The Department of Music at Royal Holloway, University of London, has been ranked number one in the UK for research in the prestigious Times Good University Guide 2026.
This accolade solidifies the department’s reputation as a national leader in music scholarship. The top research rating comes alongside a continued top-ten placement for the overall ranking of studying music at the university.
Further cementing its outstanding performance, the department was also listed 3rd in the UK for graduate prospects, a measure of the career success achieved by its alumni.
The Times Good University Guide is widely considered a definitive authority on UK higher education institutions. Its rankings are based on a rigorous assessment of key criteria, including student satisfaction, the quality of teaching, and the career outcomes of graduates.
This triple achievement underscores Royal Holloway’s Department of Music as a premier destination for students seeking a world-class education underpinned by cutting-edge research and excellent future career opportunities.
Our world-leading culture and facilities
Royal Holloway Music students benefit from outstanding facilities including professional-level recording studios, four production suites, a world music studio, and unique Victorian performing venues such as our chapel and Picture Gallery. As an all-Steinway school, we offer our students exclusive use of Steinway or Steinway-designed pianos for teaching, practice and performance.
Our lively musical life includes choirs, orchestras and a huge range of student-led ensembles from the award-winning Royal Holloway Brass Band (ranked no.7 in the UK UniBrass competition 2025) to our student-led societies for opera and music theatre.
