Heriot-Watt powers ahead in World University Rankings 2024

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Bust of James Watt viewed through a glass door with Heriot-Watt crest imprint

Heriot-Watt has jumped more than 100 places in the esteemed Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2024.

In the recently published 20th edition of these rankings, the University secured a notable position in the range of 351-400 out of 1,904 universities hailing from 108 countries. Additionally, it climbed to 41st place within the UK, an impressive ascent from its 60th position in the previous year, and claimed the 7th spot in Scotland, advancing from its previous rank of 10th.

We are thrilled to have made such significant gains in this prestigious ranking, which is trusted worldwide by students, teachers, governments and industry experts.

Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University

Among the key drivers behind the rise is the University's ‘international outlook', which considers international staff, international co-authorship, and the percentage of overseas students. Furthermore, the University scored highly for its links to industry and for the quality of its research endeavours.   

Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said: “We are thrilled to have made such significant gains in this prestigious ranking, which is trusted worldwide by students, teachers, governments and industry experts.

"We are committed to providing an outstanding learning experience, global access, pioneering research and excellent outcomes for our graduates. This is reflected in more than 85% of our graduates being in full-time employment or further study within 15 months of graduation.”

The THE World University Rankings 2024 rely on a comprehensive evaluation encompassing 18 performance indicators, categorised into five critical areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international perspective. This year's assessment involved an exhaustive analysis of over 134 million citations from more than 16.5 million research publications, alongside input from 68,402 scholars across the globe.

Heriot-Watt is a global research-led university based in the UK, with five campuses in Edinburgh, the Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai and Malaysia. More than 27,000 students from 154 countries are currently studying with us.

Being a top-10 performer in graduate outcomes and entering the top 250 of World University Rankings are key goals in Heriot-Watt's Strategy 2025, an initiative launched in 2019 around four key themes: building flourishing communities; excelling in research and enterprise; pioneering in education and being a globally connected University.

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