Best universities for Development studies (2026)

14 UK universities teaching Development studies as a full-time degree, ranked on graduate pay, jobs, student satisfaction, students staying on and entry points.

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#	University	Score	Salary 5 yrs on	Working or studying	Satisfied	Typical UCAS
1	University of Bath Bath and North East Somerset, South West · TEF Gold	63	£36.5k	100%	82%	144
2	King's College London Westminster, London · TEF Silver	62	£42.5k	95%	80%	144
3	University of Reading Wokingham, South East · TEF Silver	61	£40k	92%	97%	120
4	University of Manchester Manchester, North West · TEF Silver	57	£35.5k	85%	83%	152
5	UCL Camden, London · TEF Silver	54	£37.5k	—	79%	136
6	University of Birmingham Birmingham, West Midlands · TEF Silver	54	£31k	87%	92%	120
7	University of Sussex Brighton and Hove, South East · TEF Silver	49	£30.5k	83%	88%	120
8	University of Portsmouth Portsmouth, South East · TEF Gold	48	£34k	82%	79%	104
9	University of Sheffield Sheffield, Yorkshire and The Humber · TEF Silver	48	£29k	88%	74%	152
10	SOAS University of London Camden, London · TEF Silver	45	£30.5k	80%	85%	120
11	University of Leeds Leeds, Yorkshire and The Humber · TEF Silver	44	£29k	80%	89%	120
12	University of Glasgow Scotland	43	£29k	80%	84%	216
13	University of East Anglia Norwich, East of England · TEF Silver	43	£28k	85%	83%	104
14	Brunel University of London Hillingdon, London · TEF Bronze	27	£27.5k	65%	87%	88

How the score works: universities are compared within each subject on salary five years after graduating (27%), the share in work or further study (18%), student satisfaction (18%), students staying on (13.5%), typical UCAS points (13.5%, compared within each nation) and the TEF rating (10%, England). 50 is typical. Figures: Discover Uni (Office for Students, HESA), National Student Survey, Graduate Outcomes, HMRC LEO earnings; full-time first degrees.

Questions

What is the best university for Development studies?

On our measures University of Bath ranks first for Development studies, followed by King's College London, University of Reading, University of Manchester. Rankings depend on what matters to you, so compare pay, jobs and satisfaction.

Which university's Development studies graduates earn the most?

King's College London: typical earnings of £42.5k five years after graduating (HMRC tax records).