Seventh year running for ‘best university in the world for sports-related subjects’ title

Loughborough has been crowned the best university in the world for sports-related subjects for the seventh year running by the global QS higher education league table.

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:  

 

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: PR 23/41

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2023 QS World University Rankings – the seventh year running – and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2023 and 11th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’.

In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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