Birkbeck ranks within world’s top 250 universities in TIME’s inaugural ‘World’s Top Universities 2026’

TIME Magazine has ranked Birkbeck, University of London 247th in its new list of the World’s Top Universities which highlights institutions that drive academic excellence globally.

The new ranking from TIME, in partnership with Statista R, a leading global provider of market and consumer data and rankings, also places emphasis on students’ success, their impact on society and real-world innovation; as well as the internationality of students.

Birkbeck consistently ranks highly for its international outlook in other university rankings, placing in the top 10% of listed universities, based on overseas staff, students and research collaborations; and scored highly again, at #93 out of 500 universities evaluated by TIME.

Professor Sally Wheeler, Vice-Chancellor said, “I am pleased to see Birkbeck positioned as an institution of excellence on the world stage and to see the validation of all the work which goes into providing exceptional learning for students. This not only provides a solid footing for our students to progress their careers but also enables our Birkbeck students to make a significant impact on the world around them.

“We are incredibly proud of our diverse student body, which has students from over 125 countries, and also of our rich and distinctive history which has seen members of our community make advancements in a number of fields, including the arts, business and science.”

To capture academic distinction at the highest level, TIME’s ranking also considered the presence of Nobel Prize and Fields Medal laureates among university alumni and staff. Birkbeck is associated with five Nobel laureates among its alumni and former/current staff. These include notable scientists like Aaron Klug and Derek Barton, who worked at the institution. They, along with other alumni and staff, are part of the broader 74 Nobel laureates associated with the University of London federation.

The three pillars for TIME’s evaluation were weighted as follows: 60% academic capacity and performance, 30% innovation and economic impact, and 10% global engagement. Institutions received scores on each pillar which were then aggregated into a final score used to produce the ranking. The eligibility criteria required institutions to be older than three years, offer bachelor’s degrees, and enrol more than 2,000 students.