Rankings and reputation of The University of Manchester

Rankings and reputation of The University of Manchester
Rankings
The University of Manchester’s current rankings place us among the world’s best universities.
World rankings
Using different methodologies, international rankings typically compare universities from across the globe for their research performance and academic reputation.
League table
World
Europe
UK
QS World University Ranking (2026)
35
11
7
QS World University Rankings: Europe (2025)
7
Academic Ranking of World Universities (2025)
46
13
6
Times Higher Education
(2026)
56
8
Times Higher Education
University Impact Rankings (2025)
2
1
1
QS World University Sustainability Rankings
9
6
4
An international university
We're the 22nd most international university in the world and 8th in the UK, according to
Times Higher Education
(2026)
.
Research
In the
2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF)
an impressive 93% of our research activity was rated 'world-leading' (4*) or 'internationally excellent' (3*), confirming Manchester as one of the UK's top research institutions. Manchester made one of the largest and broadest REF submissions in the UK, entering 2,249 eligible researchers across 31 subject areas.
The University has also received three
Queen's Anniversary Prizes
(2011, 2013, 2019).
Teaching
National league tables for teaching and student experience
Ranking
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Silver
Complete University Guide (2026)
28
The Times and The Sunday Times
Good University Guide (2025)
27
Guardian
(2026)
36
In 2023, the
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
rated the University as silver overall, gold for student outcomes, and silver for student experience.
Employability
The University was ranked the fifth best UK institution for employability in the 2026
Times Higher Education
Global University Employability Ranking
.
We are the most targeted university by the UK's top 100 recruiters, according to the High Fliers report on
The Graduate Market
in 2026.
Social responsibility
Our commitment to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) is unmatched. We're the only university in the world to rank in the top ten for social and environmental impact in every year of the
Times Higher Education
Impact Rankings
.
We're also ranked fourth in the UK, sixth in Europe, and ninth in the world, in the
QS World University Sustainability Rankings
, for our environmental, social and governance impact.
An award-winning city
Manchester has been voted the top UK city to live in based on the 2022
The Economist's
Global Liveability Index
. The city has also been voted among the best cities in the world by
Time Out
(2022) readers.
Awards and accreditations
Race Equality Charter
We have a Race Equality Charter Silver Award through AdvanceHE for excellence in advancing racial equality in higher education.
Athena SWAN
Our Athena SWAN award recognises our commitment to developing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.
Investors in People
We've achieved the Investors in People standard by investing time and resources in our staff and students, improving the Manchester experience for everyone.
CASE
We're proud to have been awarded a CASE grand gold award in the short informational films category for our 'inspire and be inspired' video featuring former Chancellor Lemn Sissay.
Disability Confident Leader
This symbol recognises our commitment to the recruitment, retention and career development of disabled people.
Stonewall
We're proud to be a gold-awarded LGBTQ+ inclusive employer.