The University of Strathclyde has performed strongly in the 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, with a rise of 30 places – the biggest for any UK institution in the top 300. 

Strathclyde is ranked joint 251st in the world out of 1,500 institutions, up from 281st in the previous rankings, placing the University in the top 20% worldwide and the top 30 for the UK. It also represents a rise of 12.2% since 2018.     

Notable performances

There were particularly notable performances in the indicators of Citations Per Faculty (up 110 places); International Students (up 60); International Faculty (up 48), and Academic Reputation (up 24). 

The ranking reflects a period in which Strathclyde has been placed in the top 20 higher education institutions for research intensity, significantly increased its research income and actively engaged with local and global industry, while continuing to produce several thousand highly qualified graduates each year.  

Strathclyde’s rise bucks a trend in which 60% of UK institutions have gone down in the QS rankings.   

Strathclyde Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Jim McDonald said: “These rankings reaffirm the status which Strathclyde has earned as a leading international technological university. 

The indicators show the quality and impact of our research, the esteem in which we are held as an institution and our attractiveness as a study destination. All of this is a testament to the hard and skilful work of every member of staff at our University and I congratulate them all for their efforts. 

The QS rankings are based on a methodology which covers five ‘lenses’: Research and Discovery; Employability and Outcomes; Learning Experience; Global Engagement, and Sustainability.