Our reputation
Top 10 in the UK for Civil Engineering, The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
The School of Civil Engineering is globally renowned for its teaching, research and engagement with industry and government. We’re one of the largest and longest established Civil Engineering schools in the UK with just over 50 staff and 1000 students from over 70 countries studying with us.
The quality of our research, and the funding it attracts, means we’re able to invest in world-class facilities and academic staff who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research, which means you will be taught by internationally renowned, inspirational academics working at the top of their fields.
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Academic excellence
- Top 10 in the UK for Civil Engineering, The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
- Top 10 in the UK for Civil Engineering, Guardian University Guide 2025
- Top 10 in the UK for Civil Engineering, Complete University Guide 2024
- Top 100 in the world for Civil and Structural Engineering, QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
- Top 100 in the world for Civil Engineering, ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024
- Top 100 in the world for Engineering and Technology, QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
- The University of Leeds is ranked 82nd in the world, QS World University Rankings 2025
- University of Leeds students are among the top 5 most targeted by top employers according to The Graduate Market 2024, High Fliers Research
- We are a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities
- 97% of our submitted research activity was assessed as “world-leading”, Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
Gender equality
We have been commended for our strong and continued commitment to gender equality in the form of a prestigious Athena SWAN Silver award.
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
Every six years, the UK’s four higher education funding bodies undertake an exercise to measure the quality of research undertaken by UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The funding bodies use the outcomes to inform the allocation of their research funding to HEIs. The Research Excellence Framework was the framework used in 2021.
Unit of assessment: Engineering (UoA12)
- Overall 97% of the submitted research activity was assessed as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”
- 95% of the submitted research impact contributions to society, academic and industry from Engineering are “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”