The University of Oxford has been named the best university in the world for a record seventh consecutive year in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023.
The rankings, announced at the THE World Academic Summit in New York, rate more than 1,600 universities from around 100 countries globally.
Oxford was followed in the world rankings by Harvard University which placed second and then the University of Cambridge placed third jointly with Stanford University.
The ratings consider 13 calibrated performance indicators, measuring each institution’s performance in five areas: teaching (learning environment); research (volume, income and reputation); citation (research influence); international outlook (staff, students and research); and industry income (knowledge transfer). Oxford University excelled in all areas and in particular strongly stood out in its international outlook compared to close peers in the United States.
Oxford is the first university to have ever retained its place for seven years in a row under the THE’s current methodological framework, which was put in place in 2010/11. The University’s success comes shortly after it also came first in the The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023. It is the first University to top both the Times Higher Education and the Times rankings simultaneously.
Oxford’s ranking was welcomed at the summit by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Louise Richardson, who has seen the University top the Times Higher Education rankings annually throughout her seven-year tenure.
Professor Richardson said: ‘My colleagues and I are absolutely delighted that for the seventh consecutive year Oxford has been named the top university in the world. I am very grateful to those who work on compiling these rankings which prove so helpful to universities. Above all, I am indebted to the extraordinary women and men of Oxford whose research and teaching continues to excite our imaginations, broaden our horizons, cure disease and explore deeply difficult problems for the betterment of society. I am so proud to be associated with them.’
At the heart of Oxford’s success is their ground-breaking research and innovation. Oxford is world-famous for research excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe.
Oxford University’s work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of their research sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions. Through its research commercialisation arm, Oxford University Innovation, Oxford is the highest university patent filer in the UK and is ranked first in the UK for university spinouts, having created more than 200 new companies since 1988. Over a third of these companies have been created in the past three years. The university is a catalyst for prosperity in Oxfordshire and the United Kingdom, contributing £15.7 billion to the UK economy in 2018/19, and supports more than 28,000 full time jobs
For the full rankings click here.
