Cambridge and Oxford are slipping...
Cambridge and Oxford universities slip in world rankings - BBC News
The 10 top institutions by reputation are:
- Harvard University, US
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US
- Stanford University, US
- University of Cambridge, UK
- University of Oxford, UK
- University of California, Berkeley, US
- Princeton University, US
- Yale University, US
- Columbia University, US
- California Institute of Technology, US
THE rankings editor Phil Baty said the UK had lost ground this year.
"Even the country's most prestigious institutions have slipped, with the universities of Cambridge and Oxford each dropping two places to fourth and fifth place respectively," he said.
"The UK's diminishing performance occurs as institutions in Asia rapidly rise up the table - the continent has 17 representatives, up from 10 last year."
Mr Baty said cuts to higher education funding and a series of immigration measures affecting overseas students were "starting to have an impact" on the UK's global reputation.
"The UK will have to ensure that it can still draw in talent and investment from across the world and it does not lose its position at the heart of higher education's global elite," he added
Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of leading universities, said the UK had some of the very best universities in the world, but it was "no time to rest on our laurels".
"These rankings can be seen as a warning that the rest of the world is catching up with us and Asian universities, in particular, are snapping at our heels.