Our REF results
As a College, our REF 2021 results are outstanding.
96% of our research was classed as either world leading or internationally excellent with 55% classed at the highest level of world leading.
When including the assessment of our joint submissions, we are in the top 5 in the UK across all Schools and College Centres for research power and two of our units of assessment are at the very top*. No other university outside of the Oxford-Cambridge-London “golden triangle” achieved this level of performance.
The School of Biological Sciences is ranked fifth in the UK, and top ranked in Scotland, for the quality and breadth of its research, known as research power, by Times Higher Education.
The EaStCHEM partnership with the University of St Andrews are one of only three chemistry submissions in the UK to achieve a 100% “world-leading” score for their research environment. More than 99% of their research outputs were assessed as either world-leading or internationally excellent and 100% of their impact case studies were assessed as outstanding or very considerable.
The Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering joint submission with Heriot-Watt University was ranked 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for quality and breadth of their research* and 96% of their research activity was ranked as world-leading and internationally excellent.
The School of GeoSciences are ranked 1st in the country for Research Impact according to Times Higher Education rankings.
Over 50% of their research was judged to be at the highest classification (world-leading), and 94% of their overall submission score was deemed to be world leading or internationally excellent.
In a joint submission with EPCC, Informatics are ranked 1st for research power in the Computer Science and Informatics according to Times Higher Education rankings.
Their research environment and all impact case studies received the highest classification (world-leading) and overall, 97% of their REF submission was classed as world leading or internationally excellent.
The Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, a research partnership with Heriot-Watt University are ranked 3rd in the UK for Mathematical Sciences, based on the quality and breadth of their combined research*.
96% of their research is recognised as world leading or internationally excellent with over 56% of research activity given the highest possible classification (world leading).
The School of Physics & Astronomy is ranked 4th in the UK and 1st in Scotland for the quality, scale and breadth of its research according to Times Higher Education rankings.
97% of the School’s research outputs were measured as world-leading or internationally excellent and nearly half (46%) of the research outputs were judged to be at the highest classification (world-leading).
Results analysis
*All rankings cited are determined by combining the Times Higher Education’s ratings for the specific University of Edinburgh Unit of Assessment with the partner University's Unit of Assessment, based on Research Power, the quality and breadth of their combined research, according to Times Higher Education rankings.
University of Edinburgh Research Impact
Read about some of the fascinating and impactful research being produced at our College and the wider University.