Harper Adams climbs further in top 100 as new global University rankings released

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Harper Adams University has climbed further in global rankings - which have once again named it one of the world’s top 100 institutions for agriculture and forestry.

For the second year running, the specialist institution has been named a top 100 global university in its subject in the QS World University by Subject rankings.

Its 2026 placing not only surpasses its previous highest ranking – seeing it move up to 87 from 99 - but also continues a rise which has seen it rise more than 100 places in less than five years.

Today’s figures show Harper Adams was also rated second in the UK in its subject category for its reputation among academic experts – and third for its reputation among employers.

Harper Adams Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Lee said: “It is good to see the reputation of the University among academics has risen, and we also saw a rise in the number of citations per research paper in the new rankings.

“Our tailored strategy ensures that our research is industry-relevant for the sectors we serve – making a real-world difference.”

The 2026 edition of the rankings examines more than 18,300 individual university programmes, taken by students at more than 1,700 universities in 100 locations around the world, across 55 academic disciplines.

Both academic and employer views are used to analyse the reputation of the ranked institutions - with more than 200,000 people surveyed.

Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, said: “The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 highlight a global higher education landscape that is becoming both more competitive and more specialised.

“Institutions are increasingly building global reputations through targeted subject excellence, research collaboration and industry engagement. This year’s results show that strategic investment in specific disciplines – not just overall institutional strength – is becoming a defining feature of how universities compete and gain international recognition.”

Harper Adams University Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan said: “It is good to see the University not only holding its place as a top 100 institution – but climbing up this year’s rankings for our founding subject.

“This is another year-on-year improvement in the QS World University by Subject rankings – underlining our strength as a specialist institution applying science and technology to the sectors we serve.”