University of Nottingham Ranking

Embarking on an international education journey is a significant decision for Indian students, and university rankings play a crucial role in evaluating academic quality and global reputation. These rankings offer a snapshot of a university's standing on key parameters like teaching, research, and international outlook, helping you make an informed choice for your future.

This comprehensive guide focuses solely on the global performance of the University of Nottingham across the most reputable international ranking bodies – QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE), Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), and U.S. News & World Report. Our goal is to provide you with the latest global and subject-level rankings, along with insightful analysis, so you can accurately assess the University of Nottingham's academic excellence and determine if it aligns with your study abroad aspirations.

QS World University Ranking 2026 – University of Nottingham

The QS World University Rankings are highly regarded by Indian students and are often a primary reference point for assessing a university's international standing. This ranking system provides a comprehensive evaluation of universities worldwide, considering factors like academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, and internationalisation. For Indian students aiming for global careers, the University of Nottingham's performance in these rankings indicates its perceived quality among academics and employers worldwide.

The University of Nottingham has cemented its position among the top 100 universities globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Securing a place within this prestigious bracket highlights its consistent excellence in core areas assessed by QS. This achievement reflects the university's strong academic and employer reputation, signaling a high standard of education and promising graduate prospects for international students. A ranking within the top 100 is often a key benchmark for Indian students seeking world-class education and recognition.

QS Ranking Trend (Last 5 Years)

Understanding a university's ranking trajectory over time is crucial for assessing its stability and growth. A consistent or improving trend indicates sustained quality and strategic progress.

The University of Nottingham has demonstrated a positive upward trend in its QS World University Rankings over the past five years, moving from #103 in 2022 to a notable #97 in 2026. This consistent improvement and regaining of a Top 100 position signifies robust academic development, enhanced research output, and a strengthening global profile. For Indian students, this upward trajectory suggests a dynamic institution that is continually striving for excellence and gaining greater international recognition, potentially enhancing the long-term value of your degree.

QS Subject Rankings 2026

Beyond overall university standing, subject-specific rankings offer deeper insights into a university's strength in particular fields of study. For Indian students, understanding the University of Nottingham's performance in your chosen discipline is paramount. These rankings consider factors relevant to specific fields, providing a nuanced view of academic excellence in areas like Engineering, Business, Arts, and Sciences.

The University of Nottingham exhibits strong global standing across a diverse range of subjects in the QS 2026 rankings. Its particularly high performance in Pharmacy & Pharmacology (global rank 12) and Education (global rank 47) highlights world-leading expertise in these fields. Engineering & Technology, Life Sciences & Medicine, and Social Sciences & Management also feature within the top 150 globally, indicating robust departments and excellent academic resources for students pursuing these disciplines. This broad strength across various faculties offers Indian students a wide array of globally recognized programs to choose from.

(Note: Specific 2026 subject trend data is not comprehensively available across all disciplines at the time of writing; the table above reflects the latest known ranks for key subject areas.)

Times Higher Education (THE) Ranking 2026 – University of Nottingham

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings are another highly influential global ranking system, recognized for its rigorous methodology. THE evaluates universities based on five key performance indicators: teaching (learning environment), research (volume, income, reputation), citations (research influence), international outlook (staff, students, research), and industry income (knowledge transfer). For Indian students, THE rankings offer a complementary perspective to QS, with a strong emphasis on research impact and teaching quality.

The University of Nottingham maintains a strong presence within the top 150 universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education (THE) 2026 rankings. This position signifies its consistent performance across various crucial metrics, including its teaching environment, significant research output, and strong international collaborations. While a slight shift from previous years, its consistent presence in this competitive band reinforces its reputation as a globally recognized institution, offering a high-quality educational experience for international students.

THE Global Ranking Trend (Last 5 Years)

Tracking THE rankings over time provides valuable context, showing how a university adapts and grows within the global academic landscape.

The University of Nottingham has shown relative stability in its Times Higher Education global ranking over the past five years, generally hovering within the 130-140 range. While there was a slight dip from its 2023-2024 position, the university has maintained a consistent and strong presence in the global top 150. This stability suggests a robust institutional foundation and a sustained commitment to its core academic and research missions, providing Indian students with confidence in the enduring quality of its programs.

THE Subject Rankings 2026

THE also provides in-depth subject-specific rankings, which are invaluable for Indian students looking to specialize. These rankings give a clearer picture of the university's particular strengths in different academic fields, helping you identify programs where the University of Nottingham excels on a global scale.

