Best universities for Earth sciences (2026)

30 UK universities teaching Earth sciences 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	Imperial College London Westminster, London · TEF Gold	65	£49.5k	80%	86%	184
2	University of Oxford Oxford, South East · TEF Gold	65	£41.5k	95%	83%	184
3	University of St Andrews Scotland	65	£35.5k	95%	88%	200
4	University of Exeter Exeter, South West · TEF Gold	62	£33k	95%	91%	136
5	University of Durham County Durham, North East · TEF Silver	59	£41.5k	90%	85%	160
6	UCL Camden, London · TEF Silver	56	£41k	85%	88%	136
7	University of Reading Wokingham, South East · TEF Silver	56	£34.5k	90%	93%	152
8	Queen Mary University of London Tower Hamlets, London · TEF Silver	52	£36.5k	80%	96%	136
9	University of Leicester Leicester, East Midlands · TEF Gold	52	£32k	85%	90%	120
10	Aberystwyth University Ceredigion, Wales	52	£29k	90%	92%	104
11	University of Bristol Bristol, City of, South West · TEF Silver	51	£35.5k	80%	90%	152
12	University of Manchester Manchester, North West · TEF Silver	50	£33k	90%	88%	136
13	Royal Holloway, University of London Runnymede, South East · TEF Silver	50	£31.5k	80%	93%	120
14	University of Ulster Northern Ireland	50	—	90%	94%	104
15	University of East Anglia Norwich, East of England · TEF Silver	49	£31.5k	95%	82%	120
16	University of Glasgow Scotland	49	£31k	92%	84%	176
17	University of Leeds Leeds, Yorkshire and The Humber · TEF Silver	48	£36.5k	85%	75%	136
18	University of Aberdeen Scotland	48	£32k	75%	92%	168
19	University of Birmingham Birmingham, West Midlands · TEF Silver	48	£31.5k	85%	85%	136
20	University of Southampton Southampton, South East · TEF Silver	47	£34.5k	85%	84%	136
21	Cardiff University Cardiff, Wales	47	£29.5k	80%	91%	120
22	University of Plymouth Plymouth, South West · TEF Gold	46	£30.5k	86%	87%	104
23	University of Edinburgh Scotland	44	£32.5k	85%	81%	168
24	University of Liverpool Liverpool, North West · TEF Gold	43	£30k	82%	79%	136
25	University of Keele Newcastle-under-Lyme, West Midlands · TEF Gold	43	£29k	85%	88%	88
26	Birkbeck, University of London Camden, London · TEF Bronze	41	£27k	95%	87%	88
27	Bangor University Gwynedd, Wales	40	£30k	80%	84%	120
28	University of the Highlands and Islands Scotland	40	£24k	90%	91%	168
29	University of Portsmouth Portsmouth, South East · TEF Gold	39	£28.5k	80%	79%	104
30	University of Derby Derby, East Midlands · TEF Gold	39	£27.5k	85%	86%	104

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 Earth sciences?

On our measures Imperial College London ranks first for Earth sciences, followed by University of Oxford, University of St Andrews, University of Exeter. Rankings depend on what matters to you, so compare pay, jobs and satisfaction.

Which university's Earth sciences graduates earn the most?

Imperial College London: typical earnings of £49.5k five years after graduating (HMRC tax records).