University of Bristol rises one place to rank 54th in new world university ranking

The University of Bristol has ranked 54th in the world and ninth in the UK in the QS World University Rankings 2025.

This influential world ranking sees Bristol University climb one place from 2024, from 55th to 54th in the world, as well as placing 11th in Europe.

In the UK rankings, Bristol Uni placed below LSE and above the University of Warwick. 

Bristol University was ranked 17th most sustainable university in the world, equalling the ranking result in 2024.

QS ranks universities based on nine criteria, including the impact of academic research, employment outcomes, faculty to student ratio and employer reputation. 

This year the top UK university was Imperial College London which, for the first time, placed higher than both Oxford and Cambridge, placing second and third respectfully. 

Among UK universities, Bristol ranked especially highly in many categories, ranking fourth in the sustainability category, fifth in the citations per faculty category (a measure of institutions’ research output) and ninth in the academic reputation category (based on the views of peer academics worldwide).

The university’s weakest areas, according to the QS rankings, were its employment outcomes and faculty to student ratio. 

This comes just two weeks after the Complete University Guide ranked Bristol 16th in the UK, but found that nearly 30 University of Bristol subjects were considered top 10 in their field. 

The Times University rankings for 2025 are yet to be released, but the 2024 list put Bristol Uni at 16th in the UK. 

Prof Judith Squires, the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, said: “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.

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“I would like to thank everyone at the University of Bristol who made this result possible.”

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