Wednesday, 25 March 2026
The University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy has been ranked 8th in the world and 4th in the UK for the discipline of Pharmacy and Pharmacology in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, announced today.
The School of Pharmacy is marking its centenary and the results provide further grounds for celebration – renewed recognition as among the very best in the world and confirming the University of as one of the UK’s leading centres for pharmaceutical and pharmalogical science and training, continuing a 100-year legacy of excellence in pharmacy education, research and innovation. QS analyses the reputation and research output of more than 6,270 institutions worldwide, assessing academic reputation, employer reputation, research visibility and global engagement.
Being ranked in the global top 10 in the very year we mark our centenary is a remarkable moment for the school. It speaks to a century of hard work, curiosity and commitment, and to the impact our staff, students and alumni are making across the world as they improve health and push forward advances in pharmaceutical science.
As the School of Pharmacy celebrates 100 years since its founding, its pioneering research - from creating new medicines, to advancing nanomaterials for targeted drug delivery, and even exploring pharmaceutical care in space – it continues to drive the innovative teaching and real-world experience that prepare students to lead the future of health. In its centenary, the school remains at the vanguard of advances in Pharmacy education and practice, with its 2025-26 MPharm graduates the first to graduate to newGeneral Pharmaceutical Council standards, meaning they will be independent prescribers when they qualify as pharmacists.
The University of Nottingham also has a total of 22 subject areas in the global top 100 – its best-ever performance in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. This includes significant increases for English Language and Literature and Material Sciences, with Linguistics and Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) both entering the world top 100.
We are delighted that Pharmacy and Pharmacology has been recognised in the global top 10 by the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. We have real strengths in health and are also proud to rank 68 in the world for the broad subject of Life Sciences and Medicine – with veterinary medicine, anatomy and nursing all in the top 100. Our congratulations and thanks also go to all the staff of the numerous schools, departments and faculties, whose dedication has helped secure a record number of top 100 subject placings in these strategically important rankings.
The 2026 edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject is the biggest yet, with 1,077 new institutions included this year in comparison to 2025. The University of Nottingham has 45 individual subjects ranked, with 22 featuring within the world top 100 as follows:
Agriculture and Forestry =77
Anatomy and Physiology 51-100
Architecture and Built Environment 51-100
Chemistry =91
Economics and Econometrics =96
Education =56
Engineering – Chemical 81
Engineering – Civil and Structural 51-100
Engineering Electrical and Electronic 97
Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing =66
English Language and Literature 58
Geography 51-100
Law 88
Linguistics =95
Materials Science =84
Marketing 51-100
Medicine =83
Nursing 51-100
Pharmacy and Pharmacology 8
Psychology =94
Statistics and Operational Research 51-100
Veterinary Science =39
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Barrie Kellam on Barrie.Kellam@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home. More news…