OXFORD — The University of Oxford has retained the top position in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for an 11th consecutive year, extending its record as the longest-running number one university in the history of the rankings.
Oxford has held the top position since 2017 in the 2027 edition of the rankings, which assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was ranked second.
The rankings, now in their 22nd annual edition, assess research-intensive universities using 17 performance indicators grouped into five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry.
THE said its assessment drew on almost 20 million research papers, about one million responses to its Academic Reputation Survey and institutional data covering more than 3,000 universities worldwide.
Oxford recorded the maximum score of 100 in eight of the 17 metrics, including research productivity, research excellence and teaching reputation. It scored above 95 in six other metrics.
The university also improved its score for international staff and ranked ahead of MIT on research productivity, international co-authorship and doctorate-to-staff ratio.
Oxford Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey said the ranking reflected the work of academics, students and professional services staff across the university.
“This is something to celebrate, and it is a testament to the extraordinary talent and dedication of our academics, students and professional services staff across the collegiate University,” Tracey said.
Tracey, however, said university rankings represented only one measure of institutional performance.
She said Oxford’s focus remained on research, teaching and applying knowledge to wider society and environmental challenges.
THE Chief Global Affairs Officer Phil Baty said Oxford’s continued position at the top came amid increasing competition from universities in East Asia and financial and geopolitical pressures affecting higher education institutions in the UK and other Western countries.
Baty said Oxford performed strongly across the ranking’s indicators, particularly its research environment, international collaboration and ability to attract international talent.
The 2027 rankings were announced at the World Academic Summit in Cape Town on September 29.
The rankings measure universities across their teaching, research, international engagement and links with industry, rather than relying on a single indicator of academic performance.