Loughborough Celebrates a Decade as Best in the World for Sports-Related Subjects

QS again names Loughborough number one for sports-related subjects in 2026!

This article is edited from the original written for Loughborough University.

For the tenth year in a row, Loughborough University has been crowned the world’s best university for sports-related subjects in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. It has held the top spot every year since the subject ranking launched in 2017.

The achievement highlights how sport sits at the heart of the University, shaping a setting where teaching, research, and performance sport are closely connected. From elite competition to wellbeing and participation, Loughborough’s work aims to translate academic insight into practical outcomes.

Get a quick look at Loughborough's athletics focus in this short YouTube video:

Strength across sport research and teaching

Loughborough’s number-one QS position is supported by the combined work of the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, the Sports Technology Institute, and the Institute for Sport Business. Together, they are known for fundamental and applied research that supports athletes, informs practice, and influences policy.

Speaking about the University’s continued success, Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University, said: “I am incredibly proud that Loughborough has been named the world’s best university for sport-related subjects for the tenth consecutive year.”

He added: “To achieve this distinction for a full decade is an extraordinary testament to the talent, dedication and collaborative spirit of our staff, students, partners and alumni. Sport is woven into the fabric of Loughborough, and this recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in teaching, research and performance. This remarkable milestone strengthens our position as the global home of sport, and we look forward to continuing to lead, inspire and innovate in the years ahead.”

Impact that reaches beyond elite sport

Across sport-related disciplines, Loughborough’s research has helped athletes win Olympic and Paralympic medals, supported public health improvements, and contributed to international sports policy. The University’s approach combines performance and participation, reflecting sport’s role in both excellence and inclusion.

Its Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub brings together academics, industry partners, national governing bodies, and elite-level athletes to drive positive change across the women’s sporting ecosystem.

Industry collaboration remains a defining feature. Since 2002, Loughborough’s Sports Technology Institute has worked with adidas on the testing and development of tournament footballs, including those used for the World Cup and EURO Championships.

Recognition across the sector

In November, the University received royal recognition for pioneering contributions to Para and disability sport, being awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education. Loughborough now holds eight Queen Elizabeth Prizes in total — a record surpassed only by the University of Oxford.

Alongside its global QS standing, Loughborough is one of the UK’s leading universities, with a reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines. It has been awarded five stars in the QS Stars rating scheme, ranked seventh in the Complete University Guide 2026, and named University of the Year for Sport in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 for the fourth time.

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, over 90% of Loughborough's research was rated “world-leading” or “internationally-excellent”, reflecting the quality and reach of the work behind headline rankings.

About Loughborough University

Loughborough University is somewhere anyone can realise their full potential. The atmosphere and team spirit on campus inspire and empower people to achieve extraordinary things. This progressive and ambitious attitude is reflected in the success we achieve, as one of the top-performing universities in the country. Loughborough University is also a welcoming place where staff and students should feel they can be themselves. Across everything we do, we are working together to create a better future, for everyone.