Rankings and Reputation

Science and Technology at Lancaster has a global reputation for delivering world-class education and research. Our disciplines are consistently ranked amongst the best in the UK.

The Times and Sunday Times

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024

  • Lancaster University ranked 14th overall
  • 6th for Physics and Astronomy
  • 7th for Natural Sciences
  • 12th for Geography and Environmental Sciences
  • 14th for Mathematics and Statistics
Guardian University Guide

Guardian University Guide 2024

  • Lancaster University ranked 11th overall
  • 9th for Mechanical Engineering
  • 8th for Geography and Environmental Sciences
  • 10th for Mathematics and Statistics
  • 4th for Physics and Astronomy
  • 7th for Computer Science
Complete University Guide

Complete University Guide 2024

  • Lancaster University ranked 10th overall
  • 7th for Physics and Astronomy
  • 16th for Biosciences
  • 14th for Mathematics and Statistics
  • 16th for Geography and Environmental Sciences
  • 19th for Psychology
  • 19th for Chemical Engineering
Research Excellence Framework

Research Excellence Framework 2021

  • Over 90% of our research is world-leading and internationally excellent
  • Lancaster’s Mathematics and Statistics department was ranked first out of 157 UK universities for research impact, with 100% of research being rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
  • Lancaster Environment Centre was ranked fifth in the UK overall, fifth for research outputs, sixth for research impact and fourth for research environment, when ranked according to research power.
  • 95% of the Engineering department’s research was rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
  • In the Physics department, 98% of research outputs were rated world-leading or internationally excellent. Physics was ranked 14th in the UK for its research outputs and for the quality of its research environment.
  • The School of Computing and Communications was ranked 13th in the UK for research environment, 14th for research power, with 94% of research being rated world-leading or internationally excellent
  • 85% of research in Chemistry was rated world-leading or internationally excellent, while 88% of the department’s research environment was rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
  • In Psychology, 87% of research was rated world-leading or internationally excellent, while 67% of research impact was rated outstanding.
Lancaster University

Did you know?

  • We are home to one of the world’s largest centres for environmental research
  • We share our facilities with the Environment Agency
  • We are home to one of the government’s top environmental research laboratories, run by the Natural Environment Research Council’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
  • Home to Hazelrigg Weather Station, the UK Meteorological Office’s Climatological Station Number 7236, making daily weather observations since 1966
  • Our chemistry laboratories have amongst the best analytical facilities in the world for environmental organic chemistry research
  • Home to the noble gas laboratory, the only lab in the UK with magnetic sector instrumentation focused specifically on environmental applications of noble gases
  • We have a long term relationship with Jari forestry who own large sections of the Amazon rainforest, giving us access to the tropical forests of South America
  • Some of our renowned physicists are researchers at CERN, Geneva, probing the fundamental structure of the universe
  • We are members of the Athena SWAN Charter, a scheme which recognises and celebrates good employment practice for women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in higher education and research
  • Our Psychology Department is home to one of the largest human developmental centres in the UK