Queen Mary University of London has strengthened its reputation as one of the world’s leading universities, rising an impressive 35 places in the QS World University Rankings over the
past two years.
According to the Daily Mail’s 2026 British Universities Guide, Queen Mary now sits 15th overall in the UK and 12th for graduate salaries—an improvement on last year’s results. The guide praised the university’s strong record on social inclusion, highlighting that “of all the elite Russell Group universities, Queen Mary both walks the walk and talks the talk when it comes to social inclusion.”
Globally, Queen Mary continues to stand out. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings, it has reached 110th place worldwide, making it the fastest-rising research-intensive Russell Group university in the UK over the past two years. This follows a 25-place jump in 2025 alone.
The university’s international recognition doesn’t stop there. For the second year in a row, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities* has placed Queen Mary among the top 100 universities worldwide and the top 10 in the UK.
Reflecting on the achievement, Professor Colin Bailey CBE, President and Principal of Queen Mary, said: “I am incredibly proud that Queen Mary’s excellence has again been recognised in this year’s QS and U.S. News & World rankings. Remaining in the top 100 globally and top 10 in the UK in the U.S. World rankings for a second year, coupled with our trajectory in the QS over the last two years, reflects a growing recognition of our standing as a world-leading research-intensive university.”
The 2026 QS World Rankings include 1,501 institutions across 106 countries, with 90 universities from the UK making the list. Photo by Ewan Munro from London, UK, Wikimedia commons.