UK universities continue to slip down international league table

The number of UK universities in the world's top 100 based has fallen for a second successive year, according to new reputation-based rankings released today by Times Higher Education.

UCU said that while the UK continued to punch above its weight on the global stage, the government had to recognise the advances being made in other countries, particularly those investing more in their higher education sectors.

The union added that a spate of negative headlinesabout the UK threatening to deport students, coupled with changes to how students are classified for migration figures, will not have enhanced the UK's reputation on the international stage.

There are now just nine UK universities in the world's top 100, compared to 10 last year and 12 in 2011. The University of Leeds dropped out this year, joining the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Sheffield who fell last year.

US and UK institutions dominate the top positions with Harvard once again crowned the world's best university based on reputation alone. The University of Cambridge held on to third spot overall and remains the UK's number one institution holding off the University of Oxford, which climbed from sixth to fourth.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The UK continues to punch above its weight on the global stage, but while other countries are investing in their universities and moving up global league tables, we face funding crises and damage to our proud reputation for excellence.

'Our higher education sector is a success story and ministers should be doing all they can to help, not hinder, its progress. We won't win the global race unless we invest properly in our universities, as other countries are doing - particularly in the East.

'It is unlikely that recent negative headlines around the world about the UK threatening to deport students, coupled with changes to how students are classified for migration figures, will have done much to enhance our reputation on the international stage.'

Author: UCU HQ

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