Ulster University is a public research university based in Northern Ireland, UK. Ulster University has ranked globally as:
- QS World University Rankings (2026): #609
- Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (2026): #601–800
- US News Best Global Universities (2026): #891
Ulster University has been evaluated for its programs across Nursing, Psychology, Nutrition, Engineering, Computer Science, and Business. Nutrition and Food Science ranked #1 in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2026, and General Nursing ranked #9 in the UK.
Several subjects, such as Medical and Health and Psychology, maintained stable positions across years. However, subjects like Life Sciences and Engineering saw a slight decline in THE rankings in 2026. The overall global QS rank has declined from #498 in 2024 to #609 in 2026.
As per Times Higher Education Rankings, Medical and Health and Psychology remain the stronger performing areas, holding steady in the 301–400 band across three consecutive years.
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- Ulster University Global Rankings 2026
- Ulster University Ranking in the UK
- Ulster University QS Ranking
- Ulster University Subject Rankings 2026
4.1 Ulster University QS Subject Ranking
4.2 Ulster University THE Subject Ranking
4.3 Ulster University US News Subject Ranking
4.4 Ulster University Guardian University Guide Subject Rankings
- Ulster University Collegedunia Study Abroad Subject-wise Rankings
Ulster University Global Rankings 2026
Multiple international ranking portals have ranked Ulster University across the years.
- QS Rankings: Declined from #559 (2025) to #609 (2026), reflecting a downward trend globally.
- THE Rankings: Held a consistent band of #601–800 across 2024, 2025, and 2026, indicating stable performance at this level.
- US News Rankings: Ranked #891 globally, reflecting its standing as a research-active institution.
- QS Sustainability Rankings: Improved notably to #270 in 2026, a strong showing in sustainability metrics.
As per the Collegedunia Study Abroad Ranking 2026, Ulster University ranked #522 out of 824 globally, #75 out of 127 in the UK
The table below shows the past trends of the Ulster University ranking over the last 3 years by prominent portals:
| Ranking Portal | Rank 2026 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings | #609 | #559 | #498 |
| Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings | #601–800 | #601–800 | #601–800 |
| US News Best Global Universities | #891 | #851 | — |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad Global Ranking | #522 out of 824 | — | — |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad Ranking in the UK | #75 out of 127 | — | — |
Ulster University Ranking in the UK
Alongside global rankings, Ulster University is regularly evaluated in UK-specific ranking guides. The Guardian University Guide shows a sharp drop in 2026, falling to 52nd from 24th in 2025.
The Complete University Guide shows improvement from 49th in 2024 to 42nd in 2025, before slipping back to 54th in 2026. The table below reflects its standing across the major domestic ranking portals:
| Ranking Body | 2026 Rank | 2025 Rank | 2024 Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guardian University Guide | #52nd (joint) | #24th | #28th | Downward (sharp drop in 2026) |
| Times / Sunday Times Good University Guide | #49th | unranked | unranked | Stable / Positive |
| Complete University Guide | #54th | #42nd | #49th | Mixed |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad Ranking in the UK | #75 out of 127 | - | ||
Ulster University QS Ranking
The Ulster University QS ranking has followed a declining trend over the last three years. Ranked #498 in 2024, the university slipped to #559 in 2025 and further to #609 in 2026 in the QS World University Rankings.
See the table below for the QS ranking of Ulster University in various categories across the years:
| Ranking Type | 2026 Rank | 2025 Rank | 2024 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings (Overall Global) | #609 | #559 | #498 |
| QS Sustainability University Rankings | #270 | Not ranked | Not ranked |
| QS Europe University Rankings | #236 | #240 | #225 |
| QS Northern Europe University Rankings | #92 | — | — |
Ulster University Subject Rankings 2026
Ulster University has ranked across a range of subjects in major global and UK-specific ranking portals, including programs in Nursing, Psychology, Nutrition, Engineering, and Business.
