Our reputation
16th in the world for Geography, ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2020
The School of Geography is globally renowned for the quality of its research, and the funding it attracts, meaning we’re able to invest in world-class facilities and academic staff who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research. Our academics are internationally renowned and working at the top of their fields – at the forefront of knowledge and thinking.
We have just over 1000 students from almost 50 countries studying with us.
The quality of our research, and the funding it attracts, means we’re able to invest in world-class facilities and academic staff who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research, which means you will be taught by internationally renowned, inspirational academics working at the top of their fields.
The School is led by Professor Robert M Vanderbeck, Head of School, supported by Professor Guy Ziv, Director of Research and Innovation, and Dr Clare Woulds Director of Student Education.
Our achievements
- 9th in the UK for Geology, Complete University Guide 2021
- 11th in the UK for Geography and Environmental Sciences, Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021
- 11th in the UK for Geology, Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021
- 14th in the UK for Geography, Complete University Guide 2021
- 16th in the world for Geography, ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2020
- 35th in the world for Geography, QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020
- 89% student satisfaction for human geography, 85% for physical sciences, and 83% for planning (urban, rural and regional), National Student Survey 2020
University awards
- The University of Leeds is among the top 100 universities, QS World University Rankings 2021
- We achieved a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) the highest award possible
- The University of Leeds was named University of the Year in 2017 by The Times and The Sunday Times’ Good University Guide
- The latest High Fliers report, The Graduate Market in 2020, has ranked Leeds in the top 10 most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters
- We are a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014
Every six years, the UK’s four higher education funding bodies undertake an exercise to measure the quality of research undertaken by UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The funding bodies use the outcomes to inform the allocation of their research funding to HEIs. The Research Excellence Framework was the framework used in 2014.
Unit of assessment: Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology
- 3.07 overall research quality profile
- 5th in the UK for research power
- 100% of our research environment is conducive to producing research of ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ quality
- Over 70% of our research has either ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impact
- Over 75% of our research is ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’
- Over 70% of our research outputs are ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’
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