Oxford retains place at top of global university rankings for ninth year in row

The reputation of the UK higher education sector is likely to weaken in future because of financial challenges, experts have warned. The University of Oxford has retained top place in an international league table for a record-breaking ninth year in a row.

Overall, the UK has 25 universities in the top 200 Times Higher Education  world rankings the same as last year. But experts have warned that the reputation of the UK higher education sector is likely to weaken if the funding environment does not improve.

They say British institutions are being “battered by numerous prevailing winds, including stretched finances and restrictions on international students, which could make it hard to sustain its position in the future.

The annual list has ranked more than 2,000 universities from 115 countries and regions in five areas: teaching, research quality, research environment, international outlook, and industry.

Of the UK universities in the top 200, 13 institutions have improved their ranking in the past 12 months, five have stayed the same, and seven have dropped by at least one place in the past 12 months.

But the rankings show Oxford once again was named the best-performing university globally, ahead of Massachusetts Institute of Technology  in the United States, which took second place.

The University of Cambridge took fifth place in the list, the same as last year, while Imperial College London fell from eighth to ninth place. Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at THE, said: “While, overall, the picture of UK higher education in our rankings is positive, the sector is being battered by numerous prevailing winds.