🏛️ SOAS University of London – Rankings Overview (2025)
SOAS University of London holds varying positions across ranking systems, reflecting its specialist strength in humanities and social sciences, particularly regarding Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
📊 Key Rankings (2025)
- QS World University Rankings 2025:
🏅 #508 globally
This reflects a slight improvement from #511 in 2024. - Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025:
📉 Ranked in the 401–500 bracket - The Times Good University Guide (UK):
⚠️ Ranked 65th in the UK in 2025
⛔ Note: The previously mentioned 28th position refers to an earlier year (2023), not 2024 or 2025. - The Guardian University Guide 2025:
📍 Ranked 90th in the UK - Complete University Guide 2025:
🧭 Ranked 71st in the UK
🧠 Subject-Specific Excellence (QS Rankings by Subject, 2024)
SOAS consistently ranks among the top universities globally in its specialist subject areas:
- Development Studies:
🌍 2nd in the world
(SOAS has consistently placed in the top 3 globally for this field) - Anthropology:
🧬 12th globally - Politics & International Studies:
🗳️ 17th globally - Other areas of strength:
🌐 Linguistics, Middle Eastern & African Studies, History, and Religious Studies.
🌎 Global Appeal & Institutional Strengths
- Diversity:
🌍 Strong international faculty and student body.
SOAS ranks highly for international outlook, especially among UK universities. - Focus Areas:
📚 SOAS is renowned for its area studies and global policy research, specializing in the cultures, societies, and politics of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. - Reputation:
🎓 Highly respected in disciplines such as human rights, postcolonial theory, and development economics, particularly among NGOs, IGOs, and academic institutions.
✅ Summary Table
| Category | 2025 Rank |
|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings | #508 |
| THE World University Rankings | 401–500 |
| Times Good University Guide (UK) | #65 |
| Guardian University Guide (UK) | #90 |
| Complete University Guide (UK) | #71 |
| QS Development Studies (Subject) | #2 |
| QS Anthropology (Subject) | #12 |
| QS Politics & Int’l Studies (Subject) | #17 |
Here’s a breakdown of SOAS University of London’s performance in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, which measure universities’ contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
🌍 Overall Impact Ranking (2025)
Position: 301–400th
- This marks a drop from previous years:
- 2024: 201–300th
- 2023 & 2022: 101–200th
- 2020: 101–200th
- 2021: 201–300th
📊 SDG-Specific Rankings for 2025
| SDG | Sustainable Development Goal | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 1 | No Poverty | 101–200th |
| SDG 5 | Gender Equality | 73rd |
| SDG 6 | Clean Water and Sanitation (2020 only) | 59th |
| SDG 8 | Decent Work and Economic Growth | 401–600th |
| SDG 10 | Reduced Inequalities | 101–200th |
| SDG 11 | Sustainable Cities and Communities | 401–600th |
| SDG 13 | Climate Action | 301–400th |
| SDG 16 | Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | =73rd |
| SDG 17 | Partnership for the Goals | 1001–1500th |
🧭 Key Takeaways
- Strengths:
- Gender Equality (SDG 5) and Peace, Justice (SDG 16) are clear high points, with top 75 global placements.
- Continues to perform solidly in No Poverty and Reduced Inequalities, aligning with its core social justice mission.
- Weaknesses:
- Marked drop in overall ranking since 2023 suggests a decline in performance or relative positioning.
- Very low score in Partnership for the Goals (SDG 17) — a notable weakness for a university with an international focus.
- Trend: Downward trajectory in overall ranking, but still maintains niche strengths in equity, justice, and gender-focused initiatives.