Seventeen UK universities now rank in the global top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2026, with Sheffield and Nottingham rejoining the list. Still, 61% of UK institutions saw their place in the rankings drop, amid rising global competition.
Overall, 24 UK institutions saw their positions improve, 11 remained stable, and 54 – accounting for 61% – dropped in the rankings. This pattern reflects a wider trend, where institutions in other countries are advancing more rapidly. For example, seven of Ireland’s eight universities climbed in the rankings, along with nine of 13 in the Netherlands and six of seven in Hong Kong.
Notably, Imperial College London holds steady as being ranked the world’s second-best university, only trailing Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. Meanwhile, Oxford, Cambridge, and UCL have ket their places in the global top 10 – though Oxford and Cambridge slipped one place each due to Stanford’s climb to third.
However, the UK remains the second most represented country in the rankings, with 90 institutions on the list, only behind the United States with 192. International students studying at prominent UK universities spoke to The PIE News about how they perceived their university’s place on the list – with both expressing positivity about their institution’s ranking.
The University of Edinburgh experienced a modest drop, falling from 27th to 34th place globally. Seeing the drop in position, Sean Xia, a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, commented that they weren’t too disappointed to see the university’s QS ranking drop in recent years. “I am still proud seeing us staying in the top 50 universities in the world and it shows effort from all of us, especially when the funding situation is getting much more difficult than the past years,” they told The PIE.
“I believe the ranking will eventually be fluctuated back in the future as long as we keep the research quality world-class.”
I am still proud seeing us staying in the top 50 universities in the world and it shows effort from all of us, especially when the funding situation is getting much more difficult than the past years Sean Xia, international student at University of Edinburgh
Two UK universities – Sheffield and Nottingham – made a notworthy return to the top 100, now ranked 92nd and 97th respectively. The strongest gain came from Oxford Brookes University, which jumped 42 places to 374th, marking the biggest single improvement for a UK institution this year. Other major climbers include Strathclyde, Aston, Surrey, Birkbeck, and Bradford, each rising by at least 20 places.
20 best-performing UK universities in 2026 World University Rankings
UK Rank
2026 Rank
2025 Rank
Institution
1
2
2
Imperial College London
2
4
3
University of Oxford
3
6
5
University of Cambridge
4
9
9
UCL (University College London)
5
31
=40
King’s College London (KCL)
6
34
27
University of Edinburgh
7
35
=34
The University of Manchester
8
51
54
University of Bristol
9
56
=50
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
The University of Liverpool stood out among Russell Group members, climbing from 165th in this year to joint 147th in 2025, making it the most improved among the group.
Derek Zhou, a PhD candidate of the University of Liverpool, proudly stated: “As a PhD student who also got my MSc degree at the University of Liverpool, I am glad to see our university can rank among top 150. We are proud to say we are stepping exactly towards our aim which is to be the top 100 university before 2031.”
“I am also happy to see our academic research getting a higher rank than before. This means all of our research is truly contributing to the world and we are heard by the world,” he added.
Most improved non-Russell Group universities in 2026
2026 Rank
2025 Rank
Institution
Rank in UK
374
=416
Oxford Brookes University
38
=251
=281
University of Strathclyde
30
=395
=423
Aston University
42
=262
=285
University of Surrey
31=
=388
=408
Birkbeck College, University of London
41
=511
=531
University of Bradford
47=
=132
=150
University of Bath
20
=461
=477
Royal Holloway University of London
46
=456
=472
University of Essex
45
292
=298
Swansea University
35
=613
661-670
University of Plymouth
57
721-730
741-750
UWE Bristol (University of the West of England)
62
801-850
851-900
University of Lincoln
64=
Commenting on the rankings, Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, noted that the UK’s place as a coveted study destination could be at risk.
“While the analysis outlines detailed performances on a wide range of metrics for each institution, the picture for the wider country as a whole is more worrying,” she said.
