The University of Cambridge has been ranked number one in the world for the second year in a row in the 2011 QS World Ranking of universities.
Four UK universities made it into the top 10: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London and UCL. The other six are US universities. The first university not from the UK or the US was McGill University in Canada at number 17. The best university in Europe was ETH Zurich in Switzerland at number 18.
The rankings are based on factors such as student-staff ratios, reputation, graduate employability, research, and reputation.
Cambridge University’s Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz said in a statement: “It is welcome to see the best British universities ranked with the best in the world by the 2011 QS World University rankings.
“As one of the world’s leading research universities Cambridge makes a unique contribution to society and to the individual, not just here in the UK but globally. We help to uphold the reputation of the UK as a centre of excellence internationally.
“Cambridge is proud of the world-class education we offer through our Colleges and Faculties. Our students benefit from intensive tuition, exceptional individual support and some of the best academic facilities in the world, and they have excellent career prospects.
“Our collegiate structure enables the University to maintain a close relationship between teaching and research. Our commitment to excellence in both is the key to our global reputation.”
Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of universities, added: “These figures provide another indication that UK universities punch well above their weight on the world stage, with Russell Group institutions taking four of the top seven spots including Cambridge at number one. We have better universities than any other country, apart from the US.”
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