The global subject rankings, published earlier this month by Times Higher Education and widely used by students and institutions as a benchmark of academic quality and research excellence, evaluate universities across key performance indicators including teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry engagement.
Key results for the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences:
- Arts and Humanities has risen 12 places compared with the 2025 subject rankings to 73rd in the world, underlining the faculty’s commitment to creative and critical disciplines.
- Law has moved up 6 places to 54th, marking a 35-place rise since the 2024 rankings, and reflecting sustained investment in legal education and research excellence.
- Social Sciences has improved by 6 places to reach 85th globally.
- Education has retained a strong international standing, remaining in the top 50 worldwide at 43rd.
These results demonstrate broad-based progress across the faculty’s core disciplines in THE’s globally recognised subject league tables.
Professor Esther Dermott, Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences, said:
“We are delighted with the results of the 2026 Times Higher Education subject rankings. These improvements reflect the collective energy and intellectual excellence of our academic community and the clear impact of our interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research.
“Since the formation of the Faculty last year, we have prioritised collaboration across our schools and disciplines, creating an environment where education and research enrich each other. These rankings are a strong endorsement of that vision and of our pride in delivering world-class academic experiences for our students.”