Uni of Manchester and Manchester Met drop places in Times World University Rankings

The University of Manchester has ranked 53^rd in the world in the 2025 Times Higher Education Rankings. As Manchester Metropolitan University placed after the top 200, it was given a less specific ranking in the range of 601-800 this year.

The University of Manchester has dropped two spaces since last year’s ranking, where it placed 51st, making it the UK’s eighth highest ranked university.

In light of these new rankings, the President and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester, Professor Duncan Ivison said: “Whilst rankings don’t measure everything we value, Manchester’s place among the world’s top universities is testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire community”.

However, he also acknowledges that “there is always room for improvement. Collectively over the next decade, we need to be more impactful, more engaged, more innovative, and more committed to excellence than we have ever been in our history.”

Whilst Manchester Metropolitan suffered a drop in overall ranking, they made a significant 22 place leap in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2024, climbing to 44th, putting it in the top three per cent of ranked institutions globally and 9th in the UK for its global impact.

Their Deputy pro-vice-chancellor for sustainability Professor Liz Price said: “This significant rise of 22 places in the THE Impact Rankings is a testament to our collective efforts and unwavering dedication to sustainability and tackling social inequality. It reinforces our position as a leading institution committed to making a positive difference.”

The Times Higher Education factors five components in its ranking: Teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook, with thousands of global universities and higher education institutions being assessed.

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Out of the UK universities, 25 made the top 200 and 13 had improved since 2023. However, the UK has seen a decline in their average research and teaching reputation, as pointed out in an article by Rosa Ellis on the Times Higher Education website.

Phil Baty, Times Higher Education’s chief global affairs officer, has alluded to this decline, saying: “While, overall, the picture of UK higher education in our rankings is positive, the sector is being battered by numerous prevailing winds”.

He credits “extremely stretched finances” and “the restrictions on recruiting international students” for this, and warns that “it [is] almost impossible to see how the sector can sustain its position in the coming years without significant help”.

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