Imperial College London has been ranked as the UK’s top university and the second best in the world, beating Oxford and Cambridge for the first time.
A new international league table reveals that Imperial has ended years of Oxbridge dominance, and risen from sixth place to second in the world – behind only Massachusetts Institute of Tehnology (MIT) in the United States.
The University of Oxford was ranked third and Cambridge fifth, while University College London came ninth in the 2025 QS World University Ranking – meaning four of the top ten global universities are British.
Imperial’s rise up the rankings was put down to its world leading research, outstanding employability scores and an exceptional commitment to sustainability.
A decade ago Imperial was ranked joint second in the world with Cambridge, but this is the first time it stands alone as top
UK university.
Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial, said: “Imperial’s ranking is a testament to the quality and commitment of our entire community. It is inspiring to see our students, staff, and partners come together every day to interrogate the forces that shape our world and address the challenges facing humanity and our planet.”
But the league table also shows that more than half of the UK universities have declined in rank – including Cambridge which slipped from second place to fifth. It comes as increasing numbers of UK universities face funding shortages and there is ambiguity over the status of international students.
Jessica Turner, QS CEO, said: “In the decade since Imperial College London was last crowned the United Kingdom’s leading university, the country’s sector has relentlessly continued to achieve world-leading performances despite the turbulence the country has faced, producing world-leading research and remaining one of the globe’s premier study.
She added: “However, this year’s results suggest that British higher education has limited capacity remaining to continue excelling in the face of funding shortages, drops in student applications, and ambiguity about the status of international students. Whatever the result of July’s election, the next government must make a properly resourced, continually championed higher education sector an urgent priority. It is one of the UK’s great assets and achievements and must be maintained accordingly.”
Peoplesmind