Oxbridge tops world university rankings

For the second year in a row, Oxford University has been declared the best university in the world by the Times Higher Education rankings.

British rival Cambridge took second place in the 2018 ranking, making the first time two UK universities have shared the top spots in 17 years.

Last year’s runner-up, the California Institution of Technology, took a joint third with Stanford University.

Oxford Vice-Chancellor Louise Richardson expressed her delight at her institution retaining the top spot, but raised concerns Brexit could harm the standing of UK universities.

“To be judged the best university in the world for the second successive year, against a backdrop in which Britain’s role in the world is uncertain and the place of universities in society open to question, will be a great source of pride for everyone at Oxford, and, I hope, for the whole country,” she said.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University, Imperial College London, the University of Chicago, ETH Zurich -- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich -- and the University of Pennsylvania make up the remainder of the top ten.

The Times Higher Education company provides an annual ranking of universities across the world and provides them with data, analysis, and insight to achieve their strategic goals.

A university’s rating is determined by five criteria: the quality of the learning environment, their research, the influence of their research (citations), their international outlook, and their industry income, according to a news agency.