UK's young universities dominate Times Higher Education rankings

Updated

The UK dominates the latest Times Higher Education rankings of young universities, with Dundee featuring in the top 20.

Twenty-five establishments in Great Britain and Northern Ireland feature among 150 listed in the rankings of universities under 50 years old.

Swiss University Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, founded in 1969 is listed as number one, followed by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to complete the top three.

The University of Dundee, which was founded in 1967, leads the UK's representation, in 16th place.

Others in the top 50 include the University of Bath and University of Surrey, both established a year earlier in 1966.

More than half of the UK universities in the 2015-16 list were founded in the 1960s, meaning many will not be eligible to feature in future rankings.

Times Higher Education rankings editor Phil Baty warned that the UK and the US, which take only three places in the top 40, will have to "raise their games" to make it on to the list in the years to come.

He said: "The 150 Under 50 ranking is led by young, exciting and dynamic institutions - half of the universities in the top 10 are 30 years or under - from nations investing heavily in creating world-class institutions, for example, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore.

"As the pendulum swings, the traditionally dominant US and UK will have to raise their games to continue to compete in future years."

Here are the Times Higher Education rankings for those UK institutions in the top 99 on this year's list:

:: University of Dundee (16)

:: University of Bath (41)

:: University of Surrey (43)

:: University of Stirling (54)

:: Plymouth University (59)

:: Loughborough University (62)

:: Aston University (77)

:: Brunel University London (80)

:: City University London (88)

:: Heriot-Watt University (91)

:: University of Portsmouth (99)

The UK universities which make the rest of the 150 are Bournemouth University, University of Bradford, De Montfort University, University of Hertfordshire, Kingston University, Liverpool John Moores University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Middlesex University, Northumbria University, The Open University, Oxford Brookes University, University of Salford, Ulster University, University of the West of England.

Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: "The global reputation of universities like Dundee shows how successful new higher education institutions can be. Our reforms will make it easier for other quality institutions to enter the sector, so students have a better choice about where they can learn the skills for a rewarding career."

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