30 January 2026 · Awards · Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Luma University has risen 45 places to 651–700 in the QS World University Rankings 2026, published on 28 January. The improvement reflects gains in employer reputation, citations per faculty and the proportion of international co-authored publications. The university also scored strongly in the sustainability category introduced to the rankings in 2024.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Chen welcomed the result while cautioning against over-reliance on league tables. "Rankings capture some dimensions of what we do well—particularly our graduates' employability and the impact of our research. They do not capture everything that matters about teaching quality, community engagement and student experience," she said.
The employer reputation indicator, based on surveys of graduate recruiters worldwide, showed the largest improvement. The university's careers service attributed this to sustained engagement with regional and national employers, including the expanded Jaguar Land Rover partnership and growing relationships with NHS trusts, schools and technology firms in the West Midlands.
International research collaboration increased by 18 per cent year-on-year, driven partly by partnerships with universities in India, Nigeria and Malaysia. The Research Office plans to launch a new seed fund in autumn 2026 to support further international joint projects.
Students' union President Amira Khan noted that prospective applicants often consult rankings alongside open day visits and subject-level data. "What matters to current students is whether the university invests in facilities, support and teaching. Rankings are one signal among many," she said. Subject-level QS rankings will be published in March 2026.