courses	BCC	57	91%	85%	78%	£27k	100
21	University of Worcester^*8 courses	BCC	55	96%	95%	55%	–	113
22	Bath Spa University^*14 courses	BBB–BCC	55	93%	90%	–	–	112
23	Cardiff University10 courses	AAB–BBB+ others	54	86%	95%	58%	£25.5k	140
24	Falmouth University2 courses	96 UCAS points	52	86%	90%	60%	£28k	125
24	University of Bristol^*8 courses	AAB+ others	52	83%	97%	–	–	160
26	De Montfort University4 courses	BBC+ others	52	83%	85%	60%	£30k	115
27	Royal Holloway, University of London11 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	51	90%	95%	55%	£26k	117
28	University of Warwick10 courses	AAA–A*AB+ others	51	81%	94%	70%	£26k	158
29	University of Sussex^*10 courses	BBB+ others	51	87%	100%	–	–	120
29	Lancaster University30 courses	ABB+ others	51	89%	90%	57%	£25k	140
31	Aston University3 courses	BBC	50	88%	95%	60%	£27k	107
32	University of Northampton^*2 courses	BBC	50	98%	85%	–	–	97
33	Birkbeck, University of London8 courses	BBC	50	87%	70%	70%	£31k	84
34	University of Hull5 courses	BBC	49	93%	92%	57%	£24k	114
35	Swansea University20 courses	ABB–BBC+ others	49	93%	89%	47%	£26k	123
36	Queen's University Belfast13 courses	ABB	49	91%	92%	51%	£25k	138
37	Manchester Metropolitan University13 courses	BCC	48	91%	95%	50%	£25.5k	108
38	Newcastle University6 courses	AAB+ others	48	85%	94%	59%	£25k	132
39	St Mary's University, Twickenham^*2 courses	112 UCAS points	48	98%	90%	60%	–	93
40	Bangor University11 courses	104–128 UCAS points	47	93%	85%	65%	£26k	111
41	Edge Hill University4 courses	BBB–BBC	47	87%	86%	53%	£30k	94
42	University of Wolverhampton2 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	46	89%	95%	55%	£27k	105
42	University of Leeds14 courses	AAB+ others	46	84%	87%	60%	£26.5k	141
44	Edinburgh Napier University^*3 courses	BBC+ others	46	98%	85%	55%	–	134
45	Sheffield Hallam University^*1 course	BCC	46	95%	90%	–	–	88
46	York St John University^*12 courses	104 UCAS points	46	91%	85%	–	–	106
47	University of Sheffield10 courses	AAB+ others	45	87%	96%	43%	£25.5k	150
47	Cardiff Metropolitan University^*1 course	CCC	45	95%	80%	–	–	105
47	London Metropolitan University^*1 course	BBC	45	96%	80%	50%	–	–
50	University of Greenwich (Part of London and South East University Group)^*3 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	44	91%	86%	–	–	105
51	University of Strathclyde22 courses	ABB–BBB	44	86%	85%	70%	£24.5k	184
52	Birmingham Newman University^*3 courses	BBC+ others	43	91%	75%	65%	–	100
53	University of Huddersfield4 courses	BBB–BCC	42	83%	95%	45%	£28k	104
54	University of East Anglia^*26 courses	AAB+ others	42	87%	86%	–	–	121
54	University of Lincoln4 courses	BBC–BCC+ others	42	96%	85%	50%	£25k	100
56	University of Westminster^*9 courses	CCC	41	90%	84%	–	–	93
56	University of Reading11 courses	BBB	41	89%	88%	54%	£26k	104
58	Lincoln Bishop University^*7 courses	96 UCAS points	40	90%	90%	45%	–	107
59	Keele University^*8 courses	BBB+ others	40	93%	88%	30%	–	109
60	Roehampton University^*3 courses	112–128 UCAS points	39	93%	100%	40%	–	98
61	UWE, Bristol1 course	112 UCAS points	38	96%	85%	45%	£25k	108
62	University of Aberdeen24 courses	BBC	37	89%	84%	45%	£26k	165
63	Nottingham Trent University6 courses	~ABB–BBCestimate	36	92%	85%	48%	£25k	119
64	University of Portsmouth6 courses	BBB–BCC	36	91%	80%	40%	£27k	99
65	University of Sunderland^*2 courses	96–112 UCAS points	35	87%	82%	–	–	98
66	Birmingham City University4 courses	BBC	34	97%	95%	40%	£24k	93
67	Brunel University of London^*8 courses	BBB–BCC	34	90%	80%	45%	–	106
68	University of Chichester^*2 courses	BCC	34	86%	75%	50%	–	114
69	Leeds Beckett University3 courses	104–112 UCAS points	32	92%	85%	50%	£24k	100
70	University of Derby10 courses	BBC+ others	32	97%	80%	45%	£24k	101
71	University of Winchester3 courses	BBB–BCC+ others	32	71%	80%	45%	£30k	116
71	University of Kent (Part of London and South East University Group)3 courses	BBB	32	88%	84%	44%	£27k	109
73	University of Gloucestershire^*2 courses	CCC+ others	32	84%	80%	45%	–	115
74	University of Dundee11 courses	–	29	89%	95%	30%	£24.5k	144
75	University of Edinburgh^*27 courses	AAA–AAA+ others	29	78%	91%	–	–	180
76	University of Chester2 courses	BBC–BCC	28	82%	80%	65%	£24.5k	110
77	University of Stirling10 courses	BBB	27	93%	80%	40%	£25k	144
78	Liverpool Hope University10 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	24	82%	78%	48%	£27k	104
79	Teesside University^*3 courses	96–112 UCAS points	24	84%	82%	40%	–	102
80	Coventry University2 courses	BBC	23	85%	65%	65%	£23k	102
81	South East London Teaching Partnership4 courses	CCC	20	80%	68%	54%	£27k	116
82	Ulster University5 courses	AAA	20	84%	90%	20%	£24k	110
83	University of Salford3 courses	104 UCAS points	19	91%	90%	25%	£24.5k	105
84	University of Brighton2 courses	ABB–BCC	18	69%	95%	50%	£26k	105
85	University of the Highlands and Islands^*7 courses	–	18	86%	75%	20%	–	120
86	Anglia Ruskin University13 courses	96–112 UCAS points	18	87%	81%	42%	£24k	109
87	University of West London^*2 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	16	60%	90%	–	–	100
88	Leeds Trinity University2 courses	104 UCAS points	15	94%	57%	45%	£24k	101
89	University of Lancashire4 courses	104–112 UCAS points	15	97%	55%	40%	£24.5k	94
90	University of Northumbria at Newcastle^*10 courses	96–112 UCAS points	14	80%	80%	45%	–	107
91	Oxford Brookes University11 courses	BBB–BBC+ others	12	73%	82%	52%	£27k	103
92	Aberystwyth University11 courses	BBB+ others	7	75%	80%	30%	£23k	121
93	University of Essex29 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	5	78%	77%	41%	£25k	107
94	University of Plymouth4 courses	104 UCAS points	0	74%	88%	35%	£24k	106

What english literature graduates earn

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

£26kAfter 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 english literature but don’t yet have enough published data to rank fairly, often because the course is new or small.

Farnborough College of Technology, University of Buckingham, University of London, University of Wales: Trinity Saint David, Grwp NPTC Group, University Centre Peterborough