The annual rankings, which are the most-consulted independent evaluation of the world’s 1,501 top universities, placed the University of Sheffield 92nd in the world and 15th in the UK.
The methodology for the ranking is comprehensive and includes academic reputation, citations, employer reputation and outcomes, academics to student ratio, numbers of international staff and students, international research partnerships and sustainability.
President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, Professor Koen Lamberts, said: “We are delighted to be recognised as one of the world's top 100 universities in the QS World University Rankings. This is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire community and reflects our commitment to research excellence, innovative teaching, and providing a truly global experience for our staff and students."
Over 19.8 million academic publications and 200 million citations were examined to measure the impact of the research produced by the ranked universities. In addition, 1.5 million academic nominations and 520,000 employer nominations contributed to this year’s rankings.
The University’s highest scores came in the internationalisation indicators: 98 for international students and diversity, as well as 96.9 for international research network, demonstrating the University’s diverse community and the richness of the institution’s global research partnerships.
The news follows the University of Sheffield cementing its position as a leading global institution after securing a place within the top 100 universities in the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 in October.
That same month, the University was named runner-up for University of the Year 2025 by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025, as well as rising in the rankings to 14th best University in the UK.
The University has also been ranked among the best universities in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2025 and the top university in the Russell Group for student experience and support in the Daily Mail University Guide, as well as within the top 10 universities in the UK overall and top in the North of England for the second successive year.
Finally, in the past year the University of Sheffield was ranked top of the Russell Group for the second year in a row in the National Student Survey (NSS), with Sheffield’s Students’ Union voted as the best in the UK.