Our international reputation

Our achievements
- 21st in the UK for English (The Complete University Guide 2021)
- Top 10 most targeted by UK employers (The Graduate Market 2020)
- 7th most targeted university by top UK employers (High Fliers Report 2020)
World rankings
- 31st in the world for English Language & Literature (QS World Rankings by Subject 2021)
- 58th in the world for Arts and Humanities (QS World Rankings by Subject 2021)
- Recently climbed 20 places to be 67th in the world for Arts and Humanities (World University Rankings 2020)
University awards
- 35th most international university in the world (Times Higher Education ranking 2020)
- We achieved a gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework, the highest award possible
- We were named University of the Year by The Times and The Sunday Times' Good University Guide 2017
- We're ranked as a world top 100 university (QS World University Rankings 2021)
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014
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.
According to the Research Excellence Framework 2014:
- The University of Leeds is ranked 10th place for research power
- Over 80% of our research has a top-quality rating of either “world-leading” or “internationally excellent.”
Lilli Chung BA English Literature and Theatre Studies (International)
Leeds has a great reputation both nationally and internationally, which makes me confident when looking for further study and career options. I know I’ve gained and developed many skills, so I have a wide range of fields I can consider.View Profile