University of Sheffield ranked within top 100 universities in QS World University Rankings

The University of Sheffield has been ranked within the top 100 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2020, reaffirming its position as a leading global university for teaching and research.

External shot of the Firth Court building.
  • The University of Sheffield has been ranked 13th best university in the UK, 78th in the world and top in Yorkshire and the Humber
  • The global ranking is the world’s most-consulted, independent university evaluation

The results rank the University 13th best in the UK, 78th in the world and top in Yorkshire and Humber.

The global ranking is the world’s most-consulted independent university evaluation and provides a definitive guide to the world’s 1,001 top universities.

The expert opinions of 94,672 academics and 44,884 employers contributed to this year’s rankings. Over thirteen million research papers and 93 million citations were analysed to measure the impact of the research produced by the universities ranked.

Using these measures, the QS Rankings 2020 placed the University of Sheffield 10th in the UK for research impact. The University’s research strives to change lives and influence policy by addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges, from developing new treatments for life-threatening diseases to solving the problem of feeding a world of 10 billion and driving low-carbon technology.

The QS World University Rankings 2020, which are in their 16th year, also measure academic standards, employability records, research quality, teaching capacity and internationalisation.

The University’s highest scores came in the two internationalisation indicators: 94.1/100 for international student ratio and 87.9/100 for international faculty ratio, demonstrating the University’s diverse community.


Our University has been committed to research and teaching which improves lives, solves global problems and leads the way in influencing policy and I’m grateful to all those whose hard work has made this possible.

Professor Koen Lamberts

President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Sheffield


The University of Sheffield has already received significant recognition for providing outstanding support for international students. It has shown its longstanding commitment through its award-winning global #WeAreInternational campaign, which highlights the crucial value of international students to the UK and is backed by more than 150 universities and international organisations.

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, Professor Koen Lamberts, said: “We’re delighted that the University of Sheffield has received recognition for being a world-leading university.

"Our University has been committed to research and teaching which improves lives, solves global problems and leads the way in influencing policy and I’m grateful to all those whose hard work has made this possible.

"I’m also really proud that our diverse community, which includes over 140 nationalities represented here on campus, has been recognised in the rankings. Our international students and staff play a crucial role in expanding the University's vibrant and dynamic cultural environment, and they make a huge contribution to academic life, knowledge and our economic growth as a nation. We’re committed to ensuring our city continues to make staff and students from around the world feel welcome."

Earlier this year, the University of Sheffield celebrated success in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, in which 17 subjects were ranked in the top 100 in the world. The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union also recently accepted the Whatuni Student Choice Award for Best Students’ Union, rooting the organisation firmly in the top spot.


Additional information

The University of Sheffield

With almost 29,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world’s leading universities.

A member of the UK’s prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the University are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in.

Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2018 and for the last eight years has been ranked in the top five UK universities for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education.

Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.


Contact

For further information please contact:

Shemina Davis
Media Relations Manager
The University of Sheffield
+44 114 222 5339
shemina.davis@sheffield.ac.uk

Centres of excellence

The University's cross-faculty research centres harness our interdisciplinary expertise to solve the world's most pressing challenges.