Skyrim’s Schools of Magic, Ranked From Worst To Best

Highlights

Skyrim offers players a chance to master the arcane arts with its diverse magical schools.
Some schools like Alteration and Illusion are more situational, and require strategic thinking and creative gameplay to be effective.
Destruction and Conjuration provide offensive power, while Restoration and Enchanting offer defensive and utility abilities.

Like any good fantasy RPG, Skyrim offers players a chance to master the arcane arts. Playing through the game with a pure mage build can be challenging, but highly rewarding for those who want to immerse themselves in this fantasy world. Any Dragonborn who plans to rely heavily on magic needs a strong grasp of each distinct magical school, and the advantages that they offer.

Every school of magic has the potential to be incredibly powerful. However, some have a narrow range of uses, while others have more diverse applications. Some require tedious work to raise to high levels, while others climb quickly. To help players decide which schools to focus their Magicka on, here's a ranking of each mage skill in Skyrim from worst to best.

Updated September 11, 2023, by Demaris Oxman: After more than ten years, Skyrim still has a dedicated player base. This fantasy world never loses its appeal, prompting players to return time and again to explore different paths and try out different builds. One way to change things up for a new playthrough is to explore Skyrim's schools of magic — even those that are considered less useful. Creative players can make even the less-than-stellar schools of magic work in their favor. With that in mind, this article now includes tips for leveling each skill, as well as information on trainers and skill books that can help players increase their magical prowess.

6 Alteration

Most Alteration magic is highly situational. Detect Life and Detect Dead allow players to anticipate battles, but are high-level spells that cost a lot of Magicka. Paralysis helps buy time in a tough fight; however, it requires a high Alteration skill and it is much easier to inflict on enemies via poison. Similarly, Waterbreathing can occasionally come in handy, but the effect is more easily achieved through enchanted gear.

The most useful skills in this school are protection spells like Oakflesh and Ebonyflesh. With the Mage Armor set of perks, magically inclined Dragonborns can use these spells to make themselves untouchable. However, the Magicka cost can put users at an offensive disadvantage going into battle, especially at lower levels. Alteration magic can have great defensive power, but it takes a lot of practice to use effectively.

Leveling Tips

The best spells in the Alteration school all require high levels to cast, so quick leveling is essential if players wish to use Alteration magic effectively. Some players might think that spamming protection spells is an easy way to level up this skill. Unfortunately, however, Oakflesh and its cousins only increase the user's Alteration level when used in active combat. To level up Alteration outside of fights, the Adept-level spell Telekinesis is especially useful: use it to pick up items from a distance and move them around (though be careful not to hit any NPCs). Additionally, see the Restoration entry below for a trick to help level up Alteration and Restoration at the same time.

Trainers

Dravynea Stoneweaver (Expert): A Dunmer mage in Kynesgrove.
Tolfdir (Master): The Alteration professor at the College of Winterhold.

Skill Books

Breathing Water
Daughter of the Niben
Reality and Other Falsehoods
Sithis
The Lunar Lorkhan

5 Illusion

With spells like Calm, Fear, and Fury, Illusion magic can be very useful for avoiding direct confrontations. However, it takes a lot of work to raise this skill to an actually useful level. Master-level spells only work on enemies up to level 25, and no Illusion spells affect undead or daedra. The player can invest in perks to circumvent these issues, but this requires raising Illusion to expert levels.

For stealth-based mages, this school can provide interesting gameplay opportunities, especially when players consider the game's best Illusion spells. High-level Illusion wizards can use Illusion to cause mass panic and bloodthirsty rages, all while crouched invisibly behind a barrel. However, be ready to put in effort and think strategically — and to risk bounties for casting failed Fury spells.

Leveling Tips

Repeatedly casting Muffle is an almost broken way to level Illusion. Since it is not an aggressive spell, it can be cast in cities and around NPCs without attracting negative attention. At lower levels, a single cast will raise Illusion by 1; even by the time the Dragonborn reaches Adept levels, three or four casts will level up this skill

Trainers

Atub (Expert): A wise woman at the Largashbur orc stronghold in the Rift.
Drevis Neloren (Master): The Illusion professor at the College of Winterhold.

Skill Books

2920, Sun's Dawn, v2
Before the Ages of Man
Incident at Necrom
Mystery of Talara, Part 4
The Black Arts on Trial

4 Destruction

Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense. With fireballs and lightning bolts, destruction spells are how magic users fight their way through the unforgiving land of Skyrim. They can choose to specialize in a certain element (fire, frost, or shock), or train in all of them to account for enemy resistances. The best spells in the Destruction school can strategically weaken and quickly defeat foes.

Though powerful, Destruction ranks here because its utility is relatively limited to mages. It takes constant use to level this skill to explosive levels. Players have to use their strongest spells carefully, or risk running out of Magicka mid-fight — which is especially deadly during a ranged assault. However, Destruction is worth the effort. Nothing's quite as satisfying as a well-placed fireball that reduces a hoard of enemies to cinders.

