Our rankings success

The University of Sheffield is celebrating a year of progress, marked by significant rises across major global and national rankings. These achievements reflect the strength of our community and reinforce Sheffield’s growing influence on the world’s stage.

This success has been powered by the dedication of our students, alumni, staff, supporters and partners, who have shared, celebrated, and amplified the University’s breakthroughs and successes. 

Performing well in rankings enhances the University’s reputation, helping to attract research funding, industry collaborations and global talent. This in turn supports innovation, ensuring our talented University community remains diverse, dynamic and ready to tackle today’s issues - and the challenges of tomorrow.

Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “At Sheffield, our position in major national and international rankings reflects our commitment to innovative teaching, research excellence and providing a global experience for our students and staff. Our continued improvement is a real testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone in our community, including our staff, students, alumni and industry partners.”

Over the last twelve months, we've been celebrating ranking achievements including:

• Regained our position in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings. We are ranked 92nd in the world and 15th in the UK, meaning we have climbed 13 places in the world and two places in the UK.
• Remained top of the Russell Group in the latest National Student Survey for the third year in a row with Sheffield’s SU ranked best Students’ Union among all UK universities.
• Been named University of the Year for Student Experience by The Times and Sunday Times as part of their Good University Guide 2026 ranking.
• Ranked among the top 20 in the UK within the Guardian 2026 Complete University Guide, a rise of two places from last year.
• Ranked as the top university in the Russell Group for student experience and support by the Daily Mail 2026 University Guide.    
• Led the UK in attracting more research income and investment in engineering than any other UK university, according to the latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
• Ranked 12th in the UK in the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.
• Ranked as a top 20 University targeted by employers in the The Graduate Market, High Fliers report 2024-2025

Why do university rankings matter?

Rankings provide valuable and legitimate evidence of a university’s academic excellence, research relevance, and overall student satisfaction. For both domestic and international students, rankings are often a key factor in deciding where to apply by helping students make informed comparisons between leading institutions globally.  Our alumni benefit as a strong global standing empowers their CVs, and opens doors for high-level networking and professional growth opportunities.

Our partners around the world may use rankings to help make decisions on collaborating with us and recruiting our students and graduates, and policymakers can use them to inform higher education policies. 

Are rankings important for you?

High performance in university rankings elevates the entire Sheffield community. A strong showing grants our students a competitive advantage upon graduation, helps us attract and retain high-calibre staff, and can support the forging of new partnerships. Ultimately, this success brings greater recognition to both the University and the city of Sheffield.

How can you get involved?

If you receive a survey invitation, please take a few moments to respond. Your insights will help shape the future of universities worldwide.

Beyond surveys, your engagement with Sheffield will help continue to shine a light on the University. Whether you are discussing your work with us, inviting sign-ups to our newsletters, or simply resharing a social media post, thank you for your support.