The University of Liverpool, a Russell Group founding member based in Liverpool, England, has climbed more than 50 places in QS World University Rankings over the past four years to reach #139 in QS World University Rankings 2027. The university ranks #96 globally in Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings 2026, with its Veterinary Science programme placed in the world’s top 50 by QS. View full profile

  • QS World University Rankings 2027: #139 globally, #22 in the UK
  • Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings 2026: #96 globally, #20 in the UK
  • Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026: #143 globally, #17 in the UK
  • ARWU (Shanghai) 2025: #101-150 band globally

Reading the rank pattern: Liverpool has climbed 51 positions in QS since 2023 and 33 positions in THE since 2023, the steepest improvement of any Russell Group member in this window. Its QS rank (#139) and THE rank (#143) sit within four positions of each other, which signals balanced strength across reputation and research metrics. For Indian applicants, this consistency means the Liverpool degree carries the same weight whether an Indian employer cites QS or THE.

Read More: University of Liverpool Admissions 2026: Deadlines, Eligibility & Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

University of Liverpool Overall Rankings 2026-2027

Five major ranking bodies have published an overall rank for the University of Liverpool in the current edition cycle. The cleanest single signal sits in the QS-THE gap: only four positions separate them, the narrowest in over a decade.

Ranking Body (Current Edition)University of Liverpool Rank
QS World University Rankings 2027#139
Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings 2026#96
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026#143
ARWU (Shanghai) 2025#101-150
U.S. News Best Global Universities 2025-2026#169

Four of the five bodies place Liverpool inside the global top 170. The Collegedunia rank of #96 is 43 positions stronger than its QS rank, which reflects the higher weight Collegedunia gives to Indian-student admission outcomes and country-of-origin diversity.

Key insight: The 4-position gap between QS (#139) and THE (#143) is unusually tight. Indian applicants comparing UK universities can treat either rank as the headline figure without losing accuracy.

University of Liverpool Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students

For an Indian applicant weighing Liverpool against domestic options or other UK Russell Group choices, three signals matter most: the rate of improvement, the subject-level depth, and how Liverpool sits versus the closest Indian comparator. The table below converts each signal into a practical decision factor.

SignalUniversity of LiverpoolWhat it means for Indian applicants
QS climb 2023-2027+51 positions (from #190 to #139)Brand value of the degree is rising every year, so an Indian student starting in 2026 will graduate from a higher-ranked institution than the one they applied to.
QS World 2027 vs. IIT BombayLiverpool #139, IIT Bombay #134Only 5 positions apart on the same global scale, so the Liverpool degree carries near-identical global brand weight to India’s top engineering school.
QS Subject 2026 strongest disciplinesVeterinary Science and Anatomy & Physiology in the world’s top 50Two of Liverpool’s flagship streams sit higher than its overall rank, so applicants in these fields get above-average brand return.
QS Subject 2026 fastest climberComputer Science up 65 places to #158Indian CS and AI applicants are joining a department on a sharp upward trajectory, which strengthens placement signal for tech employers.
Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026#96 globally, #20 in UKInside the global top 100 on a list weighted for Indian-student admission outcomes, so Liverpool is one of the safer UK choices for international intake.

What this means for Indian applicants: Liverpool sits inside the world’s top 150 on three of four major global lists, the only one outside being U.S. News at #169. Its Computer Science department is the single fastest-climbing subject in the 2026 QS cycle, which directly raises the placement signal for Indian CS, AI and Data Science applicants.

University of Liverpool QS World University Rankings 2027

The University of Liverpool ranks #139 in QS World University Rankings 2027, its highest position in the QS series and an 8-place improvement from the prior edition. QS, which ranks universities based on academic reputation, employer opinion and research, placed Liverpool at #22 in the UK and #20 in the Russell Group.

The five-year trajectory is one of the strongest in the Russell Group: Liverpool has climbed 51 positions since QS 2023, an average improvement of 12.75 places per edition.

YearUniversity of Liverpool QS World Rank
2027#139
2026#147
2025#165
2024#176
2023#190

The 2025-to-2027 phase shows the steepest gain, with Liverpool climbing 26 positions in two editions. QS cites stronger research output, employer reputation and international research partnerships as the indicators driving the rise; for an Indian student, the practical effect is that the alumni brand value of a Liverpool degree is compounding year on year.

Trend signal: Liverpool is one of only four Russell Group universities to climb 50+ places in the last four QS editions. The university’s own published target is the global top 100 by 2031, which at the current 12.75-position annual pace would land around QS 2031.

