University of Bristol climbs World University Rankings

Great news for the University of Bristol!

The University of Bristol has recently announced that it has been ranked as the 54th best university globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025. Out of 5,663 leading institutions evaluated by QS, Bristol placed in the top 3.6%.

This 54th position marks an improvement from last year, making Bristol the ninth best university in the UK and the 11th best in Europe, according to QS. Additionally, Bristol was recognised as the 17th most sustainable university in the world.

Prof Judith Squires, the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, expressed her delight: “It is fantastic to once again see Bristol named among the best universities in the world in QS’s prestigious rankings. In a university sector full of talented individuals, our amazing students and staff shine bright. I would like to thank everyone at the University of Bristol who made this result possible.”

QS assesses universities based on nine criteria, including the impact of their academic research and their reputation among peers. This year, Bristol made significant progress in the ‘Sustainability’ category, which evaluates institutions’ social and environmental impact, and in the ‘International Research Network’ category, which examines how institutions collaborate with other global universities.

This positive news follows another recent achievement, with the Complete University Guide recognising nearly 30 subjects at the University of Bristol as top 10 in their field in the UK.

QS also ranked Bristol highly among UK universities: fourth in the ‘Sustainability’ category, fifth in the ‘Citations per Faculty’ category (measuring research output), and ninth in the ‘Academic Reputation’ category (based on peer academics’ views worldwide).

Other categories in the QS rankings include Employment Outcomes, Employer Reputation, Faculty to Student Ratio, International Faculty (number of international staff), and International Students (number of international students).

This solidifies the fact that Bristol remains a brilliant place to study. Are you thinking of studying in Bristol or know someone that is? Take a look at our Bristol page to learn more.