Imperial tops Times ranking for graduate prospects and research quality

Imperial ranked first among UK universities both for graduate prospects and research quality in an annual ranking by The Times. It earned the prize of University of the Year for Graduate Employment 2026.

The newspaper noted that 95.9% of Imperial graduates moved on to “highly skilled jobs or further study within 15 months,” with an average graduate salary of £36,000, the highest among Russell Group institutions. 

Imperial took the 6^th place overall out of the 130 assessed universities, dragged down by its poor scores for teaching quality (98^th place), people & planet (72^th place) – a metric of environmental and ethical performance – and student experience (37^th place). It also ranked 105^th for social inclusion.

Imperial said they were “incredibly proud” of the Graduate Employment prize, commenting: “This prestigious recognition reflects the strength of our employer partnerships, the calibre of our students, and the comprehensive support we offer to help [them] succeed professionally.”