Published: 01 Mar 2018 | Last Updated: 10 Aug 2023 10:59:52

The Royal Veterinary College, University of London (RVC) has been ranked as one of the top three veterinary schools in the world by the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2018 for the fourth year in succession.

The RVC's position at number three in the rankings table positions it as the top vet school in the UK and Europe and makes it the highest ranked school outside North America. The RVC placed third out of 324 institutions offering veterinary science courses worldwide and is the only independent veterinary school in the top three. The top 50 institutions teaching veterinary medicine can be found on the QS rankings website, Top Universities.com.

The RVC was judged on academic reputation, research impact and citations as well as employer reputation per subject in order to rank in the QS survey. Results are calculated based on the responses of over 76,000 academics worldwide and also includes an assessment of the numbers of faculty citations within academic publications in the last five years. The 2018 ranking for employer reputation is based on feedback from around 44,500 employers from across the globe.

Professor Stuart Reid, RVC Principal said, “I am delighted to see the RVC retain our position in the highest echelon of the QS ranking. Recognising that there is always work to be done in making a good thing better, it is particularly pleasing that, in part, our position is a result of the standing we enjoy amongst our peers. To have scored as having the highest academic reputation in the world is a testament to all those who have committed their careers to the Royal Veterinary College."

Established in 1791 and based in London, UK, the RVC is the oldest veterinary school in the English-speaking world and is one of the only veterinary schools in the world to be accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Australian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) which means graduates can practice as vets, researchers and scientists around the world.

The RVC has world-renowned veterinary medicine and nursing degrees which it delivers at undergraduate and postgraduate level. As well as these courses, the RVC also has a well-established biological sciences programme which is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology and complements its veterinary remit and is underpinned by its intensive research portfolio which was recently judged as the best in England by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.

Professor David Church, the RVC’s Deputy Principal and VP Students said, “It is very satisfying to see that the RVC’s contribution to the advancement of veterinary science continues to be recognised in the latest QS rankings. The RVC has made focused and sustained investment to ensure the RVC continues to deliver an outstanding experience for all its students and maintains its position as a centre of excellence and expertise in all areas of veterinary and related sciences.”