As a somewhat belated 200th birthday present, QS decided to gift UCL with an improved academic reputation by moving the University up to eighth place in the World Rankings.
The University shares the coveted eighth spot with ETH Zürich.
QS prioritises Academic Reputation (30%), Citations per Faculty (20%), and Employer Reputation (15%) when it comes to determining where universities sit on the table.
UCL boasts an impressive 99.9 when it comes to Academic Reputation, Citations per Faculty at an impressive 86.1, and Employer Reputation at 99.7.
Additionally, UCL was recognised as the third best University in Europe in 2026-2027 in the U.S. News and World Report.
Since the 2005 rebrand as ‘London’s Global University’, UCL’s positioning in the QS World Rankings has improved exponentially. Between 2005 – 2010, the University was able to leap from 28th in the world, to attaining fourth place within the space of five years.
UCL Provost, Dr Michael Spence, acknowledged the achievement by telling UCL, “Improving our ranking within a highly competitive global top 10 is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the strength of our community, our pioneering research, and the impact of our global partnerships.”
The 2027 QS top ten universities –
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2. Imperial College London
3. Stanford University
4. University of Oxford
5. Harvard University
6. University of Cambridge
7. California Institute of Technology
=8. ETH Zurich and UCL
10. National University of Singapore (NUS)
Congratulations UCL! We’re 29 spots better than King’s!