The highest placed UK universities in global rankings revealed

The QS Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings listed Imperial as the top UK university for the second year in a row

Imperial College London has cemented its position as the UK's leading university, outperforming both Oxford and Cambridge for the second consecutive year in global rankings.

The QS Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings placed Imperial College London second globally, trailing only the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, which retained its top spot.

Meanwhile, Oxford slipped from third to fourth place, and Cambridge fell from fifth to sixth for 2026.

In total, four British universities made the top 10 in the international league table, with University College London (UCL) retaining ninth place.

However, 54 UK universities dropped in the new rankings, released on Thursday, including the University of Glasgow, the University of Manchester, the University of Warwick and the London School of Economics (LSE).

Some 11 UK universities maintained their position in the 2026 table, while 24 improved their position, as the University of Sheffield and the University of Nottingham returned to the global top 100 at 92nd and 97th respectively.

Oxford slipped from third to fourth place (Getty/iStock)

Jessica Turner, chief executive of QS said that the UK government is “seeking to slash capital funding in a higher education system that has already sustained financial pressure, introduce an international student levy and shorten the length of the graduate visa route to 18 months from two years”.

“This could accumulate in a negative impact on the quality and breadth of higher education courses and research undertaken across the country.

“While the UK Government has placed research and development as a key part of the recent spending review, universities across the country will need more support to ensure their stability going ahead.

“At the same time, global competitors are seeing their governments increase investment in higher education and research, leading to international peers gaining and, in many cases, overtaking UK universities in the QS World University Rankings.”

“The UK has until now been one of the countries to dominate QS World University Rankings, but institutions in the country are facing heightened competition internationally.

“A targeted approach is necessary by both government and individual institutions to ensure that the higher education excellence the country is renowned for is secured for the future, essential to delivering productivity in a knowledge-based economy and attracting top global talent.”