Queen’s University Belfast has achieved its highest-ever percentile position in a major global university ranking, breaking into the top 175 universities worldwide in the latest QS World University Rankings 2027.
Ranked 174th out of more than 1,500 institutions globally, Queen’s is now placed within the top 11.6% of universities assessed - the highest percentile position the University has ever achieved.
Queen’s also performed particularly strongly in Employer Reputation, rising 83 places in a metric that reflects the employability and success of its graduates.
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Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer said: “These latest rankings represent a significant achievement for Queen’s and reflect the dedication of colleagues and students across our university community. Placing our highest ever percentile, at 11.6%, reflects the commitment to excellence in education, research, innovation and civic engagement, supported by teams across the institution and guided by our Senate and University leadership.
“We are particularly proud to see our commitment to producing work-ready graduates be recognised having climbed 83 places in employer reputation. As the top university in the Russell Group for employability and further study, with 93% of our graduates in employment or further study with 15 months of graduating, it is clear that our integrated approach including work placements, skills-focused modules and careers support is effective in producing work-ready graduates and places high value on obtaining a degree at Queen’s.
“This news follows soon after Queen’s was voted University of the Year as well as the number one Students’ Union at the WhatUni awards. These are accolades of which we are particularly proud because they are based entirely on student feedback.”
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Speaking about the value of a degree at Queen's, Deloitte Senior Partner NI, Vice Chair of CBI NI and Queen’s Alumna, Marie Doyle added: “Queen’s University is a vital catalyst for local innovation, job creation and entrepreneurship for the economy not only in Northern Ireland but across the UK and Ireland and beyond. This is evident from the £3.35bn it generates for the UK economy each year and I’m delighted to see it rank so highly in terms of employer reputation. I regularly witness the significant contributions made by Queen’s and its graduates, which firmly place the University on the map as a leading institution.”
The latest rankings build on a strong year for Queen’s. In the recently published Complete University Guide 2027, the University ranked 23rd in the UK and secured the top position for both Social Work and Agriculture & Forestry. Overall, 14 subjects were placed within the UK top 10. These rankings also reflected a strong performance with regards to employability ranking 9th in the UK for Graduate Prospects (On Track) and 11th for Graduate Prospects (Outcomes).
The full list of rankings can be found: https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings
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