Research quality – why it matters

Our league tables don’t just allow you to look at the overall top universities, by region or by subject; you can search by other elements that are important to you. If you’re looking forward to a future career in research, then sort the tables by Research quality to get the best results for you.

Why do we include Research quality in our league tables?  

The Research quality measure is defined as a measure of the quality of the research undertaken in the university. Universities have two core purposes: teaching students and discovering new knowledge. The Research quality measure is about the second of these. 

How do we calculate Research quality?

The data used to calculate Research quality comes from the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The maximum score that can be achieved is 4*. All the universities included in this measure achieved a research quality profile score of 1*-4*, these scores were then given a corresponding numerical value for calculation. Our league table compilers then calculated an average according to the number of teaching staff involved in research recorded in each unit of assessment. If an institution didn’t send research data to the REF, the minimum score in the table was used.

Find out more about how we calculate the rankings

Why is Research quality important when deciding on a university?  

Staff who conduct high quality research are closer to the cutting edge of a subject and this will be reflected in their teaching. Students at universities with a high standard of research will have the opportunity to use the research facilities for project and dissertation work. Spending time in research facilities may show students the opportunities open for further study. 

Students who decide to continue to postgraduate study will have the advantage of already knowing some of the researchers and an insight into possible research areas.

Try sorting by Research quality on one of our tables for yourself