Best Universities for Sport Management UK

This page highlights the leading UK universities for Sport Management online and shows affordable, flexible, and accredited online Master’s programs and short courses in Sport Management.

While university league tables can help to compare institutions, they can be misleading when taken at face value. Small differences in a university’s score can have an outsized effect on its place in the ranking but little impact on the student’s learning experience.

When evaluating and comparing courses, focusing on the syllabus, learning outcomes, overall experience, and contact with tutors and the university is key. These factors are often more important than a university’s position in the league table.

UK University League Tables for Sport Management

If you are looking to get insights into the best university to study sports management, you will quickly find that the subject area is not tracked by some of the more well-known UK university rankings. Not being ranked can be for many reasons; for example, sports management is a specialist subject, so there may not be enough students and graduates to meet the sampling size criteria. A subject area not in the rankings should not be read as a negative in any way.

UK University League Tables for Sport Management – Sports Business Magazine Postgraduate Rankings

Sports Business Magazine, a specialist industry publisher, runs global and European Sports business rankings. These are the top UK universities offering Sport management courses

• The University of Liverpool Management School – football
• Loughborough University (School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences)
• The Global Institute of Sport

You can view the full 2023 rankings here and access the Sport Business website, but registration is required.

The Best UK Universities for Sport Management- QS

QS rank universities on a sports and related subjects basis. This means that their table includes weighting from Sports science programmes and sports business management courses where they offer them.

• Loughborough University
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bath
• Liverpool John Moores University
• University of Exeter
• UCL
• The University of Edinburgh
• The University of Manchester
• Brunel University London
• Durham University

You can view the full QS 2023 ranking here.

Specialised Universities that Teach Sport Management Courses Online

• The Global Institute of Sport
• Johan Cruyff Institute – Online

Most Flexible Universities to Study Sport Management.

• The Global Institute of Sport
• The University of Liverpool Management School
• Manchester Metropolitan University

Sports Management Course Content and Learning Experience

Using university rankings can be helpful, but they should only be one tool you use when investigating the right courses for your goals.

To make informed decisions about your future in the sports business, follow these steps:

• Compare the course content and learning outcomes of the courses you are interested in.

• Attend information sessions and webinars and ask questions directly to the academics.

• Talk to current students for their insights.

Next Steps