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Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences rankings and reputation

The latest UK and global rankings for our learning, teaching and research performance.


Factsheet

All rankings are UK-based unless otherwise stated.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024

Highlights

  • 2nd for Criminology, and Sports Science
  • Top 3 for Social Policy
  • Top 5 for Social Work, and Sociology
  • Top 10 for Psychology
  • 2nd for graduate prospects in Economics, Psychology, and Sports Science
  • 3rd for graduate prospects in French, and Sociology
  • Top 5 for graduate prospects in Education, and Iberian Languages
  • 2nd for Student Satisfaction in Social Policy, and Sports Science

Subject rankings

Subject Overall ranking
Criminology 2
Economics Joint 26
Education 13
French 18
German Joint 15
Iberian Languages 20
Politics 21
Psychology 6
Social Policy 3
Social Work 5
Sociology 5
Sports Science 2

Full results from The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.

Guardian University Guide 2024

Highlights

  • 1st for Sports Science
  • 3rd for Education
  • Top 5 for Criminology, Psychology, and Sociology and Social Policy
  • Top 10 for Languages & Linguistics
  • Joint 1st for Career after 15 Months* in Economics, and Psychology
  • Top 3 for Career after 15 Months* in Sociology and Social Policy, and Sports Science
  • Top 5 for Career after 15 Months* in Languages & Linguistics, and Politics
  • 2nd for Satisfied with Teaching in Social Work

*Percentage of graduates who find graduate-level jobs, or are in further study at professional or HE level, within 15 months of graduation.

Subject rankings

Subject Overall ranking
Criminology 5
Economics 25
Education 3
Languages & Linguistics 7
Politics 13
Psychology 5
Sociology and Social Policy 5
Social Work 11
Sports Science 1

Full results from the Guardian University Guide 2024.

Complete University Guide 2024

Highlights

  • 2nd for Social Policy, and Sports Science
  • 3rd for Sociology (including Criminology)
  • 4th for Education
  • 5th for Psychology
  • Top 10 for Economics, French, German, Iberian Languages, Italian, and Social Work
  • 1st for graduate prospects in Economics, and Social Policy
  • Joint 1st for graduate prospects in French
  • Top 5 for graduate prospects in German, Italian, Politics Sociology, and Sports Science

Subject rankings

Subject Overall ranking
Economics 8
Education 4
French 8
German 10
Iberian Languages 9
Italian 8
Politics 11
Psychology 5
Social Policy 2
Social Work 6
Sociology 3
Sports Science 2

Full results from the Complete University Guide 2024.

QS World University Rankings

In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 (the most recent subject rankings), we placed:

Overall, Bath ranked 148 out of 1,499 universities around the world in the QS World University Rankings 2024.

Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021

Sport & Exercise Sciences, Leisure & Tourism

  • 98% of our submitted research activity for Sport & Exercise Sciences, Leisure & Tourism was rated as 3* and 4*, meaning it is ‘internationally excellent’ and ‘world leading’
  • We placed Joint 6th in the UK for Sport & Exercise Sciences, Leisure & Tourism in the Times Higher Education (THE) REF 2021 Rankings

Social Work & Social Policy

  • 91% of our submitted research activity for Social Work & Social Policy was rated as 3* and 4*, meaning it is ‘internationally excellent’ and ‘world leading’
  • We placed in the top 10 in the UK for Social Work & Social Policy in the Times Higher Education (THE) REF 2021 Rankings

Explore the full results from REF 2021

Athena SWAN

All six of the Departments in our Faculty have received Athena SWAN awards.

Read more about our Athena SWAN submissions

Read more about the University of Bath's overall rankings

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