Social Work at York ranks 2nd in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027

Posted on Monday 28 September 2026

This ranking recognises the quality of our courses, and the experiences and opportunities they provide to our students.

On this ranking, our Head of Social Work, Polly Sykes said: “The social work team are delighted by our latest subject ranking, which stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of both our staff and students. We have a commitment to delivering a truly supportive, high-quality educational experience that equips our students to excel both during their studies and well into their careers, and this outcome shows that we are succeeding in these aims”

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 18th overall, up two places from 2026.

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

• Department of Language and Linguistic Science
  2nd for Italian
  3rd for French, German and Iberian Languages
  4th for Linguistics
• School for Business and Society
  2nd for Social Work
• Department of Philosophy
  7th for Philosophy
• Department of Sociology
  8th for Criminology
• Department of Chemistry
  7th for Chemistry
• Department of History
  10th for History
• Hull York Medical School
  10th for Medicine

A further two subjects ranked in the top 20 including Social Policy (11th in the UK).