Best universities for politics

University of Warwick comes top for politics, with 75% of graduates in professional jobs and a median salary of £33k 15 months after graduating. London School of Economics and Political Science, Oxford University and Durham University complete the top four.

92 unis ranked£28k typical early salary55% in graduate jobs

#1 for politics100

University of Warwick

Satisfaction91%better than 89% of politics unis
Stay on course98%better than 96% of politics unis
Graduate jobs75%better than 89% of politics unis
Early salary£33kbetter than 88% of politics unis

Half of students who started had more than 159 UCAS points, counting all their qualifications

Ranked 2 to 5

2London School of Economics and Political Science9987% satisfied, £35.5k salary
3Oxford University9883% satisfied, £36k salary
4Durham University9891% satisfied, £32k salary
5University of Cambridge8286% satisfied, £31k salary

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

Will my grades get me in?

Enter your predicted grades to see which politics 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 Plymouth95%positive about their course
Highest early salaryBirkbeck, University of London£43kmedian, 15 months after graduating
Best for graduate jobsUCL85%of working graduates in professional jobs
Best if you’re aiming below ABBUniversity of Surrey69/100half of starters had under 118 UCAS points

Full politics ranking

Tap a column to sort. Bars show where each uni sits between the lowest and highest for politics. ^* 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 Warwick14 courses	AAA+ others	100	91%	98%	75%	£33k	159
2	London School of Economics and Political Science10 courses	AAA+ others	99	87%	99%	84%	£35.5k	176
3	Oxford University2 courses	AAA	98	83%	99%	84%	£36k	196
4	Durham University7 courses	AAA	98	91%	96%	80%	£32k	164
5	University of Cambridge2 courses	A*AA	82	86%	98%	74%	£31k	189
6	University of Bath11 courses	AAA–A*AB+ others	77	84%	97%	80%	£32k	160
7	University of St Andrews40 courses	AAA+ others	74	90%	96%	70%	£31k	202
8	King's College London7 courses	A*AA+ others	72	81%	94%	78%	£33k	164
9	University of Birmingham26 courses	AAB+ others	69	85%	96%	72%	£31k	131
10	University of Surrey16 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	69	92%	85%	67%	£30k	118
11	UCL9 courses	AAA+ others	68	79%	97%	85%	£32k	184
12	University of Exeter18 courses	AAB+ others	60	81%	92%	74%	£31k	148
13	University of Bristol9 courses	AAA+ others	60	85%	96%	63%	£29.5k	162
14	University of Nottingham7 courses	AAB+ others	59	86%	95%	63%	£30k	130
15	University of Hertfordshire^*1 course	BBC	58	93%	89%	50%	–	114
16	Birkbeck, University of London12 courses	BBC	58	85%	72%	65%	£43k	71
17	Queen Mary University of London37 courses	ABB	58	86%	86%	61%	£33k	132
18	University of Reading18 courses	BBB+ others	56	86%	91%	64%	£32k	117
19	Loughborough University12 courses	ABB+ others	56	88%	98%	55%	£30k	130
20	University of Strathclyde13 courses	ABB–BBB	55	82%	90%	80%	£29k	198
21	University of Sheffield10 courses	AAB+ others	54	82%	95%	65%	£30k	148
22	University of East London2 courses	112 UCAS points	53	89%	40%	72%	£34k	104
23	University of Sussex^*16 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	52	90%	90%	–	–	123
24	Middlesex University1 course	BBC	52	88%	75%	62%	£32k	101
25	University of Leeds^*11 courses	AAB+ others	51	83%	99%	–	–	142
26	Royal Holloway, University of London23 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	47	87%	90%	65%	£27k	117
26	Newcastle University^*8 courses	AAB+ others	47	83%	94%	–	–	144
28	University of Chichester2 courses	BCC	46	90%	90%	70%	£28.5k	94
29	University of London institute in Paris^*3 courses	ABB	46	92%	85%	–	–	110
30	University of Hull10 courses	BBC+ others	45	93%	78%	60%	£27k	118
31	Nottingham Trent University8 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	45	92%	82%	55%	£28k	100
32	De Montfort University4 courses	BBC	45	90%	95%	45%	£35k	72
33	Brunel University of London8 courses	BBB–BCC	45	92%	88%	40%	£30.5k	93
34	University of Manchester13 courses	AAA+ others	44	81%	98%	56%	£28k	160
35	City St George's, University of London6 courses	BBB+ others	42	84%	90%	60%	£29k	116
35	University of York15 courses	AAB+ others	42	82%	91%	61%	£28k	140
37	University of Liverpool7 courses	ABB+ others	42	86%	95%	53%	£27k	126
38	Aston University7 courses	BBC	42	86%	95%	60%	£28k	105
39	University of Plymouth4 courses	104 UCAS points	42	95%	90%	30%	£27.5k	108
