Research.com rankings place University of Leicester in UK’s top 25
The University of Leicester has been placed 24th in the United Kingdom in Research.com’s 2026 Best Universities rankings.
The University has also been ranked 249th worldwide, with the placings highlighting its position in an international comparison of universities based on scholarly research contributions.
The rankings assess research-related bibliometric indicators associated with qualifying university-affiliated scientists across major academic disciplines.
The result places Leicester within a global research landscape in which scientific publications, citation impact and the contributions of university researchers form the basis of institutional comparisons.
The University of Leicester has established a distinctive research identity through contributions to genetics, medicine, space science, archaeology and the humanities.
The University's research profile also includes clinical medicine, cancer research, genetics and the study of complex diseases. These strengths are supported by interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships with healthcare organisations and international research institutions.
In the UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 89% of Leicester's overall research activity was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent. This national assessment, which uses a different methodology from Research.com's ranking, provides additional context for the University’s established research capabilities.
Further information about Leicester's research community and disciplinary performance is available through the University of Leicester's Research.com profile.
Research.com publishes rankings and information about researchers, scientific disciplines, research institutions and universities. Its Best Universities in the World Ranking provides an international comparison focused primarily on the scholarly contributions of researchers affiliated with universities.
The 2026 edition draws on bibliometric data obtained principally from OpenAlex and CrossRef, alongside other research information sources. Institutional positions are determined using the aggregate sum of Discipline H-index (D-index) values for qualifying ranked scientists affiliated with each university.
The D-index measures research impact within a particular academic discipline by considering relevant publications and how frequently they have been cited. For the 2026 ranking, Research.com considered scientists meeting a D-index threshold of at least 20 and carried out verification of researcher profiles.
The methodology covers researchers across major scientific disciplines. Unlike broader university league tables, this particular ranking does not directly assess undergraduate teaching quality, student satisfaction, graduate employment outcomes or the overall campus experience.