Read More: University of Liverpool Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students

Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of University of Liverpool

Collegedunia Study Abroad places the University of Liverpool at #96 globally and #20 in the UK in its 2026 edition. The Collegedunia rank weighs Indian-student admission rate, post-study outcomes and visa-friendliness alongside academic indicators, so it often diverges from the QS and THE numbers.

CategoryCollegedunia Rank 2026
Overall (Global)#96
Overall (UK)#20
Healthcare and Medicine#58
Engineering#105
Law#110

The Collegedunia overall rank of #96 sits 43 places ahead of Liverpool’s QS rank of #139, the widest favourable gap on any of the four major lists. The Healthcare and Medicine rank of #58 is the strongest single subject signal for Indian applicants, sitting 38 positions ahead of the university’s own overall rank.

India-relevance: The CD-QS gap of 43 places is one of the largest among UK Russell Group universities. The signal is that Liverpool over-performs on Indian-student-specific factors like admission turnaround, scholarship availability and post-study work pathways, not just academic metrics.

University of Liverpool Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings

The University of Liverpool ranks #143 in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, its highest position since the THE series began in 2011. THE, which weighs teaching, research output, citations, industry income and international outlook, places Liverpool at #17 in the UK.

Across four editions, Liverpool has climbed 33 positions in THE, with the sharpest single-year gain (17 places) between the 2025 and 2026 editions.

YearUniversity of Liverpool THE World Rank
2026#143
2025#160
2024#168
2023#176

The THE rank matches QS to within four positions in the current edition, the tightest alignment in over a decade. For an Indian recruiter or Indian government scholarship body that accepts both lists, Liverpool’s degree carries identical weight either way; the QS-THE alignment removes the usual cross-body confusion when comparing UK universities.

Trend signal: Liverpool’s THE climb of 17 positions in one cycle is the second-largest single-year jump by any UK Russell Group university in the 2026 edition. The improvement was driven primarily by citation-impact gains, which means the research the university is publishing is being read and cited more widely than before.

University of Liverpool ARWU (Shanghai) Rankings

The University of Liverpool sits in the #101-150 band of ARWU (Shanghai) 2025, the same band it has held for five consecutive years. ARWU ranks universities mainly based on Nobel prizes, highly-cited researchers and research papers in top journals, so the band signals stable elite-research output.

YearUniversity of Liverpool ARWU Band
2025#101-150
2024#101-150
2023#101-150
2022#101-150
2021#101-150

A five-year flat band on ARWU is a stronger signal than it looks: ARWU only moves universities when their research footprint changes materially. Liverpool has held a band that contains nine Nobel-linked institutions globally, which means the alumni brand value tied to research credentials has not slipped at all during the period when QS and THE have risen sharply.

What it signals: Liverpool’s research output rests on a stable foundation, while its reputation and teaching scores (the indicators QS and THE weigh more) are improving. For Indian PhD or research-stream applicants, the steady ARWU band is more meaningful than the QS climb.

University of Liverpool U.S. News Best Global University Rankings

The University of Liverpool stands at #169 in U.S. News Best Global Universities 2025-2026. U.S. News uses 13 indicators heavily weighted toward research output, citation impact and international research collaboration, and applied a methodology revision in the 2025-2026 cycle.

EditionUniversity of Liverpool U.S. News Rank
2025-2026#169
2024-2025#137
2023-2024#146

The 32-position move from #137 to #169 reflects the U.S. News indicator-weighting change, not a fall in Liverpool’s underlying research output (ARWU 2025 held the same band as ARWU 2024). The practical effect for an Indian applicant is small: U.S. News is the least-cited of the four lists by Indian employers and Indian government scholarship boards, who lean on QS and THE.

India-relevance: The U.S. News slip is a methodology artefact, not a quality signal. Liverpool’s QS, THE and ARWU positions all held or improved in the same cycle, so the alumni brand value of the degree is unaffected.

University of Liverpool Subject Rankings

The University of Liverpool has 12 subjects ranked in the world’s top 100 in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, with two subjects inside the global top 50. The strongest discipline-level signal is in veterinary, life sciences and select social science streams; the fastest-climbing subject is Computer Science.

Key subject signals 2026

  • Top 50 globally: Veterinary Science and Anatomy & Physiology, each sitting at least 89 positions ahead of Liverpool’s overall QS rank.
  • Fastest climber: Computer Science up 65 places to #158 in QS 2026, the largest single-subject gain in the Russell Group this cycle.
  • ARWU strongest stream: Management at #28 globally, 111 places ahead of Liverpool’s overall QS rank.
  • THE strongest stream: Medical and Health Sciences at #85, 58 places ahead of the overall THE rank.

