Heriot-Watt recognised among world’s best in 20 subjects in 2026 QS subject rankings
Heriot-Watt University has been recognised as one of the world’s leading institutions for academic excellence in the newly released QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.
The University saw a significant rise in the annual rankings across eight areas, including in the Engineering and Technology and Natural Sciences groups. It was also ranked eighth in the world for Petroleum Engineering – up seven places, and in the top 200 for six subjects, including Chemical, Civil and Electrical Engineering as well as Mathematics.
Heriot-Watt has a long tradition of excellence in science, engineering, business and design, and we continue to invest strategically in areas where our expertise can make the greatest impact.
Professor Steve McLaughlin, Vice-Principal of the University, welcomed the results: “Our performance in this year’s QS subject rankings highlights the depth and quality of research taking place across Heriot-Watt.
“From pioneering work in robotics and photonics to advances in sustainability, energy and the built environment, our researchers are shaping solutions to global challenges.”
The QS rankings, produced by global higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluate more than 18,300 university programmes across 1,700 institutions in 100 locations worldwide, covering 55 academic disciplines and five broad faculty areas.
Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said: “Heriot-Watt has a long tradition of excellence in science, engineering, business and design, and we continue to invest strategically in areas where our expertise can make the greatest impact.
"Our upward trajectory across multiple subject areas reflects this and the strength of our international collaborations.”
Institutions are increasingly building global reputations through targeted subject excellence, research collaboration and industry engagement.
The QS methodology evaluates institutions using five key metrics: Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Citations per Paper, H‑Index, and International Research Network (IRN), drawing on insights from more than 200,000 employers and academics worldwide.
Commenting on this year’s results, Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, said the global higher education landscape was becoming both more competitive and more specialised. "While traditional leaders in the US, UK and parts of Europe continue to dominate many disciplines, we are seeing significant momentum from systems across Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
“Institutions are increasingly building global reputations through targeted subject excellence, research collaboration and industry engagement.”
The full QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 can be viewed at: https://www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings