Plymouth breaks into global top 300 universities

Plymouth University has been ranked in the top 300 universities in the world for the first time according to higher education’s most detailed rankings system.

Plymouth was placed at 300th exactly in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013-14, its highest position so far since it first appeared in the table two years ago.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings are the world’s most comprehensive and carefully calibrated global rankings, using 13 separate performance indicators to examine a university’s strengths against all of its core missions – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

Plymouth was ranked 39th in terms of UK institutions of just 49 who reached the table. With over 8,000 universities globally, this puts Plymouth in and around the top 1.5% of those institutions that publish 200 or more research papers a year and which offer a substantial range of programmes at undergraduate and doctorate levels. California Institute of Technology topped the table, with Oxford the highest-ranked UK university joint second with Harvard.

Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor, said: “This league table shows that Plymouth is well and truly on the global map for higher education, and among a new breed of modern elite universities.

“It is testament to our now international reputation for teaching, learning and research excellence and our distinctive enterprise-led student experience. And it shows that universities really can be both excellent and socially inclusive – with nearly 94% of our intake coming from state schools.  I am really proud of our students and staff and the work we do with partners – this is simply great news.”

The rankings this year were launched at the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit in Singapore. Plymouth’s success builds on its rise in Times Higher Education’s 100 Under 50 table for modern universities, in which it rose seven places to 53rd globally, and 7th in the UK.

Phil Baty, editor of the Times Higher Education rankings, said: “Times Higher Education's World University Rankings use a trusted range of 13 rigorous performance indicators and are the only global rankings to judge world-class research institutions against all of their core activities - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. So Plymouth University’s position in the top 300 is very impressive. The influence of the university’s research appears to be its key strength and has helped it reach its position among the top 1.5% of institutions in the world.”