King’s College London has been ranked as the sixth best university in the United Kingdom and 37th in the world in this year’s release of the QS World University Rankings.
The QS World University Rankings, which annually assesses more than 1,500 institutions worldwide, ranked King’s sixth in the UK and 37th in the world in its 2027 edition.
King’s achieved an overall score of 85.7, with the university scoring particularly impressively on the subcategories of academic reputation (96.3), its international research network (97.7) and employer reputation (92.8).
“Being ranked amongst the top 2.5% of universities worldwide is a significant achievement and reflects the talent, dedication and ambition of our staff, students and alumni.”
Shitij Kapur, vice-chancellor of King’s College London
Institutions are assessed across a range of indicators, including academic and research performance, employer reputation and sustainability.
Ranking by subject, King’s placed second-best globally for Nursing and 11th for both Medicine and Politics, reflecting the university’s historically strong footing in health and medicinal fields just weeks after the 2027 Complete University Guide ranked King’s first in the country for Health Studies.
In the QS Sustainability Rankings, King’s ranked 16th globally, surging almost a hundred places since placing 112th in 2023. The university clinched near-perfect scores on the subcriteria of health and wellbeing (99.2) and knowledge exchange (99.1), and 97.2 overall.
On its website, QS describes King’s as “one of the UK’s oldest and most respected universities” and a “global community driven by curiosity, purpose, and a desire to make a difference, all in the heart of the capital.”
“King’s is known for breakthroughs that have shaped society, from discovering the structure of DNA to leading advances in law, health, and the humanities.”
QS description of King’s
King’s also placed sixth within the UK and second within London. Though King’s is consistently placed within the top 2.5% of global universities, 2027’s rankings are lower than previous years.
King’s has however fallen from fifth to sixth nationally and from 31st to 37th globally since 2026. The university has rebounded from 2024’s all-time low of 40th globally, but remains 21 places lower than their 2015 position of 16th.
In a statement, Vice-Chancellor and President Shitij Kapur said that:
“Rankings such as these recognise academic excellence, but what matters most is the impact our community has through education, research and service to society.
“We are particularly pleased to see our graduates so highly valued by employers, reflecting our commitment to preparing students not only to succeed in their careers, but to make meaningful contributions in whatever path they choose.”
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