Ulster University QS Subject Ranking
The table below presents subject-wise rankings, showing performance across both global and UK levels. Overall, most disciplines fall in the lower half of rankings, indicating moderate academic strength. Among these, Health Care and Medicine perform relatively better compared to fields like Engineering, Social Studies, and Computer Science.
| Subject | 2026 Rank | 2025 Rank | 2024 Rank | Trend (2025 → 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | #101–150 | #101–150 | #51-100 | Stable |
| Pharmacy & Pharmacology | #251-300 | #251-300 | #251-300 | Stable |
| Computer Science & Information Systems | #651-700 | #651–700 | #501-550 | Stable / Slight Improvement |
| Life Sciences and Medicine | #501-550 | #501-550 | #501-550 | Stable |
| Medicine | #451-500 | Not ranked | Not ranked | New Entry |
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Ulster University THE Subject Ranking
Times Higher Education 2026 has ranked multiple subjects of Ulster University in the global list. Medical, Health, and Psychology are the stronger performing areas, holding steady in the 301–400 band. Social Sciences showed an improvement in 2026, while Life Sciences and Engineering saw a slight decline.
| Subject | 2026 Rank | 2025 Rank | 2024 Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and Health | #301–400 | #301–400 | #301–400 | Stable performance |
| Psychology | #301–400 | #301–400 | #301–400 | Stable |
| Education Studies | #301–400 | #301–400 | #401–500 | Improved from 2024 |
| Arts and Humanities | #401–500 | #401–500 | #401–500 | Stable |
| Social Sciences | #401–500 | #501–600 | #501–600 | Improved since 2025 |
| Life Sciences | #501–600 | #501–600 | #401–500 | Declined after 2024, stable after that |
| Computer Science | #601–800 | #601–800 | #601–800 | Stable |
| Engineering | #601–800 | #601–800 | #501–600 | Stable after declining in 2024 |
| Business and Economics | #601–800 | #601–800 | #601–800 | Stable |
Ulster University US News Subject Ranking
US News has ranked Ulster University for several subjects globally. The strongest performing subject is Psychiatry/Psychology, ranked #230 globally. The weakest of them is Clinical medicine, ranked #940.
| Subject | 2025–2026 Rank |
|---|---|
| Psychiatry / Psychology | #230 |
| Social Sciences & Public Health | #632 |
| Engineering | #602 |
| Computer Science | #799 |
| Clinical Medicine | #940 |
Check out the best US News-ranked universities in the UK
Ulster University Guardian University Guide Subject Rankings
The Guardian University Guide 2026 ranks several of Ulster's subjects strongly within the UK. Nutrition and Food Science ranked #1 in the UK, making it Ulster's strongest subject in domestic rankings. Pharmacy & Pharmacology, General Nursing, and Civil Engineering also feature in the UK top 10.
| Subject | 2026 UK Rank |
|---|---|
| Nutrition and Food Science | #1 |
| Hospitality, Event Management & Tourism | #3 |
| Pharmacy & Pharmacology | #6 |
| General Nursing | #9 |
| Civil Engineering | #10 |
| Psychology | #12 |
| Journalism | #13 |
| General Engineering | #14 |
| Architecture | #22 |
| Business & Management | #83 |
Ulster University Collegedunia Study Abroad Subject-wise Rankings
The table below highlights subject-wise rankings of Ulster University based on Collegedunia Study Abroad data. Health Care and Medicine show comparatively stronger positions, while other fields rank lower both globally and within the UK. Overall, the rankings indicate varied performance across disciplines, with most subjects placed in mid-to-lower tiers.
| Field | Global Rank | UK Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care | #260 out of 356 | #49 out of 82 |
| Medicine | #260 out of 356 | #49 out of 82 |
| Arts | #306 out of 385 | #64 out of 81 |
| Computer Science | #327 out of 392 | #59 out of 67 |
| Engineering | #337 out of 370 | #61 out of 70 |
| Social Studies | #359 out of 442 | #79 out of 101 |
Check out the Collegedunia Study Abroad Ranking 2026
Ulster University presents a mid-tier ranking profile in 2026. The university was named the UK and Ireland University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards 2024, recognised for supporting prosperity and cohesion in Ireland. It performs most strongly in subject-specific rankings, particularly Nutrition and Food Science, Nursing, Psychology, and Pharmacy at the UK level.
Global rankings have declined across QS and US News, while THE has remained stable within the 601–800 band. Areas such as Computer Science, Engineering, and Business feature across global ranking lists, but at lower positions. Overall, Ulster reflects a university with clear subject-level strengths, particularly in health and social sciences.
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