“This could accumulate in a negative impact on the quality and breadth of higher education courses and research undertaken across the country. While the UK government has placed research and development as a key part of the recent spending review, universities across the country will need more support to ensure their stability going ahead. “
And she noted that competing study destinations around the world are pouring investment into higher education and research. This is contributing to a global shift of higher education power seen through the 2026 QS World University Rankings – the US, UK, Australia, and Canada – are increasingly challenged by emerging study destinations across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Among the big four, the United States remains the strongest performer in the QS rankings. With 192 ranked institutions, it improved the rank of 42% of its institutions. In contrast, the UK maintained its four universities in the top 20, while Australia lost one, signalling a subtle rebalancing in prestige.
Both the US and UK also saw one university each drop out of the top 50, while South Korea added one to the elite group, reflecting broader diversification in academic excellence.
Emerging players are quickly gaining ground. China’s top institutions continue their upward march: Tsinghua University climbed to 17th, and Fudan University rose nine places to 30th. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Italy entered the top 100 for the first time, with King Fahd University at 67th and Politecnico di Milano at 98th, respectively.
The momentum extends beyond Asia. Ireland, Malaysia, the UAE, Germany, and New Zealand are among 26 countries where at least 50% of ranked institutions improved this year. Germany, notably, reversed a prior decline to see more universities rise than fall, while Hong Kong emerged as the world’s second most improved system, just behind Ireland.
“This retrospective data shows that policy and changes in higher education directly impact the rankings,” Turner added. “While emerging markets such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the UAE continue to improve, there is still a long way to go until they compete with the traditional study destinations of the UK, US, Australia and Canada.”
Microsoft has unveiled a monumental initiative to reshape the landscape of education through artificial intelligence, pledging a staggering $4 billion over the next five years to integrate AI tools and resources into schools, colleges, and nonprofit organizations.
This ambitious commitment, announced on July 9, 2025, aims to equip educators and students with cutting-edge technology, including cash grants, AI software, and cloud computing services, positioning Microsoft at the forefront of the digital transformation in education.
The scope of this investment is not merely financial but strategic, as the tech giant seeks to democratize access to AI, ensuring that institutions of all sizes—from underfunded public schools to sprawling university systems—can harness these tools to enhance learning. According to The New York Times, Microsoft’s initiative is designed to address the growing demand for digital literacy in an era where AI is becoming integral to nearly every industry.
A Vision for the Future of Learning
Details of the plan reveal a focus on practical implementation, with resources tailored to support curriculum development, teacher training, and student engagement through AI-driven platforms like Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot. The company envisions personalized learning experiences where AI can adapt to individual student needs, offering real-time feedback and tailored educational content.
Beyond software, Microsoft is committing to infrastructure support, providing computing services that many educational institutions lack the budget to acquire independently. This move could bridge significant gaps in access to technology, particularly for community colleges and technical schools that serve diverse, often underserved populations, as highlighted by The New York Times.
Collaboration and Scale of Impact
Microsoft’s announcement comes at a time when the integration of AI in education is both a promise and a challenge, with concerns about ethics, data privacy, and over-reliance on technology looming large. Yet, the company appears poised to address these issues through partnerships with educational bodies and nonprofits, ensuring that the rollout of these tools is accompanied by robust guidelines and support systems.
The initiative also aligns with broader industry trends, as tech giants increasingly invest in education to cultivate future talent and expand their influence. With over $13 billion already invested in OpenAI, Microsoft’s additional $4 billion for education signals a long-term bet on AI as a transformative force, not just in tech but in society at large, per reporting from The New York Times.
Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
While the potential benefits are immense, industry insiders note that the success of this initiative will hinge on execution—ensuring that teachers are adequately trained and that AI tools do not exacerbate existing inequalities in education. There is also the question of balancing innovation with oversight, as unchecked AI use in classrooms could raise ethical dilemmas.
Nevertheless, Microsoft’s bold step could set a precedent for how technology companies engage with public goods like education. As the world watches this $4 billion experiment unfold, the outcomes could redefine how we teach, learn, and prepare for a future dominated by artificial intelligence, with insights drawn from The New York Times underscoring the scale of this transformative endeavor.
Microsoft will donate $4 billion in cash over five years to upskill today’s youth
AI and cloud skills are lacking, and much of the global workforce needs to adapt
Teachers are also getting support to help them integrate AI into the classroom
Microsoft has announced a pledge to donate $4 billion in cash over the course of five years to help K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofits expand the use of, and training initiative to support, AI and cloud technology.
In a blog post, Microsoft outlined how it wants to support 20 million people by upskilling them with AI tools to support future working environments, starting at a young age.
“This represents our next chapter for corporate philanthropy and our non-commercial business model,” President Brad Smith explained in the post.
Microsoft grant scheme to support future workers
As part of the scheme, Microsoft will be collaborating with governments to help launch its Elevate Academy to provide AI training right from foundation levels to more advanced skillsets.
The company will also work with OpenAI, Anthropic and the American Federation of Teachers to create the National Academy for AI Instruction, investing $23 million over five years to train 400,000 teachers in AI skills to help them integrate the tech into classrooms.
“We believe some of the most important work ahead isn’t just building smarter machines – it’s ensuring those machines help people thrive,” Smith added.
The company cited WEF research stating that two-fifths (59%) of the global workforce will need new digital skills by the end of the decade. A separate study highlighted by Microsoft also revealed that three-quarters of the global youth lack the right skills for the AI economy.
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Despite laying off thousands of workers in the post-pandemic years, driven largely by AI-induced productivity gains, Microsoft’s President stressed the importance of human workers in the future.
“This is the work ahead – not just building the next generation of AI but building the next generation of opportunity,” Smith concluded.
After months of attempts to obtain the records of Harvard’s international students, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced yesterday it would start sending subpoenas to the university, demanding it turn over the documents.
“We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,” said assistant secretary for public affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement on July 9.
“Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus,”she claimed. “If Harvard won’t defend the interests of its students, then we will.”
Since mid-April, the Trump administration has launched multiple attacks on Harvard for allegedly failing to root out antisemitism on campus and failing to hand over international students’ records, among other accusations.
The administrative subpoenas, issued by ICE, command Harvard to turn over extensive records on its 7,000 international students since January 2020.
DHS did not publicly announce a deadline or specify which documents it requires, though past requests have included video and audio footage of international students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, as well as internal emails and administrative memos. The department did not immediately respond to The PIE News’s request for comment.
Harvard University spokesperson Jason Newton called the move “unfounded retribution” by the federal government but appeared to comply with DHS’s demands.
“Harvard is committed to following the law, and while the government’s subpoenas are unwarranted, the university will continue to cooperate with lawful requests and obligations,” said Newton.
The power to issue the documents is limited to certain state and federal agencies, without requiring a judge’s approval. But if Harvard refuses to comply, ICE will need to seek a judicial order to enforce the demands.
Harvard continues to defend itself… against harmful government overreach aimed at dictating whom private universities can admit and hire, and what they can teach
Jason Newton, Harvard University
In what has become a months-long standoff, Newton maintained that Harvard would continue to defend itself against “harmful government overreach aimed at dictating whom private universities can admit and hire, and what they can teach”.
After the university’s public rebuttal of a long list of government demands on April 16, secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem moved to strip Harvard of its ability to enrol international students on May 22, which was blocked by a judge soon after.
Harvard did submit some international student records to the government on April 30, maintaining it had provided the “information required by law”, though this was subsequently deemed “insufficient” by Secretary Noem.
In a separate attack, President Trump signed a proclamation attempting to suspend the visas for international students coming to America’s oldest institution, which was also halted by the courts.
The administration’s latest salvo is intended to send a message to campuses across the US.
It warns: “Other universities and academic institutions that are asked to submit similar information should take note of Harvard’s actions, and the repercussions, when considering whether or not to comply with similar requests”.
The row with Harvard has been one of the focal points of Trump’s sweeping attacks on higher education, which has seen investigations launched into dozens of universities, a near month-long pause on new student visa interviews and enhanced social media vetting of international students.
The Wednesday subpoena is the second issued to Harvard is less than two weeks. On June 26, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the university for its financial aid records amid alleged tuition-fixing at the institution.
Secretary Noem previously called the university’s international student certification “a giant cash cow for Harvard”.
Writing in an op-ed in the Washington Post, Noem claimed the institution had “fostered antisemitic extremism” and used taxpayer money to “collaborate with an American adversary”.
