The UK is home to the two best universities in the world, according to this year’s Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The news gives international students more incentive than ever to study in the UK.
The University of Oxford has held onto its first place ranking for the second year in a row, while the University of Cambridge has risen to take second place. 2018 is the first year that two UK universities have topped the rankings in the history of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
The University of Cambridge moved up from fourth place in the 2017 rankings to replace the California Institute of Technology in second place. Oxford and Cambridge are now followed by the California Institute of Technology and Stanford University in joint third place, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in fifth place.
Overall, UK universities make up nearly 10% of the 1000 best universities in the world, with 5 UK universities in the top 25 and 31 in the top 200
The University of Oxford’s vice-chancellor, Louise Richardson, expressed delight that Oxford has retained its first place for a second successive year, despite the risk that Brexit may pose to the global position of the UK’s top universities. Approximately 25% of Cambridge’s research funding and 20% of Oxford’s come from the EU.
Overall, UK universities make up nearly 10% of the 1000 best universities in the world, with 5 UK universities in the top 25 and 31 in the top 200. Three Asian universities also performed particularly well, with Peking University climbing two places to joint 27th, Tsingua University rising five places to 30th and the National University of Singapore moving up two places to joint 22nd.
There is speculation that the global position of US universities could be threatened in the future due to a reduction in research income and uncertain future levels of federal research funding under the Trump administration. Australian university rankings could also suffer if the government goes through with plans to cut funding across the sector by 2.5%.
The 2018 rankings confirm that the UK has a reliable reputation for being home to some of the best universities in the world. However, they can also be very useful for students considering studying abroad.
For help comparing courses from both UK and international universities, try MyUniChoices. Our specialised questionnaire can match you with a range of Higher Education courses around the world that suit your qualifications, abilities and interests.