Imperial maintains 2nd place in QS ranking, tied with Stanford

Imperial maintained its place as the best university in Europe and second-best university globally in the 2027 QS World University Rankings. It has held this position since 2025, but this year was tied for second place with Stanford University.

MIT retained the top spot, UCL moved up one place to eighth, while Oxford and Cambridge remained in fourth and sixth place respectively.

Imperial obtained an overall score of 99.2 points, 0.2 points lower than in 2026. Its “Citations per Faculty” score decreased by 1.2 points and its “International Research Network” score increased by 1.3 points. The other metrics changed by less than a point.

Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, said: “This recognition speaks to the distinctive energy and collaborative spirit that runs through Imperial’s community. It reflects not just excellence, but a shared determination by our staff, students, and alumni to make a meaningful difference in the world.”