University of Liverpool QS Subject Rankings 2026

The QS Subject 2026 list includes 12 Liverpool disciplines inside the global top 100. The pattern below shows the disciplines where the subject rank sits ahead of the overall QS rank of #139, which is where an Indian applicant gets above-average brand return.

SubjectQS 2026 Rank
Veterinary ScienceTop 50
Anatomy & PhysiologyTop 50
Biological SciencesTop 100
ChemistryTop 100
Classics & Ancient HistoryTop 100
English Language & LiteratureTop 100
Library & Information ManagementTop 100
MarketingTop 100
MedicineTop 100
Petroleum EngineeringTop 100
Pharmacy & PharmacologyTop 100
ArchaeologyTop 100
Computer Science#158 (up 65 places)

The 65-place jump in Computer Science is the headline cycle-on-cycle story: a Liverpool CS degree starting in 2026 carries a noticeably stronger employer signal than the same degree in 2025. Indian applicants targeting AI, Data Science or software roles join the department mid-climb, which compounds the placement value over a typical two-year masters.

India-relevance: Veterinary, Pharmacy, Medicine and Biological Sciences place Liverpool inside the world’s top 100 in four life-sciences disciplines that overlap with the most-funded Indian government scholarship streams (Inlaks, Commonwealth, Chevening).

University of Liverpool THE Subject Rankings 2026

THE 2026 ranks Liverpool inside the global top 100 in one subject and the top 150 in five subjects. The strongest signal is in Medical and Health, where Liverpool sits 58 positions ahead of its overall THE rank.

SubjectTHE 2026 Rank
Medical and Health#85
Business and Economics#101-125
Law#101-125
Arts and Humanities#126-150
Physical Sciences#126-150
Computer Science#151-175
Engineering#151-175
Life Sciences#176-200
Social Sciences#176-200
Psychology#201-250

Medical and Health is the only subject where Liverpool breaks into the global top 100 on THE, but the Business and Economics band of #101-125 is the second-strongest signal: it sits ahead of the overall THE rank and overlaps with the Liverpool MBA programme that the management school’s triple-crown AACSB-EQUIS-AMBA accreditation already validates.

Note: Where QS placed Computer Science at #158, THE places it in the #151-175 band, so both bodies agree the subject is climbing but still below the overall rank.

University of Liverpool ARWU Subject Rankings 2025

ARWU’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025 ranks five Liverpool disciplines inside the global top 50, the strongest count of any Russell Group university outside the Oxbridge-London cluster. The Management rank of #28 is Liverpool’s single best subject rank on any list.

SubjectARWU GRAS 2025 Rank
Management#28
Veterinary Sciences#32
Business Administration#32
Geography#44
Law#46

Management at #28 and Business Administration at #32 place Liverpool’s management school in the world’s top 35 on a research-led list that is harder to influence than QS or THE. For Indian MBA and management masters applicants, the ARWU subject rank is a more reliable brand signal than the overall university rank.

India-relevance: Liverpool’s #46 in Law on ARWU sits 93 places ahead of its overall QS rank and 64 places ahead of its CD Law rank, so Indian Law masters applicants get the largest brand-uplift on this single subject.

University of Liverpool Regional Rankings

The University of Liverpool ranks =#88 globally in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025, which assess universities against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The university’s two strongest SDG positions both sit inside the world’s top 50.

THE Impact Rankings 2025

CategoryLiverpool Rank 2025
Overall Impact=#88
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities=#24
SDG 13: Climate Action=#35

The SDG 10 rank of =#24 globally is Liverpool’s single strongest regional or thematic position, sitting 115 places ahead of its overall QS rank. The Impact rank also signals to Indian government scholarship bodies (Chevening, Commonwealth) that the university aligns with the inclusion and climate priorities those programmes evaluate.

Key insight: A top-50 rank on two SDGs alongside an =#88 overall Impact rank means Liverpool over-performs on the equity and sustainability metrics that are increasingly written into employer ESG hiring filters.

University of Liverpool Rankings: Indian Student Outlook

For an Indian applicant, the University of Liverpool’s rank picture compresses to four practical signals: QS climb, subject depth, CD-favourable gap and SDG strength. The strongest single signal is the QS Computer Science jump of 65 places, which directly raises the placement value of a Liverpool CS or AI degree.

