2026 QS Europe Rankings have been released: Here’s where Durham University placed

Durham has been ranked 32 in the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026.

The university received an overall score of 86.9, and is now between Sorbonne University (31) and the University of Southampton (33).

Durham was ranked 32 last year too, but the University’s overall average score has increased by 5.3.

Professor Karen O’Brien, our Vice-Chancellor and Warden, said: “This exceptional achievement reflects our global reputation for graduate employability and sustainability as well as the quality and relevance of our research and teaching, areas in which we continue to make significant progress.”

The scoring considered research quality, learning experience, global engagement, sustainability, and employability, along with other factors. Durham scored particularly highly in sustainability, employer reputation, international faculty ratio, and academic reputation.

Below is a list of some of the scores within the considered categories:

Citations per Paper score: 61.3

Papers per Faculty score: 67.5