Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings

06 March 2014

Commenting on the release of the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group, said: 

“Our leading universities continue to be held in high regard around the world with the UK coming second only to the United States overall. The UK was recently ranked as the best in the world for the quality of its research.

“However, UK public spending on higher education and research is comparable with that of Slovakia and Chile, far less than competitors like the US, China and most Western European countries. And while we currently punch above our weight, only with increased, long-term investment in research, will the UK’s leading universities and high-tech industries continue to compete on the world stage.

“Ranking universities is a process fraught with difficulties so students should not use league tables alone when picking a degree course.”

Note to Editors

1. According to the OECD report Education at a Glance, the UK’s total investment in higher education is 1.4% of GDP: half that of the USA, and below the OECD average. UK public investment in higher education is 0.7% of GDP, below the OECD and EU 21 averages, lower than Brazil, Russia or any Western European country for which data was available. It is on a par with Slovakia and Chile. Read more in the full report: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2013_eag-2013-en

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