Oxford named finest college on this planet for a document tenth consecutive yr

Oxford University has as soon as once more topped the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, with a document 2,191 universities having been ranked from 115 nations.

Oxford has been world primary since 2017 – the longest time any college has held the place within the 21 annual editions of the rankings. Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) are the one different universities to have topped the rankings. 

Professor Irene Tracey, CBE, FRS, FMedSci, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford, stated: ‘We are honoured that Oxford has been ranked number one globally by Times Higher Education for the tenth year in a row. The THE rankings, rooted in internationally competitive research and teaching excellence, are recognised worldwide as a vigorous and demanding benchmark of university performance. This achievement reflects the dedication of our academics, professional services staff and students, but it comes at a time of real strain for UK higher education. Sustaining a dynamic and globally competitive sector requires renewed investment and support, so that universities can continue to drive discovery, opportunity and economic growth for future generations.’ 

Sustaining a dynamic and globally aggressive sector requires renewed funding and assist, in order that universities can proceed to drive discovery, alternative and financial progress for future generations.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey

Phil Baty, THE’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, stated: ‘At a time of extraordinarily intense competition in global  higher education, research and innovation, it is truly remarkable for the University of Oxford to have maintained its place as the world number one university in the rigorous Times Higher Education World University Rankings for ten years in a row. Oxford holds its position at the top of the world against better-funded US institutions and rapidly rising research powerhouses in East Asia, led by China.

The key to success, is of course strength across the full range of 18 performance metrics deployed by the THE world rankings – which range across the teaching and research environments, research excellence, industry outreach and international outlook – but I think it is Oxford’s resolute worldwide focus and dedication to worldwide expertise attraction and cross-boarder data sharing, that basically helps it maintain on to the highest place.’

International outlook

The course of for the THE World Rankings is a rigorous piece of analysis constructed on an evaluation of virtually 19 million analysis papers, 1.5 million votes in an Academic Reputation Survey and detailed institutional information on over 3,000 universities worldwide.

The rating is predicated on 18 particular metrics, protecting all core missions of worldwide, research-led universities, grouped into 5 areas: Teaching (the educational setting, with educating status weighted highest on this metric); Research setting (quantity, earnings and status); Research high quality (quotation impression, analysis energy, analysis excellence and analysis affect); International outlook (employees, college students and analysis); and Industry (earnings and patents).

Oxford got here out exceptionally sturdy throughout all metrics used within the rating, however has a selected benefit on its analysis setting (which incorporates tutorial status for analysis, funding success and analysis productiveness) and on worldwide outlook (which incorporates worldwide analysis collaboration, and attraction of worldwide expertise, each employees and college students).

News concerning the outcomes of the rankings was introduced to round 800 worldwide visitors on the World Academic Summit on the evening of October 8.

Oxford was adopted within the THE World Rankings 2025 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with Cambridge and Princeton tied for third within the rankings. 

View the full THE World Education Rankings 2026 here.