Top 5 for communication and media studies

Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture has been ranked fifth in the UK for communication and media studies in the Complete University Guide 2027.

The Complete University Guide is published annually and ranks UK universities nationally and in 74 different subject areas. It uses a range of measures to do this including student experience and academic performance.

This recognition consolidates the School’s position as a centre of excellence in communication and media studies research and teaching and follows successful rankings in other tables. Currently, the School is 37th in the world for communication and media studies in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject and is also in the Top 10 in the UK for communication and media studies in the Times Good University Guide 2026. In addition, the School was placed in the Top 10 for journalism and in the Top 5 for media studies in the Daily Mail University League Table 2026.

The School is also celebrated for its research excellence, placing 2nd in the UK for the quality of its communication, cultural and media studies research in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). This includes research in areas such as journalism and democracy, digital media and society, and media, culture and creativity.

Dr Matt Walsh, Head of the School of Journalism, Media and Culture said:

“We are thrilled to see the latest ranking from the Complete University Guide continues to recognise us as one of the top schools in the UK in our subject area.

“This shows, along with the recent QS rankings, which saw us place within the top 40 of this year’s QS World University Rankings by Subject, that we are a highly respected institution both nationally and internationally, something which I’m immensely proud of.”