Best universities for history

London School of Economics and Political Science comes top for history, with a median salary of £36k 15 months after graduating and 86% of graduates in professional jobs. University of Cambridge, University of St Andrews and Durham University complete the top four.

93 unis ranked£26.5k typical early salary49% in graduate jobs

#1 for history100

London School of Economics and Political Science

Satisfaction91%better than 71% of history unis
Stay on course97%better than 92% of history unis
Graduate jobs86%better than 99% of history unis
Early salary£36kbetter than 99% of history unis

Half of students who started had more than 169 UCAS points, counting all their qualifications

Ranked 2 to 5

2University of Cambridge7684% satisfied, £31.5k salary
3University of St Andrews7392% satisfied, £29.5k salary
4Durham University6985% satisfied, £30.5k salary
5Oxford University6884% satisfied, £30k salary

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

Will my grades get me in?

Enter your predicted grades to see which history 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 Derby99%positive about their course
Highest early salaryLondon School of Economics and Political Science£36kmedian, 15 months after graduating
Best for graduate jobsLondon School of Economics and Political Science86%of working graduates in professional jobs
Best if you’re aiming below ABBUniversity of Nottingham53/100half of starters had under 126 UCAS points

Full history ranking

Tap a column to sort. Bars show where each uni sits between the lowest and highest for history. ^* 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	London School of Economics and Political Science6 courses	AAA+ others	100	91%	97%	86%	£36k	169
2	University of Cambridge4 courses	A*AA	76	84%	99%	84%	£31.5k	184
3	University of St Andrews40 courses	AAA	73	92%	97%	75%	£29.5k	212
4	Durham University5 courses	A*AA	69	85%	96%	73%	£30.5k	176
5	Oxford University22 courses	AAA	68	84%	98%	76%	£30k	179
6	University of Warwick12 courses	AAA+ others	66	92%	96%	60%	£30k	153
7	Queen Mary University of London8 courses	BBB	65	93%	91%	69%	£29k	132
8	Loughborough University8 courses	ABB	56	92%	100%	65%	£30.5k	134
9	UCL9 courses	AAA+ others	54	85%	96%	64%	£29k	157
10	University of Nottingham10 courses	AAB+ others	53	88%	95%	63%	£29k	126
11	University of Birmingham6 courses	AAB+ others	51	87%	91%	60%	£30k	141
12	University of Exeter12 courses	AAB+ others	51	83%	96%	67%	£29k	150
13	University of Sheffield10 courses	AAB+ others	50	86%	96%	58%	£28.5k	148
14	Birmingham Newman University3 courses	BBC+ others	49	98%	85%	35%	£30k	100
14	University of Bristol^*6 courses	AAA+ others	49	88%	98%	60%	–	153
16	University of Leeds^*11 courses	AAB+ others	48	86%	93%	70%	–	145
17	Leeds Beckett University^*4 courses	104–112 UCAS points	47	97%	95%	–	–	105
18	University of York10 courses	AAA+ others	46	84%	96%	60%	£29k	152
19	University of Reading15 courses	BBB	46	93%	85%	50%	£30k	112
20	King's College London6 courses	AAA+ others	45	86%	91%	54%	£30k	140
21	University of Southampton17 courses	ABB+ others	42	88%	98%	50%	£26k	136
22	University of Lancashire2 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	42	97%	85%	45%	£30k	93
23	University of Huddersfield2 courses	BBB–BCC	40	88%	95%	60%	£29k	104
24	Royal Holloway, University of London11 courses	ABB–BBB	39	91%	88%	43%	£27k	120
25	St Mary's University, Twickenham^*2 courses	112 UCAS points	39	96%	95%	–	–	106
26	University of Salford2 courses	104 UCAS points	36	96%	85%	45%	£27k	112
27	University of Manchester12 courses	AAA+ others	36	83%	95%	52%	£27k	155
28	University of Sussex^*8 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	36	89%	90%	–	–	120
29	Anglia Ruskin University^*3 courses	96–112 UCAS points	36	93%	87%	59%	–	98
30	University of Leicester9 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	36	87%	81%	70%	£26k	116
31	University of South Wales/Prifysgol De Cymru^*2 courses	BCC	35	95%	–	50%	–	100
31	SOAS University of London22 courses	BBB+ others	35	86%	94%	50%	£28k	116
33	Swansea University21 courses	ABB–BBC+ others	35	89%	82%	57%	£27k	117
34	University of Liverpool2 courses	ABB+ others	33	87%	96%	49%	£25k	126
35	University of East Anglia22 courses	AAB+ others	33	89%	94%	45%	£26.5k	110
36	Liverpool Hope University9 courses	BBC	33	91%	94%	50%	£25k	101
37	Ulster University9 courses	AAA	32	98%	95%	30%	£24k	114
38	University of Worcester^*6 courses	BBC+ others	32	87%	85%	65%	–	104
39	University of Essex40 courses	BBB–BBC+ others	32	91%	88%	50%	£25k	113
