Ref 2021 Subject Rankings Times Higher Education The

Leo Migdal

-Dec 14, 2025, 8:28 AM

ref 2021 subject rankings times higher education the

Four in five outputs judged to be either ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ Although major players still dominate on research power, some large – and small – regional institutions have made their mark Greater weighting helps medical institutions in particular improve overall positions The latest iteration of the UK’s national research audit has fulfilled its aim to identify research quality across the whole system, says David Sweeney While new technologies seen as ‘game changer’ for national-level research assessment, study finds vehement opposition, particularly among humanities scholars On this page you’ll find accurate and accessible breakdowns of REF 2021 scores for subject areas at individual UK universities.

This includes the overall research ranking for each subject area at a university as well as results for the individual elements (Outputs, Impact and Environment) that determine this overall score. To begin viewing data for the REF 2021 results, select a university using the menu above. This will bring up a list of subject areas for that university and allow you to view REF 2021 data according to your research interests. Alternatively, you can read our guide to the REF 2021 and what it means for PhD students. FindAPhD. Copyright 2005-2025 All rights reserved.

Have you got time to answer some quick questions about PhD study? You haven’t completed your profile yet. To get the most out of FindAPhD, finish your profile and receive these benefits: Buy now for $995 or pay $41.46 per month for 24 months Make 24 monthly payments Pay 0% interest Start using the domain today. See details

Make 24 monthly payments Pay 0% interest Start using the domain today. See details Two years ago I offered HugeDomains twice the amount for this domain and you rejected my offer, apparently anticipating the upcoming price cut. Love the selflessness and the commitment to customer satisfaction, five stars! Although major players still dominate on research power, some large – and small – regional institutions have made their mark

Greater weighting helps medical institutions in particular improve overall positions Main panel C records biggest increase in number of submissions and participating staff The latest iteration of the UK’s national research audit has fulfilled its aim to identify research quality across the whole system, says David Sweeney While new technologies seen as ‘game changer’ for national-level research assessment, study finds vehement opposition, particularly among humanities scholars This week saw the long-awaited publication of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 results, more than seven years since the last exercise (REF 2014). Undertaken by representative higher education funding bodies of the four nations of the UK, it the most comprehensive evaluation of the research impact of UK universities.

It is estimated that up to £2billion worth of research funding per year will be allocated to UK universities on the basis of the REF outcomes, making it a crucial dimension of a university’s... This year’s REF assessed the research outputs of all research-active members of a university, rather than a group put forward by the institution, f making it more robust than previous iterations. Times Higher Education publish a REF-linked university ranking according to grade point average (GPA) as default, which measures the overall quality of academic publications from a university. However, there is also an index for research power, which multiplies each institution’s GPA by the number of full-time academic staff, providing a sense of scale in addition to quality. This impacts the way a university articulates its ‘position’ in the REF; for example, Imperial College are this year’s number one in the ranking by GPA, but only 9th in the research power index. On the other hand, UCL are 2nd in the research power index, but 6th in the GPA ranking.

In the GPA-related REF rankings, Bristol (5th), Manchester (8th) and York (=10th) were all new entrants into the top 10. Cambridge and Oxford switched ranks, with Cambridge rising 2 places to =3rd, and Oxford dropping 3 places to 7th. Within the top 20, Warwick and Queen Mary University London dropped 7 and 8 places respectively. In the area around top 50, there were significant falls for Swansea University and Cranfield University, but some spectacular leaps from Nottingham Trent (up from 84th to 55th), SOAS (61st to 40th), Leicester (53rd... At the lower end of the table, St Mary’s Twickenham, Sunderland, Staffordshire, and Greenwich all made significant progress to enter the top 100. All 14 of our UK-based World 100 members remain in the top 75 of institutions ranked in this year’s REF, and with 7 in the top 20- the same as 2014.

The London School of Economics (LSE) retained 3rd position (joint with Cambridge) as the highest-ranked W100 member in the GPA table. There were also significant gains since 2014 for Manchester (up 9 places to 8th), Glasgow (up 11 places to 13th), and Birmingham (up 18 places to 13th). While new technologies seen as ‘game changer’ for national-level research assessment, study finds vehement opposition, particularly among humanities scholars The Research Excellence Framework has been postponed for three months ‘to take stock and ensure alignment with the UK government’s priorities and vision for higher education’. But how radical should the changes be? Should there be any at all?

Is it time to start again? We present five very different views Breaking the link between researchers and their outputs harms academic mobility and disciplinary excellence, argue professors Three-month review of Research Excellence Framework could trigger more radical rethink on institutional priorities and spending, sector figures warn Practical insights from and foracademics and university staff Everything you need for each stepof your study abroad journey

LATEST TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION SUBJECT RANKINGS REVEAL THE WORLD’S LEADING INSTITUTIONS ACROSS 11 SUBJECT AREAS View the full THE World Subject Rankings 2021 here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/by-subject Times Higher Education (THE) has today announced the results of its World Subject Rankings 2021, covering 11 subject areas (Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, Clinical and Health, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Law, Life... This year’s rankings sees a record 1,512 universities rank in at least one subject area, with 522 qualifying for the first time.

Ref 2021 Subject Rankings Times Higher Education The

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