Best Universities for Politics in the UK

The UK is home to some of the world’s most famous Politics degrees, with alumni including world leaders, journalists, and political philosophers and scientists who have changed the way we think about policy, societies, and power. In this guide, we’re identifying the standout options for ambitious students as we rank the very best universities for Politics in the UK.

We also break down the top five in more detail, covering what each university and its Politics course is like, what makes them stand out, and the entry requirements every student needs to know before they apply.

How We Ranked the Best Universities for Politics

There are several league tables which rank the best universities for Politics in the UK. To arrive at our ranking, we have used two of the most trusted and prestigious UK-specific league tables: the Complete University Guide (CUG) and the Guardian.

We take the position of each university in the CUG and Guardian league tables and average it to give an overall ranking.

How University Rankings Work

Before getting into our ranking, it’s worth saying upfront: league tables are not the final word on a university’s quality.

Each publication that produces a ranking creates its table from a different mix of data: things like spending per student, student ratios to staff ratios, entry grades, student satisfaction, research output, and graduate employment rates (usually measured 18 months after graduation).

There are differences in what metrics each publication uses and in how they collect and weight their data. For instance, the Guardian measures spend per student and student to staff ratios, whereas the CUG measures neither of these things but does measure the quality of research produced by the university, which the Guardian doesn’t. These differences mean there are often discrepancies – sometimes big ones – between how a university performs in one league table versus another.

On top of that, league tables are built around an “average” student. But, of course, this person does not actually exist. You might care far more about job outcomes than staff numbers, in which case a university ranked higher purely on staffing might not suit you at all. And plenty of things that matter (campus atmosphere, societies and extracurriculars, a department’s specialisms) simply can’t be captured in a ranking.

So treat league tables as a useful starting point, but no more. Use them alongside your own research, conversations with teachers, current students, or advisors, and (wherever possible) actual visits before deciding where to apply.

Politics University Rankings in the UK

University	Guardian	CUG	Overall Rank
Oxford	1	1	1
Cambridge	2	3	2
LSE	3	2	2
St Andrews	Not ranked	4	4
Durham	4	6	5
King’s College London	5	8	6
UCL	10	5	7
Warwick	11	7	8
Sheffield	8	11	9
Bath	14	9	10
York	15	12	11
Bristol	18	10	12
Loughborough	9	23	13
Strathclyde	16	16	13
Exeter	19	13	13
Glasgow	20	17	16
Birmingham	21	19	17
Newcastle	29	18	18
Lincoln	7	41	19
Manchester	33	15	19

The top three universities for Politics in our rankings are, to some extent, to be expected: Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). All three of these universities would be among the best-known and most prestigious for Politics in the UK. Fourth place goes to St Andrews, despite the fact that, as we’ll discuss in more detail later, it only offers International Relations degrees, not straight Politics.

15 of the top 20 are members of the Russell Group, including the top three. Of the five non-Russell Groups, St Andrews (4^th), Bath (10^th) and Loughborough (13^th) are frequently listed as among the best universities in the UK outside the Russell Group.

In the next section, we’ll explore each of the top five best UK universities for Politics in more detail, including:

• Entry requirements
• Why they rank highly
• What the university is like
• What the course is like

Looking for more ways to boost your university applications? Read our guide on how to find Politics work experience.

Top 5 Universities for Politics in the UK

University of Oxford

Oxford is the best university for Politics in the UK. It comes top of both the Guardian and CUG rankings for Politics; and it offers one of the best-known Politics courses in the world: PPE.

Oxford performs particularly well for graduate prospects (95% of Politics students are in work or further study 15 months after graduating) and has a student to staff ratio of only 8:1, meaning students benefit from lots of personal attention from their tutors.

University Overview

Oxford is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Founded in 1096, it is known for its medieval architecture, centuries-old traditions, and formidable reputation for academic excellence.

Course Overview

Oxford does not have a single Politics course. If you want to study Politics at Oxford, you’ll need to choose between two multidisciplinary courses: Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and History and Politics.

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

PPE at Oxford is almost certainly the most famous Politics degree in the UK, and perhaps the world. It is renowned – or lambasted – as the gateway to a UK political career (though students can take it in many different directions). Alumni include at least 16 Prime Ministers of different countries around the world, among them recent UK PMs David Cameron, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak. (Perfect, then, if you want to become an MP.)

PPE combines three disciplines, in the belief that together they transform students’ intellectual development: philosophy builds analytical and logical rigour through questions about knowledge and morality, politics explains how institutions shape societies and the choices political systems make, and economics examines how resources are allocated through the decisions of consumers, firms, and governments. Teaching involves up to eight lectures and two tutorials or classes weekly, mainly in small tutorials of two to four students. Staff are typically subject specialists or doctoral students. In year one, students study all three subjects, examined through three written papers. In years two and three, students continue all three (tripartite) or specialise in two (bipartite), combining compulsory core courses with a wide range of optional papers, including the possibility of writing a thesis.

