Â鶹ÊÓƵ is =26th in the world for research quality in latest global ranking
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ is among the top 30 in the world for the quality of its research and top 200 overall, according to a rigorous assessment by Times Higher Education.
Announced today (9 October), the has ranked Leicester =26th globally for Research Quality, an increase of 9 places from last year, and =5th in the UK.
It is also placed 192nd overall out of 2191 institutions in 115 countries, maintaining 25th position amongst UK institutions.
The results in the World University Rankings build on strong performance in recent league tables such as the Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026 and the Complete University Guide 2026 highlighting the Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s continued commitment to excellence in an increasingly competitive and challenging higher education landscape.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings are the only global performance tables that judge more than 2,000 research-intensive universities across all their core missions. Recognised as the world’s most comprehensive evaluation of university performance, the methodology behind the rankings includes 18 indicators to assess institutions across five key areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.
Leicester’s research was also ranked 30th in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, according to the analysis of Grade Point Average by Times Higher Education, and was placed 29th for research quality by the Daily Mail University Guide earlier this year.
Professor Richard Thomas, interim Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ, said: “I am beyond proud that the quality of research undertaken at Leicester has been recognised through a top-30 position in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. As a research-intensive university, our commitment to world-changing research is embedded across our strategy. We have seen amazing success recently, with a record £106.3m in awards in 2024/25, major new national and international research partnerships, two new spin-outs, and new funded opportunities for our postgraduate researchers embedded within our local community.
“Of course, research doesn’t happen in isolation: it depends on people, teams and the environment they work in. This result is testimony to the hard work, dedication and inspiration of the many staff who conduct and support research here at Leicester, and they should be justly proud of what they have achieved.”