2012 world university rankings confirm University's place among global elite

Thursday, 04 October 2012

The University of Reading is ranked among the top 1% of the world's universities, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2012, published today.

The rankings are based on 13 performance indicators, including the university's academic reputation for excellence in teaching and research, as well as measures of the quality of the learning environment and international outlook.

Vice-Chancellor, Sir David Bell, said: "The University of Reading has been an international university for more than a century. Our research is making a significant contribution to addressing issues of global concern, from the importance of food security to the causes of and consequences of international conflict. Our students rate the quality of the teaching they receive highly, which, in turn, encourages the most talented students from future generations to come and study with us.

"Retaining a world top 1% ranking in an increasingly competitive international HE environment is an accolade for the University and a tribute to the talent and expertise of our staff. Partnership with many of the other top higher education institutions in the world and major initiatives such as the development of the University's Malaysia campus are clear signs of the University's ambition to build on our established international reputation." 

The University is ranked 176th in the world in the influential rankings and is one of only 31 UK universities to be ranked in the world-respected league table.

Phil Baty, Editor at large and rankings editor, at Times Higher Education, said:  "The top 200 list represents just 1 per cent of the world's higher education institutions - so being in that group is an exceptional achievement for any institution."

The THE World University Rankings 2012 are published at http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/