World university rankings

Lancaster is in the top 150 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2025. We are placed 141st in the league table which includes 1,503 universities across 106 countries and regions.

5 Stars rating from QS World Rankings

Lancaster University has been awarded 5 Stars for performance in a prestigious new QS World Rankings. The evaluation features 5 Stars rating for each category – teaching, employability, global engagement, research, facilities, subject ranking and environmental impact.

One of the top 30 most targeted universities by employers

Lancaster University is among the top 30 most targeted universities by the UK's top graduate employers according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report. The UK Graduate Careers Survey, conducted by High Fliers Research in association with The Times, is the largest and most authoritative annual survey of its kind.

Top 15 for Work Experience 2024-25

Lancaster University has been ranked 14th among UK universities for the quality of work experience opportunities available to its students. High-quality work experiences are one of the many ways Lancaster supports its students in achieving their career goals. This award was based on student feedback on Rate My Placement.

World-class research at Lancaster

In the REF 2021, Lancaster delivers world-quality research, with 91% of our research independently rated as 'internationally excellent' or 'world leading', including 46% rated in the highest category of 4*.

Highly rated research environment

99% of Lancaster’s overall research environment is rated world-leading or internationally excellent. This includes areas such as research support, training and facilities.

Growing research income

Since the last REF was completed in 2014, Lancaster has doubled its grant capture. We have also grown in scale, with more than 50% more staff submitted than in 2014.