How to read university rankings

THE weighs teaching environment, research environment, research quality and citations, international outlook and links with industry. It leans heavily on research, so it favours large research-intensive universities.

• Best for: judging research strength and global reputation.
• Watch out for: small or teaching-focused universities can rank low while offering excellent taught master's degrees.

QS gives a large weight to academic and employer reputation surveys, alongside faculty to student ratio, citations, international mix, employment outcomes and sustainability.

• Best for: a sense of how academics and employers worldwide see a university.
• Watch out for: reputation surveys move slowly and favour well-known names.

The CUG ranks UK universities using student satisfaction, research quality, entry standards and graduate prospects, and publishes subject tables.

• Best for: comparing UK universities, especially by subject.
• Watch out for: it covers the UK only.

A university ranked 150th overall can be top 30 in your subject. Always check the subject table for what you want to study, and look at the underlying scores rather than the position alone.

• How good the teaching is on your specific course.
• How much support international students get.
• Your chance of admission or of a job afterwards in your field.
• Total cost, including living costs in that city.

We use rankings as one input among several: course content, entry requirements, cost, location, graduate outcomes and your own preferences. Your written shortlist will always explain why each university is on it.