Rankings
We are highly ranked in the UK and world league tables, and are recognised internationally for our research, teaching and outreach.
University league table rankings
- 50th in the UK: The Complete University Guide (CUG) 2024
- 48th in the UK: The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 [subscription only]
- 65th in the UK: The Guardian University Guide 2024
- Joint 26th out of 104 UK institutions in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024
- 54th in the UK: Daily Mail University Guide 2024
World rankings
- Joint 15th in the world: Times Higher Education (THE) “Golden Age” ranking (for universities established between 1945 and 1967)
- =49th in the world: Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2023
- 201-250th in the world: The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024
- 8th in the world: World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI) Ranking 2023 – Student Mobility and Openness
- 22nd in the UK, 67th in Europe and 175th in the world: US News Best Global Universities
QS World Rankings
- 1st in the world for Development Studies: see the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 and find out what’s behind our continued success in Development Studies
- 3rd in the UK for sustainable institutions: QS World University Rankings by Sustainability 2023
- ranked 218th overall in the latest QS World University Rankings 2024. See more about our performance in the latest QS World University Rankings.
Global Student Satisfaction Award winners – Student Diversity
We’re thrilled to have won the award for Student Diversity at the 2021 Global Student Satisfaction Awards.
This category asked students how friendly the atmosphere at their university was for people from diverse background – including different countries, cultures, religions, age, gender, and special needs.
Our ambitious internationalisation strategy seeks to be inclusive and encourage a diverse student body, and this award is recognition of that diversity.
Research Excellence Framework (REF)
Sussex is a leading research university, as reflected in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF).
For REF 2021, 89% of the research we submitted was categorised ‘world-leading’ (40.6%) or ‘internationally excellent’ (48.4%).
In addition, 93% of our research impact was assessed to be ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ – up from 80.7% in 2014.
View all our REF results and learn more about REF 2021.