Our reputation

University awards

• The University of Leeds is among the top 100 universities in the new QS World University Rankings 2025
• We were voted 3rd in the UK in the 2018 Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey
• 4th in the UK for graduate recruitment (High Fliers Research, 2024)
• Find out more about all our university awards

Research awards

Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021

Every six years, the UK’s four higher education funding bodies undertake an exercise to measure the quality of research undertaken by UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The funding bodies use the outcomes to inform the allocation of their research funding to HEIs. The Research Excellence Framework was the framework used in 2021. The majority of our research sits across Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience.

This most recent REF has shown that our researchers are internationally recognised, producing high-quality research with significant impact beyond academia -– overall 87% of our research is rated as world leading or internationally excellent.

The quality of our research and the funding it attracts means we’re able to invest in world-class facilities and academic staff who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research. As a result, you'll be taught by internationally renowned, inspirational academics working at the forefront of their fields.