The University of Leeds has retained its place among the world's most international universities.
Leeds ranked 31st globally in Times Higher Education's Most International Universities in the World 2026.
The University has maintained this position since 2023 – despite increasingly intense international competition – reinforcing the strength of its global community, international partnerships and collaborative research.
The ranking draws on data from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 and reflects performance across international staff, international students, international co-authorship and international reputation.
Professor Hai Sui Yu, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, said: "This recognition reflects the strength of our global community and the partnerships that shape our work across education and research. At Leeds, international collaboration is central to how we generate knowledge, support our students and work with partners to address global challenges."
What does THE measure?
The Most International Universities in the World 2026 table is based on four equally weighted measures drawn mainly from the international outlook pillar of the THE World University Rankings 2026: the proportion of international staff, the proportion of international students, international co-authorship and international reputation.
Overall, the University of Leeds ranked 31st globally, unchanged from 2025. It is 11th out of the 24 Russell Group research-intensive universities. View the full results on the Times Higher Education website.
A diverse international community
This result reflects the way Leeds brings together a diverse international community and builds partnerships that enhance teaching, strengthen research and improve the student experience. For students, it means learning in a truly global environment. For partners, it reflects a university that is collaborative, outward-looking and committed to delivering impact at both a local and global level.
Leeds is home to a diverse community of students and staff, with international collaboration embedded across its research and education. The University's global partnerships are designed to create long-term academic value as well as student opportunity.
A leading example is its partnership with Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu. Established more than a decade ago, the joint school now welcomes hundreds of students each year and has supported a significant expansion in research collaboration, with joint publications increasing tenfold over the past five years.
This focus on deep, values-led partnerships reflects Leeds' broader approach to internationalisation, combining student mobility, collaborative research and transnational education to create meaningful global engagement.
This global outlook is also reflected in graduate outcomes, with Leeds consistently ranked among the most targeted universities by UK employers.
Leeds has also performed strongly in other national and global rankings over the past year:
- The University has achieved its highest position since 2008 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025, placing 118th out of 2,191 universities worldwide.
- The University went up three places in the Times and Sunday Times university rankings.
- Leeds climbed nine places in the 2026 Guardian University Guide.
- The University rose seven places to 18th in the 2025 Daily Mail University Guide.
- It climbed two places to 21st in the 2026 Complete University Guide, with 21 subjects ranked in the UK's top ten.
- In the QS World University Rankings, Leeds retained its position in the top 100 at 86th globally, rising to 13th among UK institutions and 13th worldwide for its International Research Network measure.
- In the 2025 Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking), Leeds rose 10 places and remains within the top 200 globally.
