Best universities for fashion

University of Leeds comes top for fashion, with a median salary of £33k 15 months after graduating and 90% of graduates in professional jobs. Loughborough University, University of Manchester and University of Southampton complete the top four.

67 unis ranked£26k typical early salary56% in graduate jobs

#1 for fashion100

University of Leeds

Satisfaction85%better than 46% of fashion unis
Stay on course94%better than 91% of fashion unis
Graduate jobs90%better than 96% of fashion unis
Early salary£33kbetter than 98% of fashion unis

Half of students who started had more than 135 UCAS points, counting all their qualifications

Ranked 2 to 5

2Loughborough University7285% satisfied, £28.1k salary
3University of Manchester6688% satisfied, £26k salary
4University of Southampton6487% satisfied, £27.2k salary
5Manchester Metropolitan University5786% satisfied, £26.7k salary

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

Will my grades get me in?

Enter your predicted grades to see which fashion 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 of Hertfordshire99%positive about their course
Highest early salaryUniversity of Leeds£33kmedian, 15 months after graduating
Best for graduate jobsUniversity of Leeds90%of working graduates in professional jobs
Best if you’re aiming below ABBUniversity of Southampton64/100half of starters had under 126 UCAS points

Full fashion ranking

Tap a column to sort. Bars show where each uni sits between the lowest and highest for fashion. ^* 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 Leeds3 courses	ABB	100	85%	94%	90%	£33k	135
2	Loughborough University2 courses	ABB	72	85%	95%	74%	£28.1k	150
3	University of Manchester4 courses	AAB	66	88%	98%	64%	£26k	148
4	University of Southampton3 courses	BBC	64	87%	94%	69%	£27.2k	126
5	Manchester Metropolitan University8 courses	BCC+ others	57	86%	89%	63%	£26.7k	133
6	University of Westminster^*5 courses	128 UCAS points+ others	56	92%	87%	–	–	136
7	Nottingham Trent University^*8 courses	~ABB–BBCestimate	56	88%	89%	64%	–	123
8	Farnborough College of Technology^*1 course	–	55	93%	100%	90%	–	–
9	De Montfort University6 courses	BBC	54	90%	90%	56%	£26k	118
10	University of Edinburgh1 course	–	53	93%	90%	65%	£26.5k	156
11	UWE, Bristol4 courses	112 UCAS points	52	91%	82%	58%	£27k	118
12	University of Hertfordshire1 course	BBB–BBC	51	99%	75%	65%	£25.5k	136
12	Glasgow Caledonian University^*2 courses	BCC	51	89%	91%	–	–	156
14	Leeds Arts University^*4 courses	~AAB–ABBestimate	51	87%	88%	–	–	137
15	University of Portsmouth3 courses	BBB–BCC	51	88%	89%	59%	£26.3k	115
16	University of the Arts, London^*24 courses	112 UCAS points	50	87%	90%	50%	–	132
17	Liverpool John Moores University^*2 courses	BBC	49	87%	87%	–	–	137
18	University of Salford5 courses	104 UCAS points	49	88%	84%	63%	£25k	123
19	Kingston University^*4 courses	128–144 UCAS points	49	84%	88%	–	–	151
20	University of Winchester2 courses	BBB–BCC	49	82%	86%	65%	£29k	99
21	University of Wolverhampton2 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	47	92%	80%	51%	£28.3k	92
21	Falmouth University10 courses	64 UCAS points	47	86%	89%	55%	£25.3k	134
23	The Northern School of Art^*1 course	–	45	94%	85%	50%	£25k	–
23	Birmingham City University6 courses	BBC	45	90%	82%	56%	£25.7k	105
25	Ulster University^*1 course	AAA	45	85%	90%	–	–	124
26	University of Lancashire2 courses	104–112 UCAS points	44	97%	81%	47%	£25k	137
27	University of Wales: Trinity Saint David1 course	~AAB–ABBestimate	43	86%	84%	58%	£25k	133
