Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) has once again been named in the top five of the QS World Subject Rankings.

The University’s MSA is ranked 5th in the world in the 2024 league table – maintaining last year’s success and its highest-ever position – and 2nd in the UK.

It has now been ranked in the top 11 since 2016, making it one of the world’s best architecture schools ahead of Harvard University and the University of Cambridge in this year’s table.

The prestigious QS World University Rankings highlight the world’s top performing universities in 51 individual academic areas.

There were successes elsewhere in the University, with Art and Design, Hospitality and Leisure Management, Sport-related subjects, and Education all featuring in the top 150.

Professor Kevin Singh, Head of Manchester School of Architecture at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “We’re delighted and proud to have once again been ranked in the top five of the QS World Subject Rankings which assess subjects across a range of areas. The ranking signifies the high-quality of the school, the impact of its research-informed teaching and its nurturing of employable graduates who go on to successful careers within architecture.

“It is particularly pleasing to see such a high mark for our research citations and reputation among employers, highlighting the fantastic work by colleagues delivering unrivalled teaching and building impactful networks with partners across the UK architectural landscape. The quality of our students’ work continues to bring new ideas and innovation for the architecture industry across the UK and the world.”

Compiled annually, the rankings are based upon academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact and help prospective students to identify leading universities in a particular subject.

MSA is an innovative collaboration between Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester, uniting two schools with more than 100 years’ experience, more than 150 experts in their architectural fields and more than 1,200 students from 80 countries producing creative, challenging and academically rigorous work and research in the heart of Manchester.

MSA is connected to academic and professional practice in Manchester, the North West and internationally, providing extensive opportunities for collaboration. It has developed a strong research presence, which is underpinned by its diverse range of work. Research focuses on three core areas: Built Heritage, Urban Futures and Citizen Engagement.