History and Politics

Oxford’s History and Politics degree combines the two disciplines so students learn to view political issues historically and apply political analysis to the past. Teaching happens through small tutorials of two to four students, larger faculty classes of up to twenty, and lectures, delivered mostly by expert tutors and some doctoral students, with students largely managing their own timetable and culminating in an independent third-year thesis. In the first year, students take four examined papers plus assessed coursework, covering a period of British or European/World history, political theory, an optional subject, and the Practice of Politics, alongside non-examined quantitative methods training. In years two and three, students study a British and a European/World history period, two of five core Politics subjects, and a further combination of special or optional papers in either discipline, with final assessment through written papers, an extended essay, and/or a thesis.

Entry Requirements

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

A-Levels / IB: AAA at A-Level; 39 points at IB (including 766 at HL)

Admissions test: Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions (TARA)

Interview: Yes. (Learn more about Oxbridge interviews, view our practice PPE interview questions, or explore our interview tutoring.)

Written work: None

History and Politics

A-Levels / IB: AAA at A Level; 38 points at IB (including 666 at HL)

Admissions test: Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions (TARA). (Take a practice TARA admissions test or explore our TARA tutoring.)

Interview: Yes

Written work: Students are required to submit one History essay, done as part of their normal schoolwork, up to 2000 words long.

University of Cambridge

Cambridge comes second in the Guardian league table and third in the CUG for Politics, this taking equal second place in our ranking.

93.4% of Cambridge’s Politics students are satisfied with the quality of teaching (higher than any of the rest of the top five) and 90% are in work or study 15 months after graduating.

University Overview

Often compared with Oxford, Cambridge has a similar medieval history and outstanding international reputation. It is well known for its division into semi-autonomous colleges, where students live and much teaching takes place, and for its system of undergraduate ‘supervisions’ – small-group tutorials where one or two students are taught by an expert in their field.

Course Overview

Like Oxford, Cambridge does not offer a single straight Politics course. There are two Politics-related degrees on offer: Human, Social, and Political Sciences and History and Politics.

Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS)

Cambridge’s Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS) course lets students tailor their studies from the outset, drawing on three core disciplines: Politics and International Relations, which examines politics within and between states; Social Anthropology, which explores human social and cultural diversity; and Sociology, which analyses power and inequality across social, cultural, political, and economic life. Students have access to faculty libraries, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and the wider University Library.

In year one, students take four papers, at least three from the core subjects. In years two and three, students choose either a single-subject track in one of the three disciplines or one of five combined two-subject tracks, such as Politics and Sociology or Sociology and Social Anthropology, with track changes generally restricted once chosen.

HSPS is sometimes considered to be a more progressive, less traditional alternative to PPE at Oxford – not least due to its emphasis on disciplines like sociology and social anthropology, which encourage students to question conventional ways of looking at Politics and societies.

History and Politics

Cambridge’s History and Politics course combines the two disciplines to help students understand how historical and political analysis illuminate the modern world. It draws on subjects such as political science, history of political thought, modern British, European, American and world history, and quantitative methods. Teaching, delivered by leading academics from the Faculty of History and the Department of Politics and International Studies, takes the form of lectures, classes, and small-group supervisions built around discussing supervision essays.

In year one, students take four papers covering history, core politics topics, and an interdisciplinary paper in Evidence and Argument. In year two, they take papers in international organisation or comparative politics, history of political thought, a history topic, and a long essay. In year three, students choose three papers from a wide range of options, or replace one with a 10,000-word dissertation, alongside a compulsory paper on Theory and Practice in History and Politics. Graduates go on to careers in fields such as media, law, finance, and the Civil Service.

Entry Requirements

Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS)

A-Levels / IB: A*AA at A-Level; 42 points at IB (including 776 at HL)

Admissions test: Applicants toHughes Hall, King’s and Newnham will be required to take the college’s own admissions test

Interview: Yes. (View our Cambridge HSPS interview questions.)

Written work: Two pieces required

History and Politics

A-Levels / IB: A*AA at A-Level (including History); 41-2 points at IB (including 776 at HL) (including HL History)

Admissions test: Applicants to Hughes Hall and St Edmund’s will be required to take the college’s own admissions test. (Learn more about the HSPS admissions test or take a practice HSPS test.)

Interview: Yes

Written work: Two pieces required

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

LSE comes joint second alongside Cambridge in our ranking of the best UK universities for Politics. It comes second in the CUG league table and third in the Guardian.

The Politics department spends as much per student as Oxbridge and it has a student to staff ratio of 10.4:1.

University Overview

Founded by the Fabian Society, a group of leftwing intellectuals, in 1895, LSE joined the University of London in 1900 and began issuing degrees shortly thereafter. A member of the G5 and one of the top-ranking Russell Groups, it specialises in the Social Sciences and is one of the most prestigious universities for those subjects in the world. Alumni include Rachel Reeves, Pierre Trudeau, and Ursula von der Leyen.