Indian students at Liverpool most commonly choose the following programmes, picked because the university’s subject rankings, accreditation status and Indian admission pipeline are strongest in these streams:

  • MBA and Management Masters: backed by ARWU Management #28 and the management school’s AACSB-EQUIS-AMBA triple-crown accreditation.
  • MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence: backed by the QS Computer Science climb of 65 places to #158 in 2026.
  • MSc Public Health and MSc Tropical and Infectious Diseases: backed by QS Medicine top 100 and THE Medical & Health #85.
  • MSc Engineering streams (Civil, Mechanical, Petroleum): backed by ARWU Mechanical Engineering 51-75 and QS Petroleum Engineering top 100.
  • MSc Marketing and MSc Finance: backed by QS Marketing top 100 and ARWU Business Administration #32.
India-relevant SignalLiverpool Position
Strongest subject for Indian applicantsQS Veterinary Science top 50, ARWU Management #28
Fastest-climbing subject (2025-2026)QS Computer Science +65 places to #158
QS-vs-Indian top tech school gapLiverpool #139 vs IIT Bombay #134 (5-place gap)
CD Study Abroad vs QS gapCD #96 vs QS #139 (43 places more favourable)
Indian student population at main campusPart of 8,000 international students from 135 countries

Indian Student Outlook: Key insight

  • Trajectory: Liverpool has climbed 51 QS positions and 33 THE positions since 2023, the steepest twin-body climb in the Russell Group.
  • Subject depth: 12 QS top-100 subjects plus 5 ARWU top-50 subjects, with three of those overlapping in life sciences and management.
  • India-favourable gap: Collegedunia Study Abroad ranks Liverpool 43 places higher than QS does, which signals above-average performance on Indian-admission-specific factors.
  • SDG positioning: SDG 10 rank of =#24 globally aligns with the inclusion criteria that Chevening and Commonwealth scholarships evaluate.

The University of Liverpool now sits inside the global top 150 on three of four major lists and inside the top 100 on Collegedunia Study Abroad, with two subjects in the QS top 50 and five in the ARWU top 50. The combination of a 51-place QS climb since 2023, a Computer Science department climbing 65 places in a single cycle, and stable ARWU research credentials gives Indian applicants a rare profile: rising brand value paired with steady research backing.

University of Liverpool Ranking FAQs

Ques. What is the University of Liverpool ranking in QS 2027?

Ans. The University of Liverpool is ranked #139 in QS World University Rankings 2027, an 8-place improvement from QS 2026 (#147). It is the university’s highest QS position ever and places Liverpool at #22 in the UK and #20 in the Russell Group.

Ques. What is the University of Liverpool QS ranking trend over the last five years?

Ans. Liverpool has climbed 51 positions in QS since 2023, going from #190 (QS 2023) to #139 (QS 2027). The year-by-year QS ranks are 2023: #190, 2024: #176, 2025: #165, 2026: #147 and 2027: #139, an average improvement of 12.75 places per edition.

Ques. What is the University of Liverpool Times Higher Education (THE) ranking 2026?

Ans. The University of Liverpool ranks #143 in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 and #17 in the UK. This is the university’s highest THE position since the rankings began in 2011 and a 17-place gain from THE 2025 (#160).

Ques. Where does the University of Liverpool rank in ARWU (Shanghai) 2025?

Ans. The University of Liverpool sits in the #101-150 band of ARWU (Shanghai) 2025, the same band it has held for five consecutive years (2021-2025). ARWU’s strongest Liverpool subject in 2025 is Management at #28 globally.

Ques. What is the University of Liverpool Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking?

Ans. The University of Liverpool ranks #96 globally and #20 in the UK in Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings 2026. By subject category, Liverpool is #58 in Healthcare and Medicine, #105 in Engineering and #110 in Law.

Ques. Which University of Liverpool subjects are ranked highest globally?

Ans. The strongest subjects are Veterinary Science and Anatomy & Physiology, both inside the QS top 50. ARWU 2025 places Management at #28 and Business Administration at #32, while QS 2026 has 12 Liverpool subjects inside the global top 100.

Ques. How does the University of Liverpool ranking compare with IIT Bombay for Indian students?

Ans. The University of Liverpool ranks #139 in QS 2027, only 5 positions behind IIT Bombay (#134) on the same QS global list. For Indian applicants choosing between a UK Russell Group degree and a domestic IIT, the brand-weight gap is narrower than the country difference suggests.