Social Policy at York ranks 10th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026
Posted on Thursday 23 October 2025
Our Dean, Professor Bob Doherty said: “This is a fantastic achievement from a world leading research and teaching Social Policy Group at York making a significant policy impact in both the UK and internationally”
Dr Enrico Reuter and Dr Aniela Wenham, Co-Heads of Social Policy, added “This strong result reflects the excellence of our teaching and research, and underlines the vital role Social Policy plays in understanding and addressing the grand societal challenges of our time. At York, our Social Policy team is dedicated to creating an environment where students enjoy their learning, are fully supported and can thrive academically - we are grateful to see this reflected in this ranking.”
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide uses data on entry standards, student-staff ratios, completion rates, first-class and 2:1 degrees, and graduate prospects. It combines these with measures of research quality, student satisfaction and social inclusion to award each university an overall score, broken down by subject.
York’s overall position
The University as a whole ranks 20th overall.
In total, 11 subjects at York ranked in the UK top 10:
- Department of Chemistry
- 4th for Chemistry
- Department of English and Related Literature
- 7th for English
- Department of History
- 10th for History
- Department of History of Art
- 8th for History of Art, Architecture and Design
- Department of Language and Linguistic Science
- 1st for Iberian Languages
- 4th for French
- 8th for Linguistics
- Department of Natural Sciences
- 10th for Natural Sciences
- Department of Sociology
- 8th for Criminology
- Hull York Medical School
- 10th for Medicine
- School for Business and Society
- 10th for Social Policy
A further four subjects ranked in the top 20.