28	Istituto Marangoni Limited^*3 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	42	88%	83%	–	–	100
29	Norwich University of the Arts11 courses	BCC	42	86%	83%	59%	£25.1k	120
30	Liverpool Hope University2 courses	~ABB–BBCestimate	40	89%	78%	65%	£24.7k	108
31	University of South Wales/Prifysgol De Cymru^*4 courses	CCC+ others	40	84%	–	56%	£26.5k	116
32	The Arts University Bournemouth6 courses	~AAB–BBBestimate	40	79%	93%	56%	£26k	131
33	University of Bedfordshire^*1 course	96 UCAS points	40	86%	90%	70%	–	80
34	Glasgow School of Art.1 course	–	39	81%	100%	55%	£24k	160
35	University of Staffordshire3 courses	CCC	39	85%	90%	55%	£24k	122
36	University of Brighton^*3 courses	ABB–BCC	38	81%	88%	–	–	121
37	Ravensbourne University London8 courses	64 UCAS points+ others	38	87%	76%	57%	£27k	95
38	University of East London3 courses	96 UCAS points	38	83%	78%	63%	£27k	93
39	Bath Spa University^*6 courses	BBB–BCC	37	81%	85%	–	–	125
39	Middlesex University2 courses	BBC	37	85%	80%	40%	£27.5k	105
39	London Metropolitan University4 courses	BBC+ others	37	83%	77%	55%	£27k	117
42	Southampton Solent University2 courses	104–120 UCAS points	37	78%	87%	60%	£26k	109
43	Sheffield Hallam University2 courses	BCC	36	89%	81%	43%	£25.5k	122
44	Anglia Ruskin University6 courses	96–112 UCAS points	36	84%	74%	75%	£25k	109
44	University of Chester^*3 courses	BBC–BCC	36	79%	86%	–	–	120
46	Regent's University^*5 courses	CCC	36	84%	86%	–	–	90
47	Chichester College Group^*2 courses	48 UCAS points	35	94%	90%	30%	–	–
48	University of Northampton4 courses	BBC	35	89%	82%	52%	£25.4k	93
48	University of Huddersfield3 courses	BBB–BCC	35	81%	73%	59%	£26.2k	128
50	Teesside University2 courses	~ABB–BBCestimate	35	91%	75%	45%	£25k	119
51	University of Northumbria at Newcastle^*6 courses	96–112 UCAS points	32	79%	82%	–	–	125
52	University of West London4 courses	104 UCAS points	31	84%	69%	60%	£26k	104
53	Robert Gordon University1 course	BCC	30	96%	70%	52%	£25k	144
54	Coventry University5 courses	BBC+ others	29	84%	79%	52%	£25.5k	108
55	Richmond, The American International University in London^*1 course	BBC	29	81%	90%	–	–	56
56	Cardiff Metropolitan University3 courses	96–120 UCAS points+ others	29	79%	91%	52%	£24k	130
57	University of Greater Manchester^*2 courses	96 UCAS points	28	79%	60%	–	–	115
58	Leeds Beckett University3 courses	104–112 UCAS points	28	82%	87%	50%	£24.5k	110
59	Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts^*4 courses	72 UCAS points	26	78%	71%	–	–	100
60	Arts University Plymouth4 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	26	81%	84%	50%	£24k	108
61	University of Derby4 courses	BCC+ others	24	79%	77%	57%	£25k	102
62	Buckinghamshire New University1 course	88–112 UCAS points	24	78%	70%	38%	£26.5k	106
63	Fashion Retail Academy^*2 courses	104 UCAS points	24	72%	85%	–	–	118
64	York St John University3 courses	104 UCAS points	24	82%	71%	45%	£26k	108
65	University for the Creative Arts16 courses	BBC	21	81%	80%	39%	£26.5k	117
66	Heriot-Watt University3 courses	BCC	12	67%	89%	43%	£25k	156
67	London College of Contemporary Arts Ltd^*2 courses	112 UCAS points	0	73%	59%	–	–	42

What fashion graduates earn

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

£26kAfter 15 months
£21.1kAfter 3 years
£26.5kAfter 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 fashion but don’t yet have enough published data to rank fairly, often because the course is new or small.

Bradford College, Morley College, York College, Vogue College of Fashion, Victoria College of Arts and Design Limited