Our reputation

12th in the world for Transportation Science and Technology – Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2019
The Institute for Transport Studies is one of the UK's leading departments for transport teaching and research. We deliver internationally excellent research outputs, which impact upon transport policy and practice, and contribute to the wider economy and society. We have a diverse international community and a global alumni network spanning 58 countries to date.
We are continually committed to meeting the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard and improve the quality management of our research, development and consultancy contracts.
Our achievements
- 12th for Transportation Science and Technology - Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2019
- 2nd in the UK for research power, according to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014
- Top 5 in the world for Transportation - Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) 2017
- Awarded a prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education (2009) for "sustained excellence - 40 years' impact in transport research and teaching."
University awards
- The University of Leeds is among the top 100 universities, QS World University Rankings 2020
- 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.
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.
The Institute for Transport Studies was assessed by the Civil and Construction Engineering sub-panel, as part of a joint submission with the University’s School of Civil Engineering.
- 3.04 overall research quality profile
- 7th in the UK for research quality
- 2nd nationally for research power
- 100% of our research environment is conducive to producing research of ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ quality
- 92% of our research has either ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impact
- 85% of our research is ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’
- 80% of our research outputs are ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’