Trainers

Wuunferth the Unliving (Adept): The court mage at Windhelm's Palace of the Kings.
Garan Marethi (Expert): A member of the Volkihar vampire clan, found at Castle Volkihar with the Dawnguard DLC installed.
Sybille Stentor (Expert): The court mage at Solitude's Blue Palace.
Faralda (Master): Destruction professor at the College of Winterhold.

Skill Books

A Hypothetical Treachery
Horror of Castle Xyr
Myster of Talara, v3
Response to Bero's Speech
The Art of War Magic

3 Conjuration

Conjuration earns its place on this list by being possibly the most diverse school of magic in Skyrim. Players skilled in this school can summon atronachs, raise undead, trap souls, and create spectral weapons out of thin air. The spells Banish and Command Daedra also fall under Conjuration, making hostile Daedric creatures a cinch to handle.

Summoned atronachs and undead provide offensive aid and can redirect enemies, helping turn the tide of difficult battles. Bound weapons, with the right perks, become wickedly powerful blades capable of trapping souls and banishing Daedra. Destruction tends to get all the glory when it comes to offensive magic; however, with the school's top spells, Conjuration mages can do just as much damage to their foes.

Leveling Tips

Once again, Conjuration will only level up when its spells are used during combat; simply summoning dozens of atronachs outside enemy range will do nothing. If the Dragonborn wishes to level Conjuration quickly, repeatedly casting Soul Trap on dead foes will increase the skill. Note that this will not fill soul gems; in order to do this, the target must be Soul Trapped before death.

Trainers

Runil (Adept): Gravekeeper and Priest of Arkay in Falkreath.
Phinis Gestor (Expert): Conjuration professor at the College of Winterhold.
Falion (Master): The court mage (and a somewhat suspicious presence) in Morthal.
Talvas Fathryon (Master): Neloth's apprentice at Tel Mithryn on the island of Solstheim, in the Dragonborn DLC.

Skill Books

2920, Hearth Fire, v9
2920, Frostfall, v10
Liminal Bridges
The Doors of Oblivion
The Warrior's Charge

2 Restoration

Regardless of playstyle, everyone has dipped their toes in the pool of Restoration magic. Every player starts the game with Healing, the most basic spell in this school. And since Skyrim is a dangerous place, the Dragonborn has ample opportunity to practice. Once players build this skill through healing spells, they can gain access to powerful wards that block magical damage, as well as the ability to burn and terrorize undead creatures.

What's more, with the Dawnguard add-on, the Restoration school gains even more destructive potential. Spells like Sun Fire do flaming damage to undead, making them incredibly valuable for dungeon-diving quests. With the best Restoration spells in hand, there's nothing the Dragonborn can't do. For both defensive and offensive power, Restoration is worth raising to expert levels — and it's not very hard to do so.

Leveling Tips

Restoration is one of the easiest magic schools to level: simply cast healing spells whenever the Dragonborn is low on health. If players are looking to raise their skill outside of battle, one popular gimmick is to use a healing spell in tandem with the Alteration spell Equilibrium, which converts health into magicka. Alternating between these spells will level both skills quickly. Just be careful not to overdo it with Equilibrium, as it is possible for the Dragonborn to use up all their health with this spell, resulting in death.

Trainers

Keeper Carcette (Adept): The Keeper of the Hall of the Vigilant. Note that she will die if the Dawnguard DLC is installed, as vampires attack the Hall.
Aphia Velothi (Adept): A citizen of Raven Rock on the island of Solstheim, available with the Dragonborn DLC.
Collette Marence (Expert): The Restoration professor at the College of Winterhold.
Danica Pure-Spring (Master): Head priestess at the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun.
Florentius Baenius (Master): Dawnguard recruit, available with the Dawnguard DLC installed.

Skill Books

2920, Rain's Hand, v4
Mystery of Talara, v2
Racial Phylogeny
The Exodus
Withershins

1 Enchanting

Mages, rogues, and warriors alike can all benefit from powerfully enchanted gear. Though magic items can be found throughout the world, building the Enchanting skill allows players to create custom outfits, weapons, and accessories according to their own play style. Leveling is fairly simple: Keep soul gems on hand, and use them to enchant unneeded equipment.

Virtually any skill can be increased through armor enchantments. Not to mention, some of the game's best armor enchantments give players extra abilities like Muffle or Waterbreathing. When it comes to weapons, plenty of Destruction and Illusion-based magical effects can be applied to blades and bows via the Arcane Enchanter.

Lastly, Enchanting is the only magical skill that helps the Dragonborn make some money. Players can sell their experimentally enchanted gear throughout the world for a huge profit, and keep the best pieces for themselves.

Leveling Tips

When Enchanting pieces in order to increase level (as opposed to Enchanting gear for the Dragonborn's own use), take a moment to scroll through the list of known enchantments to see which offers the greatest increase to the chosen item's value. The higher the value, the more the player's Enchanting level will increase. The most valuable enchantments for weapons are Banish and Paralyze; for gear, try Waterbreathing and Fortify Sneak.

Trainers

Sergius Turrianus (Expert): The Enchanting professor at the College of Winterhold.
Mother Hamal (Master): The head priestess at the Temple of Dibella in Markarth.
Neloth (Master): The head of Tel Mithryn on Solstheim, available in the Dragonborn DLC.