Best Universities for Sociology

Sociology offers students the opportunity to build a deep understanding of how society works, how social changes come about and the impacts they have, and how the interactions between people and institutions affect individual lives and entire cultures. It’s a field that intersects with politics, law, geography, history, psychology and more, equipping students with a powerful, broad knowledge base and widely applicable skills. 

Students will be able to challenge themselves and develop a robust knowledge of key theories, relevant case studies and professional research skills, as well as gain a wide range of highly transferable skills that are valued by all kinds of employers. 

This guide explores the best universities for sociology across a number of different categories, helping you make the best choice for your postgraduate studies. 

Best Universities for Sociology 

While there are plenty of great institutions offering a diverse range of postgraduate degrees in this area, the Complete University Guide 2024 league table identifies some of the top universities for sociology in the UK. The three best universities, overall, are: 

• University of Cambridge 
• University of Oxford 
• University of Bath 

Top choice for Student Satisfaction 

Student satisfaction describes the overall experience of studying at a university, and reflects the quality of things like course content and delivery, the expertise of faculty, the standard of facilities, and the wider experience of studying at the university through things like the students’ union and social atmosphere. 

The best university for sociology, in terms of student satisfaction, is Glyndwr University, Wrexham. 

Top choice for Graduate Prospects 

Graduate prospects describes the capacity for success that students equip themselves with during their postgraduate studies. It covers everything from the relevance of course content to accessing internships and other experience opportunities, career support and more. 

The top university for sociology, when it comes to graduate prospects, is the University of Cambridge. 

Top choice for Research Quality 

Research quality is an important consideration for many postgraduate students, as it’s strongly linked to how contemporary, relevant and impactful the content and application of a course is. It’s particularly key for research students, who will depend on the quality of the technology and facilities of their institution, as well as the expertise and support of academic staff. 

The best uni for sociology, in terms of research quality, is Loughborough University. 

Ranking Information Source   

The Complete University Guide’s league tables have been used to source the ranking information for this article. The league tables use data from the National Student Survey, the Higher Education Statistics Agency and the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, and the rankings are calculated using the Complete University Guide’s own methodology. 

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

Student reviews 

There are dozens of excellent sociology universities to choose from for your postgraduate studies. However, one university in particular stands out for the strength of its student reviews on Whatuni. The University of Edinburgh attracts a number of five-star ratings, including this one: 

“The campus look is stunning and very relaxing to be in. The tutors/professors are very responsive to emails or any questions. The best part about it is that they value their students and always keep them up to date with any necessary information that needs to be informed.” 

More universities for studying sociology 

There are more than 500 postgraduate courses in this field on offer across the UK, at more than 110 good universities for sociology around the country. Our course search tool is an ideal way to explore such a wide range of options, with easy access to course and entry requirement information making it a sensible way to shortlist and select your ideal universities. 

Next: Search for sociology courses