40	University of Northumbria at Newcastle^*4 courses	96–112 UCAS points	41	87%	81%	–	–	113
41	SOAS University of London^*40 courses	ABB+ others	40	82%	94%	–	–	121
42	University of Essex40 courses	112 UCAS points+ others	40	87%	89%	45%	£30.5k	106
43	University of West London^*1 course	104–120 UCAS points	40	92%	85%	–	–	70
44	Teesside University^*2 courses	96–112 UCAS points	39	90%	85%	–	–	94
45	Canterbury Christ Church University^*3 courses	BBC	38	91%	85%	55%	–	93
46	University of Portsmouth13 courses	BBB–BCC+ others	38	84%	90%	68%	£26.5k	103
47	University of Westminster^*14 courses	CCC	38	87%	84%	–	–	90
47	Bath Spa University^*12 courses	BBB–BCC	38	90%	71%	–	–	105
49	Aberystwyth University24 courses	BBB–CCC+ others	37	91%	92%	40%	£25k	105
50	Leeds Beckett University^*10 courses	72 UCAS points	36	86%	88%	40%	–	103
51	Swansea University40 courses	BBB–BCC+ others	36	91%	80%	50%	£26k	111
52	Edge Hill University^*4 courses	BBB–BBC	35	82%	85%	–	–	101
52	University of Aberdeen35 courses	BBC	35	85%	93%	60%	£27k	160
54	University of Chester^*10 courses	BBC–BCC+ others	35	82%	85%	–	–	109
55	University of Glasgow40 courses	AAB–BBB+ others	34	79%	88%	61%	£28k	204
55	St Mary's University, Twickenham^*1 course	112 UCAS points	34	89%	65%	–	–	75
57	University of East Anglia25 courses	ABB	34	85%	89%	53%	£27k	117
58	Regent's University^*2 courses	CCC	34	81%	90%	–	–	88
59	University of Greenwich (Part of London and South East University Group)^*3 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	33	86%	77%	–	–	96
60	Cardiff University11 courses	ABB–BBC+ others	32	79%	95%	58%	£28k	137
61	University of Southampton10 courses	ABB+ others	32	76%	98%	65%	£28.5k	129
62	Liverpool John Moores University^*6 courses	BBC	32	84%	87%	52%	–	98
63	Ulster University^*4 courses	AAA	31	82%	85%	–	–	105
63	Roehampton University^*3 courses	112–128 UCAS points	31	86%	75%	–	–	72
65	Sheffield Hallam University1 course	BBC	30	89%	90%	45%	£25.5k	99
65	University of Edinburgh20 courses	AAA*–AAA+ others	30	73%	91%	70%	£30k	188
67	University of Stirling17 courses	BBB+ others	29	88%	82%	45%	£28k	156
68	Bangor University3 courses	104–128 UCAS points	29	88%	95%	40%	£26k	105
69	University of Leicester10 courses	BBB+ others	27	85%	86%	50%	£26.5k	101
70	Manchester Metropolitan University12 courses	BCC	27	88%	87%	43%	£25.5k	108
71	Northeastern University London^*1 course	ABB–BBB	26	71%	90%	–	–	115
72	Cardiff Metropolitan University1 course	CCC	25	81%	80%	65%	£28k	102
73	Keele University15 courses	BBB+ others	24	88%	77%	50%	£25k	107
74	Lancaster University40 courses	ABB+ others	23	78%	91%	55%	£27.5k	131
75	University of Winchester2 courses	BBB–BCC	22	76%	85%	55%	£26k	101
76	University of Dundee18 courses	–	21	80%	85%	55%	£26.5k	171
77	University of Salford2 courses	104 UCAS points	20	86%	60%	50%	£24k	112
78	Liverpool Hope University2 courses	BBC	19	90%	76%	30%	£26k	91
79	York St John University^*11 courses	104 UCAS points	19	85%	78%	25%	–	99
80	UWE, Bristol2 courses	112 UCAS points	19	85%	85%	45%	£26k	96
81	University of Lincoln4 courses	BCC–CCC+ others	19	85%	71%	51%	£26.5k	104
82	Oxford Brookes University18 courses	BBB+ others	18	81%	84%	45%	£28k	101
83	University of Kent (Part of London and South East University Group)9 courses	BBB+ others	18	81%	86%	42%	£30k	104
84	University of Derby4 courses	BBC	15	83%	83%	47%	£26.5k	104
85	Queen's University Belfast18 courses	ABB	15	77%	90%	46%	£27k	129
86	University of Brighton4 courses	ABB–BCC	13	81%	85%	43%	£27k	101
87	University of the Highlands and Islands^*2 courses	–	12	79%	69%	–	–	136
88	Coventry University^*4 courses	BBC	9	85%	61%	30%	–	91
88	London Metropolitan University3 courses	CCC+ others	9	84%	48%	45%	£30k	74
90	South East London Teaching Partnership5 courses	CCC	8	76%	66%	65%	£28k	89
91	University of Wolverhampton2 courses	~BBB–CCCestimate	7	79%	75%	41%	£26.5k	82
92	Anglia Ruskin University7 courses	96–112 UCAS points+ others	0	69%	75%	40%	£27.5k	86

What politics graduates earn

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

£28kAfter 15 months
£25kAfter 3 years
£31.5kAfter 5 years

Highest earnings five years after graduating

London School of Economics and Political Science£51k
Oxford University£50.5k
University of Bath£50.5k
Durham University£48k
UCL£48k

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

Blackpool and the Fylde College, Boston College, Hult, Richmond, The American International University in London, University Centre Weston, University of Buckingham, University of London