The Best Universities for Communication & Media Studies in the UK (2024)

There are many reasons why someone might want to study Communication & Media Studies at a university in the UK. Here are just a few:

• The UK boasts some of the world’s leading universities for Communication & Media Studies, offering comprehensive programmes that blend theory with practical applications. These institutions are at the forefront of research, setting global trends in media studies.
• Universities in the UK are known for their dynamic and innovative curriculum that keeps pace with the rapidly evolving media landscape. Courses cover a wide range of topics, from digital media and social networking to political communication and media ethics.
• Studying in the UK offers rich cultural experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. Not only will students be able to attend lectures by world-renowned academics, but they can also explore the UK’s diverse media scene including film, tv, theatre, and more.
• Students have the opportunity to specialise in numerous areas within Communication & Media Studies, such as public relations, journalism, digital marketing, and multimedia storytelling. This allows for a tailored academic experience aligned with a student's career goals.

The following tables gives the 10 top universities in the UK for Communication & Media Studies, according to global and local university rankings. It can show you which British universities are amongst the best in the world - and help you compare institutions on an international level.

This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university's result.

For more information on using international rankings as a postgraduate, see our guide.

The Times Higher Education rankings are strong in academic focus and diverse teaching metrics, but do not include employer-specific metrics. Additionally, the rankings may not include all specialist institutions.

The QS World University Rankings are designed to meet the needs of prospective students, with more weight given to student-centric metrics such as staff/student ratio, international recruitment and employer opinion. The rankings are balanced between qualitative and quantitative data, but give less weight to research than some other rankings.

The ARWU rankings reflect the presence of elite academics and the future academic success of graduates. However, they do not directly assess the quality of education at a university or take into account other aspects of university performance.