League tables
To view the College's position in the most recent edition of each league table please see the College League Table page.
The Strategic Planning division carries out analysis of the College's ranking in league tables.
More detailed information on how the league tables are compiled and the College's ranking in these tables can be found by expanding the sections below.
Methodology
Showcase area
International league tables
The three major international league tables focus on research excellence and reputation. All international league tables use a measure of Citations in the rankings which is highly weighted. Only the Times Higher has a measure of teaching excellence. Please note, methodology may vary at faculty/subject level.
| Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU): Alumni with Nobel Prizes/Field Medals (10%); Staff with Nobel Prizes/Fields Medals (20%); Staff in Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers list (20%); Papers published in Nature/Science (20%); Papers indexed (20%); Per Capita Performance (10%) Institutional table / Full methodology |
| Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings: Teaching (30%); Research (30%); Citations (30%); International Outlook (7.5%); and Industry Income (2.5%). Institutional table / Full methodology |
| The QS World University Rankings: Academic Reputation (40%); Employer Reputation (10%); Faculty-Student Ratio (20%); Citations per Staff (20%); International Faculty (5%); International Students (5%) Institutional table / Full methodology |
UK league tables
The three major UK league tables primarily focus on undergraduate student satisfaction and teaching. The Guardian Univeristy Guide does not include a measure for research excellence. Please note the methodologies may vary at subject level.
| The Complete University guide: Student Satisfaction (17%); Research Quality (11%); Research Intensity (5.5%); Entry Standards (11%); Student-Staff Ratio (11%); Academic Services Spend (5.5%); Facilities Spend (5.5%); Good Honours (11%); Graduate Prospects (11%); and Degree Completion (11%) Institutional table / Full methodology |
| The Guardian Univeristy Guide: Satisfied with Teaching (10%); Satisfied with Assessment & Feedback (10%); Satisfied with Course (5%); Average Entry Tariff (16.25%); Student-Staff Ratio (16.25%); Spend per Student (10%); Value Added (16.25%); Career after Six Months (16.25%) Institutional table / Full methodology |
| The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide: Teaching Quality (11%); Student Experience (5.5%); Research Quality (17%); Entry Standards (11%); Graduate Prospects (11%); Firsts/2:1s (11%); Completion Rate (11%); Student-Staff Ratio (11%); Services & Facilities Spend (11%) Institutional table / Full methodology |
Rankings
Showcase area
Imperial's position
| League table | Most recent publication | Most recent ranking | Trend compared to previous edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete University Guide | April 2017 | 5th | -1 place |
| The Guardian | May 2017 | 6th= | +1 place |
| The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide | September 2016 | 5th | -2 places |
| Academic Ranking of World Universities | August 2016 | 22nd (4th in the UK) | +1 place |
| The QS | September 2016 | 9th (4th in the UK) | -1 place |
| The Times Higher Education | September 2016 | 8th (3rd in the UK) | +0 places |
Subject rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Ranking and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) league tables rank institutions within broad subject groups. UK (and global) ranks per subject group were as follows:
| Subject Area | Times Higher Education (2016-17) | ARWU (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | 3rd (4th) Full table | 4th (23rd) Full table |
| Engineering | 3rd (=7th) Full table | 1st (7th) Full table |
| Life Sciences | 3rd (9th) Full table | 4th (33rd) Full table |
| Physical Sciences | 3rd (11th) Full table | 4th (29th) Full table |
| Computer Science | 2nd (7th) Full table | |
The Complete University Guide, the Guardian, the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (GUG), and the QS provide individual subject level information. The majority of Imperial's subjects were ranked within the top 10 or higher within the UK.
| College department | Complete University Guide 2018 | The Guardian 2018 | The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017 | The QS (2017) - global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Subject tables | Full Subject tables | Full Subject tables | Full Subject tables | |
| Aeronautics | 2nd out of 41 | Included in Mechanical Engineering | 3rd out of 37 | Included in Mechanical Engineering |
| Bioengineering | 4th out of 48 (General Engineering) | 1st out of 20 (General Engineering) | 3rd out of 36 (General Engineering) | N/A |
| Chemical Engineering | 2nd out of 30 | 3rd out of 25 | 2nd out of 27 | 9th out of 300 |
| Chemistry | 6th out of 60 | 18th out of 53 | 8th out of 53 | 14th out of 500 |
| Civil and Environmental Engineering | 1st out of 56 | 1st out of 50 | 1st out of 52 | 4th out of 200 |
| Computing | 3rd out of 107 | 3rd out of 102 | 3rd out of 104 | 12th out of 500 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | 3rd out of 76 | 1st out of 61 | 2nd out of 70 | 9th out of 400 |
| Earth Science and Engineering | 2nd out of 32 (Geology) | 1st out of 34 | 1st out of 31 (Geology) | 26th out of 200 (Earth Sciences); 9th out of 300 (Environmental Sciences) |
| Life Sciences | 3rd out of 102 (Biological Sciences) | 10th out of 109 (Biosciences) | 4th out of 99 (Biological Sciences) | 19th out of 500 |
| Materials | 4th out of 27 | 4th out of 11 | 3rd= out of 14 | 12th out of 300 |
| Mathematics | 4th out of 71 | 3rd out of 66 | 3rd out of 71 | 11th out of 400 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 3rd out of 70 | 5th out of 66 | 2nd out of 63 | 9th out of 400 |
| Medicine | 7th out of 34 | 11th out of 32 | 4th= out of 33 | 12th out of 500 |
| Physics | 5th out of 49 | 30th out of 43 | 20th out of 47 | 11th out of 500 |