Four British universities have secured their positions in the top 10 of over 1,000 institutions ranked by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a prestigious ranking system alongside the Times and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Imperial College London, renowned for its science programs, rose from sixth to second place, surpassing the traditionally dominant “Oxbridge” duo for the first time. Oxford and Cambridge now rank third and fifth, respectively.
Despite this success, more than half (52) of the UK’s universities saw their rankings decline, out of the 90 institutions assessed.
“This year’s results indicate that British higher education is struggling to maintain its excellence amid funding shortages, declining student applications, and restrictions on international student intake,” said QS head Jessica Turner.
Recently, the Conservative government has introduced measures aimed at reducing migration, which they believe is too high. These measures include barring overseas students from bringing dependents and raising the minimum salary required for skilled worker visas.
These policies have faced criticism from universities, which rely heavily on the higher fees paid by international students. According to government statistics, 30,000 fewer student visa applications were made in the first four months of this year compared to the same period in 2023.
, a prestigious ranking system alongside the Times and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.){kind=link}