The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Ranking of 2022 has placed the University of Cambridge at fifth place globally, out of 1,662 universities from 99 countries and regions. 

The University of Cambridge has risen by one position from last year, returning to a top-five position. This position is shared with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States.

As compared to last year, the same universities hold the top ten positions, with the University of Oxford retaining its top position for the sixth year running. 

Globally, universities in China and Germany have performed exceptionally well in the 2022 rankings. Two Chinese universities have risen to the top 20, while all seven top 100 universities in Germany have maintained or improved their ranking positions from last year. 

The ranking of several universities have also increased markedly following the success of Covid-19 related research. Nationally, this includes the University of Derby and Edge Hill University that rose by one ranking band due to citations from their Covid-19 research. 

THE World University Rankings are calculated across five performance indicators: Teaching, Research, Citations, International Outlook, and Industry Income. Universities are evaluated holistically, with considerations ranging from the learning environment they provide to their research influence across various scales. 

In a press release to Varsity, Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer at THE, commented: “The THE World University Rankings 2022 consistently prove that the UK is home to one of the world’s very best higher education systems.” 

Baty continued: “Although the UK has seen some good results this year, Covid-19 has provided new challenges to add to those related to the impact of Brexit.” 

Baty stressed that “the UK must work hard to attract international students and academic talent to contribute to its knowledge economy in both the short and long-term. With mainland China and Germany rising, this will be essential for the UK to retain its position as a higher education superpower.”

Varsity has approached the University for comment.