The University of Cambridge has been named the best university in the world in the 2010 QS World University Rankings, becoming the first non-American university ever to top the list.

Cambridge beat Harvard University for the top spot, making it the first time that Harvard has ranked below number one since the QS Rankings began in 2004.

The QS Rankings rate institutions based on quality of research, graduate employability, and teaching standards, among other criteria. Nearly 15,000 academics and over 5,000 employers from around the world were surveyed to gather this year’s data.

Although Cambridge was ranked as the best for research quality and had the highest overall score, Harvard did manage to rank higher in the employer survey.

Cambridge was also ranked as the best institution for Natural Sciences and the second best institution for Arts and Humanities. The University of Oxford took the top position in the field of Arts and Humanities.

For many Cantabs, the rankings were a welcome affirmation of the quality of research and teaching at the University. According to Professor Steve Young, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, “While university league tables tend to over-simplify the range of achievements at institutions, it is particularly pleasing to note that the excellence of the transformative research - research that changes people’s lives - carried out at Cambridge is so well regarded by fellow academics worldwide.”

In addition to Cambridge, three other U.K. institutions secured a spot in the top ten: University College London (#4), University of Oxford (#6), and Imperial College London (#7). In total, 19 U.K. institutions were included in the top 100.