University of Birmingham ranks among top world universities
The University of Birmingham continues to rank amongst the best performing research-intensive universities in the world – with seven areas placing in the Top 50 of the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject.
Dentistry, Education, English, Theology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Linguistics all rank in the Top 50, whilst Sport maintains its place in the top 10 globally (9).
Education is a new entry into the Top 50 – rising 27 places from last year – with the University offering an Outstanding Ofsted rated Primary PGCE programme and Good Ofsted-rated Secondary programmes.
The School of Education also provides expertise globally, operating teaching and research in Dubai and Malaysia. Its experts are particularly focused on bridging the gap between research and practice in inclusive education at national and global levels. The Jubilee Centre promotes, through rigorous research and teaching, development of good character in education, professions, and society.
Top 20 placings include Dentistry (19) and Linguistics (19). Modern Languages, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Medicine and Pharmacy have all improved in rank for each of the past three consecutive years, while English has remained in the top 30 for the last five years.
Sport's Top 10 placing reflects the University’s long-standing research and teaching expertise in the field. In 1946, Birmingham was the first UK university to offer undergraduate teaching in physical education. The School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences now offers study options at undergraduate, master's, and PhD level, underpinned by cutting-edge research that informs elite athletic performance, rehabilitation, and public health.
The University also provides a world-class sports training environment, not only for its own international student-athletes, but also for supporting international athletes. It has longstanding partnerships with a range of international and national sports bodies. Over the past year it has developed new strategic partnerships with Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham City Football Club, and the 2026 YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships - the first university to do so in the tournament's history.
The 2025 British World 10,000m trials were held at Birmingham’s athletics track and the University also provided competition venues for squash and hockey during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Professor Deborah Longworth, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Birmingham commented: “Our students continue to benefit from an outstanding research-intensive education that develops the knowledge, skills and attributes sought after by employers and delivers great career prospects for our graduates.
“With seven subject areas in the top 50, and with sports-related subjects in the top 10, the University of Birmingham stands out as a place for leading scientists, professionals and students who want to be involved in world-class research and achieve a degree that opens doors to professional opportunities around the world.”
Birmingham was again revealed as one of the top two UK universities most targeted by the country’s leading graduate employers, according to ‘The Graduate Market in 2026’. This report covers 1,600 universities world-wide and underscores Birmingham’s reputation as a destination of choice for those wishing to secure a top-flight career in many areas.
The QS World University Rankings are the most widely used global rankings and are a measure of a university’s global reputation.
A further 16 subjects at Birmingham are in the top 100. Disciplines include Medicine, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Psychology, and Biosciences. Several subjects entered the Top 75 with significant rises over last year including Modern Languages (+23), Nursing (+32), and Communication & Media Studies (+19). Law and Computer Science & Information are two subjects on the rise – up 19 and 47 places respectively from last year at 104 and 127.
This year’s QS World University Rankings by Subject cover 60 academic disciplines, in each of which more than 1,500 universities are assessed. If the institution offers the subject and produces enough research papers, it will be given a score. From these scores, a ranking table is produced to display anything from the leading 50 to the leading 500 institutions by subject. The rankings are compiled using indicators selected to assess institutions’ international reputation in each subject area, plus research impact.
The University of Birmingham sits amongst the best-performing research-intensive universities in the world, sustaining increases in the QS World University Rankings 2025 to rank at 76, and sits at 98th globally in the 2026 THE World University Rankings.
One of the measures in the QS Rankings is the IRN (International Research Network) Rank. The University of Birmingham is ranked 31st - its strongest performing area, demonstrating excellent international research connectivity and collaboration. This indicates highly effective global research partnerships and networks.
Birmingham continues to perform strongly in the 2025 QS World University Rankings for Sustainability. Now ranked 43rd globally, the University of Birmingham is placed 16th in the UK, demonstrating its commitment to ensuring its research, education and operations make major contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target.
The QS World University Rankings measures a university’s global reputation and is the most used international league table. Marking universities with a score out of 100, the Sustainability category demonstrates which institutions are leading the way in social responsibility and environmental sustainability.