39	University of Derby9 courses	BBC	32	99%	75%	60%	£25.5k	102
41	Aston University^*4 courses	BBC	32	90%	85%	–	–	104
41	University of Plymouth2 courses	104 UCAS points	32	93%	87%	37%	£28.5k	93
43	Newcastle University^*5 courses	AAB+ others	31	83%	96%	–	–	134
44	Manchester Metropolitan University6 courses	BCC	30	87%	89%	55%	£26k	103
45	University of Glasgow40 courses	ABB–BBB+ others	29	85%	91%	40%	£28k	190
46	Oxford Brookes University10 courses	BBC+ others	29	89%	80%	48%	£28k	103
46	University of Kent (Part of London and South East University Group)3 courses	BBB	29	89%	91%	43%	£26k	111
48	University of Strathclyde13 courses	ABB–BBB	29	93%	90%	20%	£26.5k	190
49	University of Wolverhampton^*6 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	28	86%	95%	45%	–	98
50	University of Northampton^*2 courses	BBC	27	90%	80%	40%	–	100
51	University of Gloucestershire1 course	BBC–CCC	27	98%	90%	40%	£24k	96
52	Cardiff University7 courses	ABB–BBC+ others	27	86%	90%	45%	£26k	130
53	Coventry University^*2 courses	BBC	26	91%	70%	–	–	98
54	City St George's, University of London^*3 courses	BBC+ others	26	82%	90%	–	–	105
55	Bournemouth University1 course	~ABB–BBCestimate	26	97%	75%	35%	£26k	108
56	Kingston University^*2 courses	120–136 UCAS points	26	73%	85%	–	–	136
57	Lancaster University22 courses	AAB	26	83%	95%	45%	£26k	136
58	University of Northumbria at Newcastle^*8 courses	96–112 UCAS points	25	85%	85%	–	–	114
59	Nottingham Trent University8 courses	104–112 UCAS points	25	90%	85%	35%	£26k	99
60	Bangor University8 courses	104–128 UCAS points	25	89%	74%	58%	£26k	96
61	University of Aberdeen27 courses	BBC	25	92%	90%	40%	£25k	158
62	De Montfort University4 courses	BBC	25	87%	90%	55%	£25k	96
63	University of Westminster^*4 courses	CCC	24	89%	65%	–	–	107
64	University of Suffolk^*1 course	~BBB–BBCestimate	24	82%	90%	40%	–	104
64	University of Lincoln4 courses	BBC–BCC+ others	24	87%	92%	42%	£25k	110
66	Teesside University^*3 courses	96–112 UCAS points	24	93%	70%	–	–	90
67	Lincoln Bishop University^*11 courses	96 UCAS points	23	93%	80%	25%	–	91
67	Keele University7 courses	BBC	23	86%	79%	60%	£25k	107
69	York St John University10 courses	104 UCAS points	22	91%	85%	30%	£24k	98
70	Sheffield Hallam University^*1 course	BCC	22	83%	85%	60%	–	98
71	Aberystwyth University20 courses	BBB–CCC+ others	21	92%	89%	17%	£25k	102
72	Birkbeck, University of London8 courses	BBC	21	84%	85%	60%	£26.5k	83
73	University of Stirling12 courses	BBB	19	88%	78%	50%	£24.5k	163
74	University of Chichester2 courses	BCC	19	86%	82%	42%	£25k	105
75	University of Portsmouth6 courses	BBB–BCC+ others	19	88%	100%	31%	£24.5k	98
76	Canterbury Christ Church University2 courses	BBC	18	83%	80%	60%	£25k	93
77	UWE, Bristol1 course	112 UCAS points	17	93%	67%	40%	£25k	97
78	Edge Hill University3 courses	BBB–BBC	17	86%	90%	50%	£22.5k	102
79	University of Dundee12 courses	–	16	82%	86%	30%	£26.5k	173
80	Brunel University of London^*13 courses	BBB–BCC	16	85%	91%	10%	–	96
81	Roehampton University3 courses	112–128 UCAS points	15	82%	70%	30%	£30k	76
82	Queen's University Belfast11 courses	ABB	14	84%	87%	20%	£24.5k	133
82	Bath Spa University^*11 courses	BBB–BCC	14	80%	80%	55%	–	106
84	University of Chester7 courses	BBC–BCC	14	85%	92%	37%	£23k	108
85	Liverpool John Moores University6 courses	BBC+ others	14	87%	84%	42%	£23k	107
86	University of the Highlands and Islands8 courses	–	12	96%	60%	20%	£26k	132
87	University of Brighton2 courses	ABB–BCC	12	84%	70%	35%	£26.5k	90
88	University of Hull4 courses	BBC	11	92%	84%	25%	£20k	110
89	University of Edinburgh^*24 courses	AAA–AAB+ others	10	76%	93%	–	–	184
90	University of Wales: Trinity Saint David^*10 courses	96–112 UCAS points	8	74%	80%	15%	–	91
91	University of Winchester9 courses	BBB–BCC+ others	6	83%	82%	40%	£26k	90
92	South East London Teaching Partnership3 courses	CCC	5	86%	51%	35%	£27k	109
93	University of Greenwich (Part of London and South East University Group)^*2 courses	~BBB–BBCestimate	0	71%	80%	15%	–	97

What history graduates earn

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

£26.5kAfter 15 months
£23.5kAfter 3 years
£28kAfter 5 years

Highest earnings five years after graduating

London School of Economics and Political Science£49.5k
Durham University£47.5k
Oxford University£46k
University of Cambridge£43.5k
UCL£39k

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

Farnborough College of Technology, Richmond, The American International University in London, West Suffolk College, University of Buckingham, University of London institute in Paris, Tec Partnership, University Centre Peterborough