
How UK universities compare with others in new world rankings
Imperial College London has been named the UK 's top university for the second consecutive year in the QS Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings.
Globally, Imperial College London secured the second position, trailing only the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Oxford and Cambridge universities saw their rankings drop, with Oxford falling to fourth and Cambridge to sixth place globally.
Four British universities made the global top 10, but 54 UK universities experienced a decline in their rankings overall.
The CEO of QS, Jessica Turner, warned that UK government policies on funding and international students could negatively impact the quality and global standing of British higher education.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Team principal Vowles signs new Williams contract
James Vowles has signed a new contract as Williams team move to secure the 45-year-old on what is described as a "long-term" deal is a vote of confidence in Vowles' leadership since he joined Williams from Mercedes in declined to reveal either the length of Vowles' former contract, or his new was signed by owners Dorilton Capital with a remit to return Williams to the front. The team lie fifth in the championship after 10 of 24 races this season, having already scored more points than the previous three years was also key in persuading Carlos Sainz to join Williams for this year, rather than Sauber/Audi or Alpine, after Ferrari decided to replace the Spaniard with Lewis and Dorilton chairman Matthew Savage said: "James has brought experience, energy and strategic leadership to the task of restoring Williams to the top step of the podium."We aren't there yet but you can sense the momentum we are building at Grove and are excited about what lies ahead."Vowles, who was previously Mercedes' head of strategy, said: "Williams has felt like home from the moment I walked through the door."This iconic team has already given me some incredible memories and we are all united in our ambition to build on our legacy and win World Championships again."Over the past two years we have focused on fixing the foundations, and now have a platform to go for glory in the years to come."


Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Britain saw second-biggest household wealth decline among major economies last year, says UBS
Average real-term household wealth across Britain fell by 3.6 per cent last year, a global analysis by UBS suggests. A chart in UBS' latest Global Wealth Report indicates that Britain suffered the second highest decline in average real-term wealth of any major economy last year. According to Michel Frey, head of UK high net worth business in UBS' wealth management arm, average real-term household wealth in Britain slipped as cost of living pressures and higher interest rates outpaced most financial market or property price growth. This combination of forces, Frey told City AM, hampered some people's ability to retain or build wealth, particularly among high net worth individuals. Paul Donovan, chief economist at UBS Global Wealth Management, told This is Money: 'Most people in Britain enjoyed a significant increase in their real wealth levels in 2024 – median wealth grew over 5 per cent in real terms and wealth distribution became more equal. 'However a number of higher income households experienced slower wealth growth, and when adjusted for inflation the experience of this group pushed the average lower.' He continued: 'Higher income households tend to hold more equity than most UK households, and the underperformance of the UK equity market compared to European and US equities will have contributed to that. 'Countries where wealth inequality increased are more likely to have experienced higher average real wealth growth than the UK.' While real-term household wealth across Britain fell 3.6 per cent in 2024, median wealth rose by just over 5 per cent. Amid concerns over a growing exodus of wealthy individuals from Britain, Rachel Rachel Reeves is reportedly mulling a softening of non-dom inheritance tax rules. Aside from Britain, the likes of Turkey, Mexico, France, the UAE, mainland China and Russia also saw average real-term household wealth fall in 2024, according to UBS. In Turkey, where inflation topped 75 per cent at one point in 2024, average real-term household wealth fell 14 per cent last year, the findings showed. UBS said: 'Measured in USD, in real terms over half of the 56 markets in the sample not only didn't take part in the world's growth last year, but saw their average wealth per adult decline.' Global wealth grew 4.6 per cent in 2024 after a 4.2 per cent increase in 2023, continuing a consistent upward trend, UBS said. Private individuals' net worth rose 4.6 per cent worldwide, and by over 11 per cent in the Americas, driven by a stable US dollar and upbeat financial markets, the UBS report found. Data: A chart by UBS showing global average wealth and median wealth data Elsewhere in the research, UBS said more than 379,000 people became new US dollar millionaires in the US last year, equating to more than 1,000 per day. Mainland China saw over 386 new millionaires every day, equating to 141,000 in the course of 2024, equivalent to an increase of 2.3 per cent on the previous year. Switzerland continued to top the list for average wealth per adult on an individual market level, followed by the US, Hong Kong and Luxembourg. This week, data from the Office for National Statistics showed that inflation across Britain was 3.4 per cent in May, down from 3.5 per cent in June. ONS acting chief economist Richard Heys said on Wednesday: 'A variety of counteracting price movements meant inflation was little changed in May. 'Air fares fell this month, compared with a large rise at the same time last year, as the timing of Easter and school holidays affected pricing. Meanwhile, motor fuel costs also saw a drop.' He added: 'These were partially offset by rising food prices, particularly items such as chocolates and meat products. 'The cost of furniture and household goods, including fridge freezers and vacuum cleaners, also increased.' Britain's economy slowed sharply in April, reflecting shockwaves from Trump's announcement of wide-ranging tariffs and a one-off hit from the end of a tax break on property sales. Gross domestic output shrank by a larger-than-expected 0.3 per cent in April from March, representing the biggest monthly drop since October 2023 and following 0.2 per cent growth in March.


BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
The mind behind cricket's Hundred on his 'Prem' relaunch
The Premiership may be losing seven letters next season, but Rob Calder hopes it will gain much the top flight's chief growth officer, is the man snipping the competition's name to simply 'the Prem' for next change comes with a new logo – a shock of orange to reflect the intensity of the action – and fresh branding promoting the physicality, athleticism, collisions and confrontations on the pitch."There was definitely an issue with the Premiership brand in that it felt quite corporate and establishment," says Calder."It didn't feel like an entertainment product and that's what we're trying to address now with this new identity."This league is not broken, it is actually flourishing - we just need to reframe ourselves a little bit to make sure we can reach those wide audiences and grow."In repositioning rugby, Calder hasn't looked outside the box, but into the octagon."If you look at sports that are growing in this country, it's basketball, it's NFL, it's mixed martial arts and there's a singularity to a lot of those brands," he adds."Think about UFC. There's a real sort of punchiness. There's a dynamism and a lean forward and we really like that. We thought we could do it our own way though."The reaction when the new branding was unveiled before Saturday's final was mixed. It often is with these that is perhaps the point - the existing audience is not the target. Calder wants to expand the league's appeal and convert the indifferent. A record 1.26m television audience for Bath's victory, combined with demand outstripping supply for the 82,000 tickets, suggests the Premiership is nurturing new has been big growth in engaging supporters between the ages of 18-34, while Red Bull's reported interest in buying Newcastle Falcons would tie in perfectly with a parallel aim of attracting youth-orientated is a brief Calder has worked to he arrived in rugby, he was the commercial director for the Hundred, the neon-spattered, slog-heavy cricket format that launched in 2021 and raised more than £500m with the sale of its franchise sides earlier this was revolution. In rugby, Calder is aiming for evolution."With the Hundred, we were clear that a distinctly new approach was going to be critical to get to the next generation," he says."When I did research on the Hundred though I looked at rugby clubs and how they compared in terms of appeal to younger audiences and they actually performed pretty well."There are some strong brands in there – be it Harlequins or Leicester Tigers or others – with legacy and awareness of those identities."So I think we're starting from a different level with rugby."The rebrand will include more behind-the-scenes content from the league's bright, young things and more intelligent highlights, with dramatic moments, such as shuddering hits, try-saving tackles and interactions between players, included alongside the of the strategy is more mundane than the marketing, but just as important."The first time people come to rugby grounds, we have got to make them welcome," says Calder."We've got to point out where everything is, to make sure there's enough toilets for women, that the facilities are clean and the rest of it."Rugby is probably a little bit behind where some sports are, but that's a massive focus for us."We've invested in gathering match day experience scores from fans and match day experience training with the clubs." Calder says the hunt for new fans is a necessity, rather than a luxury. He began his career promoting drinks for a big-brand brewers."There was a massive, massive commitment to consumer understanding in that industry," he says."What struck me when I came into sport was there was a lot of data on who was buying, but not a lot of understanding of those people outside and why they weren't engaging with the sport."I think that's a flaw in sport because there's there's so much pressure commercially on clubs, the focus is on understanding as much as possible your existing audience and getting as much of a return out of it."It's less common to look beyond that and so you have these unfortunate sort of ever-decreasing circles."Calder has seen this close says The Hundred only came into being because Twenty20 cricket had been mistakenly marketed at existing supporters, drawing them away from county cricket, rather than bringing in families and new fans as isn't just other sports or other entertainment option that rugby must compete with either. It also has to keep pace with society."I think families are important whichever sport you're in - because more and more families make decisions to have experiences together of a weekend," says Calder."Maybe my dad, 30-40 years ago, would go and play golf all day or go to rugby with his mates, but I've got a commitment to look after my family and I enjoy being with my family."I want to make sure my two young girls can come to these events, and want to come to these events."We have seen it in women's football - the growth of that family experience economy. That's definitely something rugby should be tapping into."Whether the shorter, rawer Prem hits that sweet spot will be seen next season.