Launched in 2003, the ARWU ranks more than 1,200 universities, with the top 500 being published. World universities are ranked using six indicators, including number of alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, the number of highly cited researchers selected by Clarivate Analytics, and the number of articles published in the journals Nature and Science.

The University of Manchester has a rich academic history. We can lay claim to 25 Nobel laureates among our current and former staff and students.

This year’s ranking is the best-yet for the University since it was established in 2004, following the merger of Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST, when it ranked 78th.

The ARWU ranking follows a number of similar successes for the University, such as its top-ten placement in this year's THE Europe Teaching Rankings, and its highest ever position in this year's QS World University Rankings.

With a history dating back to 1824, the University of Manchester, known for its worldwide reputation, technological prowess in innovation and the academic rigor of its research, has long been committed to promoting strategic links with and sustainable development in China, as well as attaching great importance to its Chinese students and alumni. Manchester has a vibrant Chinese cultural and business community and the country's links with the University are growing all of the time.