The QS ranking is based on surveying academic staff that declare a speciality in the subject area, and employers who recruit graduates that specialise in the discipline. It also takes into account research output and impact, with both citations and paper output measured over a five-year period.
Sports-related research has always been at the heart of Loughborough and is a key part of the University’s new strategy. The School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Sports Technology Institute and Institute for Sport Business are all renowned for the fundamental and applied research they undertake in this field.
This marks the seventh year in a row that Loughborough has secured the best in the world title, being the recipient ever since it was launched by QS in 2017.
Speaking about Loughborough’s continued success, Vice-Chancellor Professor Nick Jennings, said: “Loughborough University is synonymous across the world with the teaching and research of sports disciplines. It is part of our DNA.
“Our continued success is testament to the well-deserved reputation and impact of our work as recognised by the international academic community in this field. It is a great honour and underlines the talent of our world-leading academic colleagues.”
Leigh Kamolins, Director of Analytics and Evaluation at QS said: “Being ranked number 1 in this subject for the seventh consecutive year cements Loughborough as a world-leading university to study and research subjects related to sport. Loughborough’s performance shows how it excels in solving some of the most important research questions in the field, with high impact research and a reputation that is revered among academics and industry.”
Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, added: “Amongst its many strengths, Loughborough University is a cathedral of sport. Were it a country, it would have outperformed Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. No surprise then, to see Loughborough retain its crown for a seventh consecutive year.”
Loughborough has been ranked in the QS global top 100 in four other subject areas:
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Library and Information Management (21) – reflecting work undertaken in the Schools of Social Sciences and Humanities and Business and Economics
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Art and Design (32) – reflecting work undertaken in the School of Design and Creative Arts
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Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing (62) – reflecting work undertaken in the Schools of Aeronautical and AutomotiveEngineering and Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering
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Architecture and the Built Environment (51-100) – reflecting work undertaken in the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering
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Communication & Media Studies (51-100) – reflecting work undertaken in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities
The full QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 tables can be found here. Further information about Loughborough’s success in the QS rankings can be found here.