Course Overview

LSE’s BSc in Politics examines the concepts and theories underlying politics, including justice, power, democracy, and conflict, while teaching rigorous methods for comparing political phenomena and institutions across countries. Students study topics such as comparative politics, political behaviour, political economy, political theory, and public policy, drawing on examples from around the world. Students have the option to complete at least three units in Anthropology, International History, Sociology, or Data Science and add a specialism to their degree.

In year one, students take two compulsory politics courses, an optional course, and an outside option. In year two, students choose three government options covering different sub-fields of political science, plus a further government or outside option. In the third year, students take more advanced courses building on year two, choosing from a range of options including further government courses, outside options, or a dissertation.

Entry Requirements

A-Levels / IB: AAA at A-Level; 38 points at IB (including 766 at HL)

Admissions test: None

Interview: None

Written work: None

St Andrews

St Andrews is not ranked by the Guardian in its Politics league table; this is because it offers an International Relations course, but not straight Politics. (It comes top of the Guardian rankings for IR.) Nonetheless, the CUG ranks it as the fourth best university for Politics in the UK, so have decided to include it in our list.

Despite very high student satisfaction scores, it slips below Oxbridge and LSE based on its slightly weaker graduate outcomes and staff research quality.

University Overview

One of Scotland’s four medieval universities, St Andrews is often considered one of the best non-Russell Group universities in the UK. Its alumni include the Reformation theologian John Knox, pioneer of the smallpox vaccine Edward Jenner (one of the most famous doctors in history), Alex Salmond (former First Minister of Scotland), and Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Course Overview

St Andrews’ MA (Hons) in International Relations explores topics such as the origins of war and peace, foreign policy, trade regimes, terrorism, human rights, and international law. It develops students’ skills to assess international developments, analyse relations between states and other actors, and construct normative theories about the world. As St Andrews is a Scottish university, its standard course is a four-year MA, though a three-year BA with International Honours is also available. The course requires students to study two additional subjects alongside international relations in year one, continuing at least one into year two. Students then specialise at Honours level in third and fourth year in areas such as peace and conflict resolution, international security, human rights, or international political economy.

Teaching combines lectures, which shrink from hundreds of students in first year to small Honours groups of fifteen to twenty-five, with weekly tutorials of ten to thirteen students, alongside independent study, research, and coursework. First year covers foundational concepts and foreign policy, second year covers theoretical approaches and research methods, and Honours years offer a wide range of advanced options, culminating in a compulsory 12,000-word dissertation in the final year.

Entry Requirements

A-Levels / IB: AAA at A-Level; 38 points at IB (666 at HL)

Admissions test: None

Interview: None

Written work: None

Durham University

Durham completes our look at the top five universities for Politics in the UK. It comes fourth in the Guardian and sixth in the CUG league tables.

Almost 80% of Durham Politics students are satisfied with the feedback they receive (higher than the test of our top 5), though its lower entry standards and spend per student means it can’t challenge for the very top places.

University Overview

A member of the Russell Group, Durham is located in a picturesque town in the north east of England. It was founded in 1832, as the third university to be founded in England, 600 years after Cambridge. Like Oxbrige, it is also divided into colleges.

Course Overview

Durham’s BA in Politics examines political systems and governance at local and global levels, encouraging students to think critically about issues from national security and social inequality to the climate crisis, taught by researchers whose work feeds directly into the curriculum. The course is structured around three themes: political thought, political institutions, and international relations, with the option to extend the degree to four years through a placement or study abroad year. Graduates are prepared for careers in areas such as social policy research, journalism, academia, and the Civil Service.

In year one, core modules introduce political theory, democratic political systems, comparative politics, and research methods, alongside options such as international security or political economy. In year two, students undertake a research project preparing them for dissertation work, alongside modules on Western political thought and analytical politics, plus options including international theory or the politics of East Asia. In year three, students complete a dissertation researching a topic in depth, alongside options such as the politics of inequality, environmental politics, or theories of liberty.

Entry Requirements

A-Levels / IB: AAA at A-Level) (including Social Science or Humanities subject); 36 points at IB (including 666 at HL) (including HL Social Science or Humanities subject)

Admissions test: None

Interview: None

Written work: None

How to Find the Best University for You

If you’re passionate about studying Politics at university, the UK offers some of the most respected and intellectually stimulating programmes in the world. Whether you’re drawn to the deep academic tradition of PPE at Oxford, the alternative, interdisciplinary approach of HSPS at Cambridge, or the global perspective of International Relations at St Andrews, the UK has an outstanding Politics course to suit your interests.

While rankings can offer a helpful starting point, finding the best Politics course for you will require you to do some careful thinking and reflection. What type of university would you like to study in, what interests you about Politics, and where are you hoping your degree will take you? We recommend you carefully research a wide range of courses to understand which matches your requirements best.

For expert, personal advice, you can work with our UK and Oxbridge admissions consultants. They have supported countless Politics applicants and can optimise your chances of acceptance to the best-fit university for you.

Our services include support with your personal statement, admissions test tutoring, and Oxbridge interview preparation.

Book a free consultation with our friendly team to learn more about our university application support.