Best Universities for Geography

Geography is a highly varied and interdisciplinary subject that can involve the study of life and environmental sciences, earth sciences, economics, sociology, politics and international relations, public health and more in an applied setting.  

It’s a subject dedicated to understanding and addressing some of society’s most pressing issues, from climate change to urban planning, natural disasters and human conflicts. As a result, it’s a widely popular option for students of all kinds of academic backgrounds who are looking to develop their knowledge and skills in a certain area, whether changing their academic focus, preparing for a particular profession or looking to become an expert researcher in a certain topic. 

There are lots of routes and specialisms within geography, reflected by a wide range of study programmes. We’ve curated this guide to the best universities for geography across a number of categories, to help you research your all-important postgraduate study decisions. 

Best Universities for Geography 

There are dozens of universities offering geography postgraduate qualifications, with many exciting study pathways available at excellent universities. The Complete University Guide 2024 league tables rank these institutions, allowing you to get a definitive picture of the top universities to study geography at. 

These are the three universities in particular which have achieved top scores in the league tables, due to their achievements across areas ranging from graduate prospects, student satisfaction, research quality and more... 

• University of Cambridge 
• University of Oxford 
• London School of Economics and Political Science 

Top choice for Student Satisfaction 

For prospective postgraduate students in geography, student satisfaction should be a leading factor in deciding where to study. This broad category encompasses everything from the quality of the teachers to the relevance of the curriculum, the practical learning opportunities available and the facilities that support them, and the auxiliary services on offer throughout your studies. 

For geography students, this will reflect how good your potential courses will be at equipping you with the expertise and skills you’ll need, supporting you personally and academically, and allowing you to enjoy a varied and positive student lifestyle. 

The best geography university for student satisfaction is the University of Derby. 

Top choice for Graduate Prospects 

This category summarises the success rates of students after they’ve graduated from their course. For geography students, graduate prospects will reflect the availability and quality of professional skills and experience building opportunities – whether it’s practical working and training in your curriculum, securing a voluntary or paid placement or attending events and talks with employers in your field. 

The top uni for geography when it comes to graduate prospects is the University of Oxford.

 Go to: Search for geography courses at University of Oxford

Top choice for Research Quality 

Research quality is an important factor in any university decision of where to study at postgraduate level. It describes the quality of a university’s research output and its positive impact on society. For geography students, it’s a major indicator of the expertise of teachers and other faculty, the quality of facilities for learning and researching, and the potential for students to go on to high profile and engaging research work during or after their master’s course. 

The best university for geography in terms of research quality is the University of East Anglia (UEA). 

Go to: Search for geography courses at UAE

Ranking Information Source   

We have used ranking information from the Complete University Guide’s league tables for these sections. To create the tables, Complete University Guide sources data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the National Student Survey. The Complete University Guide calculates the rankings with its own methodology. 

Go to: See the 2024 Complete University Guide geography subject league table 

Student reviews 

Student reviews are an excellent source of information alongside ranking information from Complete University Guide. They’re a way to gain more information about a university and what it’s like to study there, straight from the mouths of current or recent students. Through Whatuni, you can access recent student reviews for the universities you’re interested in. 

Out of many universities with a range of positive ratings, Bangor University is especially well-reviewed by students, with many of their comments accompanied by a five-star rating. One review for the uni went on to say, “All the teaching staff I have had are lovely and very supportive both academically and personally with any issues you may have.” 

Go to: Search for geography courses at Bangor University

More universities for studying Geography 

While we’ve looked at some of the highest rated and best-reviewed universities for geography here, there’s a total of nearly 200 postgraduate courses to explore in this field. Offered across more than 65 universities in the UK, that’s a lot of programmes to browse. With our course search tool, you can get all the information you need on each one to help narrow your search and make a great choice. 

Next: Search for geography courses