The rankings are based upon academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact (click here to read the full methodology).  

Use the interactive table below to filter the rankings by location, and click on individual universities for more information. Registered users will also be able to use the site’s Compare function to see facts and statistics about multiple universities side-by-side.

There’s been a very interesting development at the top of this year’s rankings, with University of Sussex overcoming the Yanks from Harvard University to be ranked the world’s number one university for Development Studies.

UK universities have almost all performed exceptionally well this year, with six of the top 10 places going to British universities. One of the most notable performers is SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, which rises four places to seventh.

Interested in other courses besides Development Studies? The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017 covers 46 different subjects. Click here to see the full list.