University placed 35th globally in latest influential rankings

The University of Exeter has reinforced its position amongst the leading universities both nationally and internationally, according to the latest influential global rankings.

The Leiden University World Rankings 2016, released on Wednesday, May 18, positions Exeter 35th internationally, 8th in Europe and 6th in the UK.

The rankings provide a measurement of the scientific impact and performance of more than 800 major universities worldwide and their involvement in scientific collaboration.

Positioning within the rankings is based on the number of citations quoted in highly respected and influential journals. Exeter’s rankings are based on the percentage of publications ranked in the top 10% most cited, indicating that the University’s high quality research has been referenced by other academics in major journals.

According to the latest rankings, which are based on Web of Science indexed publications from the period 2011-2014, the University of Exeter is:

• 16th in the world in life and earth sciences (2nd in the UK)
• 35th in the world in biomedical and health sciences (8th in the UK)
• 43rd in the world for physical sciences and engineering (2nd in the UK)
• 69th in the world in social sciences and humanities (10th in the UK)

Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter said: “I am delighted with Exeter’s performance in these latest international rankings, which are significant as they they measure the quality of research outputs rather than the quantity. Because these rankings are based on the number of citations in highly respected and influential journals, they offer a fascinating reflection of how often Exeter’s high quality research has been referenced by other academics.”