The QS ranking is based on surveying academic staff that declare a speciality in the subject area, and employers who seek to employ graduates that specialise in the discipline. It is also based on research output and impact, with both citations and paper output measured over a five-year period.
Professor Mark Lewis, Dean of Loughborough’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences during this period of success said: “Since the first year of the rankings in 2017 the work of Loughborough colleagues, especially those in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, has been recognised with a number one position. I believe that the underpinning reason for this success is the School’s wide-ranging expertise in area such as medicine, cellular and molecular biology, nutrition, biomechanics, physiology, economics, pedagogy, psychology, sociology and sport management.
“To discover we have been named best in the world for sports-related subjects for the third year running is truly incredible and testament to the internationally-leading academic talent we have in this area at Loughborough. It is particularly satisfying to note a perfect 100/100 in academic reputation, significant rises in employer reputation (to over 90/100) and an astonishing increase from 64.4 to 92.9 in citations to our work.”
Jack Moran, from the QS, added: “To lead one of the QS World University Rankings by Subject tables, a university must have outstanding – often unrivalled – regard among the global academic community. It must be a research leader, ensuring that it is at the forefront of knowledge production and dissemination in its field. Yet it must also ensure that it is nurturing successful, employable graduates in its field, too.
“To stay top, it must continue maintaining these lofty standards while universities around it – often well-resourced – work hard to achieve precisely the same goals. It is therefore a testament to the outstanding work done by all of the faculty at Loughborough University that it has maintained its world-leading position for Sports-related Subjects every year that we have produced the table.”
Loughborough has also been ranked in the global top 50 for other subjects, including top ten in the world for Library and Information Management, 28th for Art and Design and top 50 for Communication and Media Studies.
The full QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019 tables can be found here.