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London is capital of world's educational elite
08.10.09
London's universities surged ahead of the rest of the world for the quality of research and education they provide in new global rankings released today.
But only limited numbers of British undergraduates are able to benefit while UK colleges seek to recruit more international students who pay higher fees.
For the first time, University College London beat Oxford in the QS-Times Higher Education world rankings to take fourth place in the global league table.
Imperial College London was in joint fifth position with Oxford, while Cambridge was second behind Harvard.
The London School of Economics was named the world's best social sciences research centre while Kings College London was in 23rd position overall.
UCL Provost Malcolm Grant told the Standard there was “no other city in the world” with London's concentration of top-ranked universities.
“This league table result really does confirm the strength of what we have got here. London holds its own in the UK and across the world,” Professor Grant said.
New York does not compare, while probably only Boston in the US, which is home to Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, comes close to London, he said.
But Professor Grant warned that the number of UK students able to benefit was strictly limited by Government quotas. Universities are fined for taking on more British students than they have been funded to teach.
Professor Grant said: “At the moment we cannot under present circumstances consider increasing our intake of UK students. There is a quota. We are limited to that quota.”
UCL is gradually moving towards taking a higher proportion of postgraduates and international students.
Phil Baty, deputy editor of the World University Rankings, welcomed UCL's “meteoric” rise, insisting it had “earned its place” among the world's most prestigious establishments.
Oxford said its own ranking was “surprising” given that it had come top of other recent tables.
Reader views (12)
Oxford.. Who are they?
UCL wooooooooooo!
Ok.. Now that I have that out of my system...
Its just a ranking at the end of the day. Does it really matter who is higher in a league table?
All I can say is whichever university you graduate from, it all depends on what you make of it. Being a UCL student I am happy with its success though and I think people should just lighten up. Let us have a few laughs I guess
At the end of the day, its just a ranking and whether or not UCL deserves the place is always open to debate. But we can all agree that it is finally being recognised. So lets just celebrate it while it lasts!
- University, College London
Ucl is same as ivy leauge
- Kim, Korea
Someone probably decided to steer some people London's way to fill up some spaces in the lesser Universities. League tables can be so useful when presented just so!
- Rogan, Irving
This isn't particularly something to celebrate even if it's true. Enormous amounts of our taxes are spent on people studying fatuous subjects. HE should be about the pursuit of enlightenment but, actually, it's become a mindless bourgeois status-seeking exercise. In these difficult times HE should be cut drastically and money only made available for socially useful courses.
- John, London
I think you're right Steve, when one is outside this country, these comments never come up, in fact the UK hardly merits a mention.
- Baz Bazzan, London UK
Not sure of how they rank them, but it's a good news for those who graduated from UCL. I'm wishing the day would come that UCL becomes famous enough in the whole world that the Japanese doesn't mix up UCL with UCLA(!) in Japan.
- Yasuhiko Shoji, Chiba, Japan
League tables are not always an accurate indicator of which university is 'better' than another because each will take into account different factors and have a different set of criteria by which the standard is judged. Besides, league table rankings differ every year and wherever you go an Oxford degree will be better respected than one from UCL.
- Kim, london
Many have written a plausible history of British education, but until the nation returns to God, as it did during th eProtestant Reformation it is still unlearned. "THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM."
In is "A Tale of Two Cities," English novelist Charles Dickens depicts a solemn reality. It chimes towards a more austere generation,akin to “The Wail of Wall Street.” Though we are living in the best
of times, for many people in London, and elsewhere it is all too often the worst of times. It is the age
of wisdom, but who can deny the foolishness taking place? It is the summer of enlightenment, but it feels like the winter of discontent.
In the midst of this educational light, we find darkness of the grossest kind, with increasing crime, even among the noble. It is a time of plenty, but never have we seen such scarcity. The world is more fortified, and yet it is more vulnerable. Men are more educated
but they are far less learned. Events now show the stark link between happiness and despair.
The incongruity between the masquerade of men and
the wisdom of God,is ever more apparent. We would uncover a lot more about education than scholars have so far discovered if we were to listen to God’s instructions. The perceived greatness of man and institutions is made into an elaborate argument because of his own ignorance.
How much better it would sound if London was seen as the city of righteousness, and not contrived wisdom?
- Desmond Mattocks, Miramar, FL USA
Actually, the beacon of light in London’s University system is Birkbeck.
This university takes committed mature students who work during the day and study hard in the evenings for their Degrees, Masters and Doctorates.
Given the choice between employing a full time graduate straight from any university and a part-time mature Birkbeck student I would choose Birkbeck any time. They have a proven track record, experience and importantly a real commitment to make a go of what they have had to pay for themselves - without any form of grant.
These education heroes deserve a news page all of their own, they set a shining example to everybody.
- James, City of London
The world's moving east
Who exactly compiled the list?
- Peter, Moscow RF
I'd love to get into the LSE next year for a masters but it's so competitive! London has so much to offer
- Jessy, Copenhagen
How can that be right?Surely some mistake?A load of old cobblers methinks.
- Steve, London
