University of Leicester Rankings 2026

The university was Established in 1921, the University of Leicester is a very respected University in the UK. The Guardian University Guide 2025 noted that Leicester again increased its ranking, compared to 2024, with Leicester moving up 14 places, 34th from 48th, which is one of the largest increases in a ranking. The Complete University Guide, has also ranked Leicester as 33rd in 2026.   

Leicester has also performed really good in global ranking, Leicester was ranked at 25th in the UK and ranked 191st in the world by Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025. Leicester was ranked 34th in the UK and 326th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2025.  

Evidence of Leicester's quality of research is in its REF 2021 performance. Leicester was ranked in 30th in the UK and of Leicester's research, in excess of 89 % is regarded as" world leading" or "internationally excellent". Leicester also received a gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), noting that it provides outstanding outcomes for its students. 

If you want to study at a top-ranked, award-winning university like Leicester, book a 1:1 counselling session today and start your journey. 

How has the University of Leicester ranking changed over the last few years? 

Between 2024 and 2026, the University of Leicester went through a variety of ranking experiences, but was on the whole heading the right way. In the THE Rankings, the university graduated from the 201-250 band in 2024 to the band of 191st in 2025, and data for 2026 currently does not exist. 

The QS rankings did dip from 279th in 2024 to 285th in 2025 to finally 326th in another important slide in 2026; although, Leicester remains in the upper range of the top 350 and still one of the top universities in the world.  

The university was advancing in the Complete University Guide UK rankings over the years, advancing from 38th to 33rd place in the rankings in 2024 to 2026. All in all, the greatest highlight of these years was the fact that Leicester entered the U.S. News Best Global Universities and ranked 166th in 2025; something that can suggest more international interest and recognition of their research and group outside borders. 

Ranking Body	2024	2025	2026
Times Higher Education (THE)	201-250	191	N/A
QS World University Rankings	279	285	326
U.S. News Best Global Universities	N/A	166	N/A

What rank is Leicester University in the UK? 

In 2025 the University of Leicester is a strong university in the UK. It is ranked 18th in the US News Best Global Universities for the UK rankings, and 27th in the Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide rankings, which is a measure of having considered levels of good teaching and satisfaction from the students.  

In the Complete University Guide and the Guardian rankings Leicester has a pretty solid placement as it is placed at low 30s which shows the consistent level of performance across all the measurements metrics. Overall, the University of Leicester is positioned as a respectable and credible university in higher education in the UK. 

Ranking Body	Rank
U.S. News Best Global Universities UK	18
Guardian University Guide 2025	34
Complete University Guide 2025	33
Times and The Sunday Times Guide 2025	27

How is the University of Leicester ranked for specific subjects? 

U.S. News recognizes the University of Leicester as offering excellent strengths in more specialized areas. The areas of highest global subject ranking at Leicester include Endocrinology and Metabolism (16), Public, Environmental, and Occupational Health (52), and Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems (91).  

In Clinical Medicine (115) and Artificial Intelligence (107) Leicester showed strong advanced research performance. In Psychiatry/Psychology (167) Leicester can reinforce its strong health sciences standing.  

While these strikingly strong standings reveal Leicester's focused excellence in medical and health-related research, they clearly identify the university as a leading global institution in these important and high impact areas of research. 

Subject	THE Rank	U.S. News Rank	QS Rank
Medical and Health	101–125	115	195
Artificial Intelligence	N/A	107	N/A
Archaeology	N/A	N/A	40
Arts and Humanities	126–150	206	101–150
Computer Science	201–250	168	351–400
Psychology	201–250	167	301–350
Business and Economics	401–500	N/A	501–550
Engineering	251–300	594	501–550
Life Sciences	151–175	350	241

How does University of Leicester compare to other UK universities in rankings? 

The University of Leicester is well-placed compared to its comparisons at other UK universities. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, Leicester ranks 326th; in THE, it ranks 191st; and, in US News, it ranks 166th. One of Leicester's comparisons, the University of Surrey, is also ranked higher in QS at 262nd overall, but in THE it falls under the 201-250 band; and, is at 326 in US News 2025.  

While Surrey ranks higher than Leicester in QS, Leicester is still ranked in the upper band of a global research foot print (and it ranks higher in US News). The University of Kent ranks lowest in Leicester comparisons in QS at 397th, in THE at a band of 351-400, and in US News at 618th; consolidating that Leicester is perceived better overall in regards to academic and research. 

University	QS WUR	THE WUR	U.S. News
University of Leicester	326	191	166
University of Surrey	262	201–250	326
University of Kent	397	351–400	618

 What is University of Leicester ranked in Times Higher Education (THE) ranking? 

 In the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, Leicester came out in the 201-250 band. In 2025, Leicester came out ranked 191.  

THE provides opportunity for substantial evaluation of universities using 5 main key indicators: Teaching; Research Quality; Research Environment, Industry Income, and International outlook. Each key indicator evaluates the overall performance of the university or institution across the learning environment, research impact, industry income, and ethnic mix (international) of the university.  

The table shows Leicester results in each of the categories and their THE 2025 rank: 

Indicator	Weighting Approx.	Leicester’s Score
Teaching	~34.9%	34.9
Research Environment	~29%	34.9
Research Quality	~30%	96.1
Industry Income	~4%	69.7
International Outlook	~7.5%	95.5
Overall Score	—	59.2

What is University of Leicester ranked in QS World University Rankings? 

The University of Leicester is ranked 326th in the QS World University Rankings 2026. QS uses a number of extensive indicators to evaluate any universities such as Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Citations per Faculty, Faculty/Student Ratio, International Student Diversity etc. 

Below is a summary table of the University of Leicester scores across the major QS ranking indicators: 

Ranking Criteria	Weighting	Leicester’s Score
Academic Reputation	30%	29.6
Citations per Faculty	20%	44.2
Employer Reputation	15%	17.7
Employment Outcomes	5%	31
Faculty Student Ratio	10%	40.1
International Faculty Ratio	5%	90.6
International Research Network	5%	91.1
International Student Diversity	5%	91.4
International Student Ratio	5%	90.6
Sustainability	5%	81.2
Overall Score	—	42.9

 Does University of Leicester ranking impact job prospects or placements? 

University rankings frequently impact employer expectations and are indicative of a university's ability to position graduates into what is called graduate employment. The University of Leicester prioritizes employability – Leicester is in Top 20 Universities for Employability in the Uni Compare Best Universities for Employability 2025 ranking. This indicates Leicester's dedication to positive graduate outcomes.  

Leicester integrates employability skills into all undergraduate courses and offers students lifetime access to its MyCareers online careers platform, which provides support for job searches, internships and other skill development activities.