The University of Nottingham demonstrates significant strength across a variety of disciplines in the THE Subject Rankings 2026. Notably, its Law (global rank 57), Clinical & Health (global rank 79), and PG Business & Economics (global rank 77) programs are highly ranked, indicating strong performance in teaching, research, and industry engagement within these fields. Education also holds a commendable position. For Indian students, these subject-specific rankings offer reassurance regarding the academic rigor and global competitiveness of these programs at Nottingham.

(Note: Specific 2026 subject trend data for all disciplines is not consistently available across all platforms. The table above reflects the latest known approximate ranks for key subject areas.)

Other Global Rankings 2026 (ARWU, U.S. News)

To provide a holistic view, it's beneficial to consider other major global rankings such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, and the U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings. ARWU focuses heavily on research output, particularly the number of Nobel laureates and highly cited researchers. U.S. News, while primarily known for its domestic rankings, also provides a comprehensive global ranking that emphasizes research reputation and publications. These diverse methodologies offer Indian students a more rounded understanding of the University of Nottingham's global standing.

The University of Nottingham consistently places within the top 150-200 across these other influential global rankings. Its position in the ARWU suggests a strong research profile, particularly in areas producing highly cited publications and recognized academics. The U.S. News ranking further solidifies its reputation, emphasizing its global research standing. The slight variations across these rankings reflect their differing methodologies, but collectively, they affirm Nottingham's consistent presence among the world's leading institutions.

ARWU Global Ranking Trend (Last 5 Years)

The University of Nottingham has shown a strong and stable performance in the ARWU rankings over the past five years, consistently maintaining its position within the 101-150 bracket since 2021, an improvement from its 2020 position. This indicates sustained excellence in research-intensive areas, which is a significant factor for Indian students considering research-oriented master's or PhD programs.

U.S. News & World Report Global Ranking Trend (Last 5 Years)

The University of Nottingham's U.S. News & World Report global ranking has remained within a relatively stable band over the last five years, generally positioning itself within the top 150-200. This indicates a consistent global research reputation and publication output, which are key metrics for this ranking. Indian students can rely on this consistency as an indicator of the university's enduring academic quality.

Ranking Methodology Snapshot

Understanding how universities are ranked can help you interpret the data more effectively. Different ranking bodies prioritize different aspects of university performance.

• QS World University Rankings: This ranking uses six metrics:
• Academic Reputation (40%): Based on a global survey of academics.
• Employer Reputation (10%): Based on a global survey of employers.
• Faculty/Student Ratio (20%): Measures teaching commitment.
• Citations per Faculty (20%): Reflects research impact.
• International Faculty Ratio (5%): Proportion of international faculty members.
• International Student Ratio (5%): Proportion of international students.
• Additional metrics for 2026 include Sustainability, Employment Outcomes, International Research Network.
• Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings: THE employs five core areas, each with several indicators:
• Teaching (Learning Environment) (30%): Includes reputation survey, staff-to-student ratio, doctorate-to-bachelor's ratio, doctorates awarded, and institutional income.
• Research (Volume, Income, Reputation) (30%): Includes reputation survey, research income, and research productivity.
• Citations (Research Influence) (30%): Measures how often a university's published research is cited by other scholars globally.
• International Outlook (5%): Covers international students, staff, and international collaboration on publications.
• Industry Income (Knowledge Transfer) (2.5%): Measures research income from industry.
• Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU - Shanghai Ranking): Primarily focused on research excellence:
• Alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (10%)
• Staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (20%)
• Highly Cited Researchers (20%)
• Articles published in Nature and Science (20%)
• Articles indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded & Social Sciences Citation Index (20%)
• Per capita academic performance (10%)
• U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings: Emphasizes research reputation and publications:
• Global research reputation (12.5%)
• Regional research reputation (12.5%)
• Publications (10%)
• Books (2.5%)
• Conferences (2.5%)
• Normalized citation impact (10%)
• Total citations (7.5%)
• Number of publications that are among the 10% most cited (12.5%)
• Percentage of total publications that are among the 10% most cited (10%)
• International collaboration (10%)
• Number of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited in their respective field (5%)
• Percentage of total publications that are among the top 1% most cited in their respective field (5%)

For Indian students, understanding these methodologies means you can weigh rankings based on what matters most to your academic goals. If research is your priority, ARWU and the research components of QS/THE might be more relevant. If teaching quality and student experience are key, then THE's teaching pillar and QS's faculty/student ratio are important.

Understanding how the University of Nottingham's rankings are determined involves exploring the methodologies used by major ranking bodies: QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE), US News & World Report, and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

The QS World University Rankings use a methodology based on six indicators:

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings use a multi-indicator approach that is divided into five main areas:

The US News Global Universities Ranking uses 13 objective indicators to evaluate universities worldwide:

The ARWU Ranking Methodology, also known as the Shanghai Ranking, uses six objective indicators to evaluate universities worldwide: