Birmingham University featured seven times in the top 50 of QS World Rankings by subject

The University of Birmingham remains among the world’s leading research-intensive institutions, with seven subjects ranked in the top 50 of the latest QS World University Rankings by subject.

Dentistry, education, English, theology, anatomy and physiology, and linguistics all feature in the top 50, while sport retains its place in the global top 10, ranked ninth.

Education is a new entrant to the top 50, rising 27 places on last year. The university offers a primary PGCE programme rated outstanding by Ofsted, alongside secondary programmes rated good.

The school of education also operates internationally, with teaching and research activity in the UAE and Malaysia. Its work focuses in part on narrowing the gap between research and classroom practice, particularly in inclusive education. The Jubilee Centre promotes the development of character in education and wider society through research and teaching.

Dentistry and linguistics are both placed 19th globally. Modern languages, electrical and mechanical engineering, medicine and pharmacy have each improved their ranking for three consecutive years, while English has remained in the top 30 for the past five.

Sport’s continued top 10 position reflects the university’s long-standing expertise in the field. In 1946, Birmingham became the first UK university to offer undergraduate teaching in physical education. Its school of sport, exercise and rehabilitation sciences now provides undergraduate, master’s and doctoral study, supported by research into elite performance, rehabilitation and public health.

via Unsplash

The university also offers a high-performance training environment for student and international athletes, with established partnerships across sport. Recent collaborations include Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham City Football Club and the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships — the first such university partnership in the event’s history.

Its athletics track hosted the 2025 British World 10,000m trials, and the university provided venues for squash and hockey during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Prof Deborah Longworth, pro vice-chancellor for education, said students benefited from “an outstanding research-intensive education” that equips them with skills sought by employers and strong career prospects.

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“With seven subject areas in the top 50, and with sports-related subjects in the top 10, the University of Birmingham stands out as a place for leading scientists, professionals and students who want to be involved in world-class research and achieve a degree that opens doors to professional opportunities around the world,” she said.

The institution was also named one of the two UK universities most targeted by leading graduate employers, according to High Fliers Research, which surveys 1,600 universities worldwide.

A further 16 Birmingham subjects are ranked in the global top 100, including medicine, physics, chemical engineering, psychology and biosciences. Several disciplines recorded significant rises, including modern languages (up 23 places), nursing (up 32) and communication and media studies (up 19). Law and computer science also climbed, rising 19 and 47 places respectively.

The QS rankings assess more than 1,500 universities across 60 disciplines, using indicators including academic reputation and research impact.

Birmingham is ranked 76th in the 2025 QS overall rankings and 98th globally in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

In the QS international research network metric, the university is ranked 31st, reflecting the strength of its global research partnerships.

It also performs strongly in the QS sustainability rankings, placed 43rd worldwide and 16th in the UK, highlighting its contribution to the UN sustainable development goals and the UK’s 2050 net zero target.

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Featured image via Unsplash