Social Work at York ranks 17th in Guardian University Guide 2026

News

Posted on Friday 17 October 2025

The School for Business and Society has placed 17th in the Guardian University Guide 2026 for the subject of Social Work. The ranking recognises the quality of our courses, and the experiences and opportunities they provide to our students.

On the ranking, Professor Bob Doherty - Dean of the School for Business and Society - said “An outstanding result from an academic team who continue to innovate in both their teaching and research”

Polly Sykes, Head of Social Work, added “An excellent outcome! It is a great privilege to support our students as they grow in skill and confidence for their future careers. This ranking reflects the hard work and enthusiasm brought by the Social Work team, our ‘SUPA’ (lived experience) group and our local employers who offer superb placement opportunities."

The Guardian University Guide is published annually to help students choose a university course. It ranks UK universities by undergraduate degree subjects in metrics such as student satisfaction, continuation, spend per student and graduate outcomes.

York’s overall position

In total, four subjects at York ranked in the UK top 10:

Hull York Medical School

3rd for Medicine

Department of Health Sciences

5th for General Nursing
8th for Mental Health Nursing

Department of Sociology

10th for Criminology

A further five subjects ranked in the UK top 20.