RAE 2008 Rating and Ranking
The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) was a comprehensive evaluation conducted by the UK government to measure the quality of research outputs at British universities. Published on December 18, 2008, the assessment provided an in-depth analysis of research excellence across 132 institutions in the United Kingdom. This exercise was essential for determining funding allocations and helping the higher education sector maintain and enhance research standards.
At the top of the rankings was the Institute of Cancer Research, which secured the first position due to its exceptional performance in the assessment. Renowned for its groundbreaking research in oncology and cancer treatment, the Institute of Cancer Research demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and improving patient outcomes. Its top ranking highlighted the institution’s significant contributions to medical research, fostering innovations that have made profound impacts on healthcare.
The University of Cambridge claimed the second spot in the 2008 RAE, reinforcing its status as one of the world’s leading academic institutions. Cambridge's exceptional research output across a diverse range of disciplines has long been recognized, and the 2008 RAE results reaffirmed its global reputation for academic and research excellence. The university’s numerous world-class research centers, pioneering projects, and distinguished faculty have placed it at the forefront of scientific, social, and technological advancements.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine was ranked third, showcasing the critical importance and high quality of research in public health, epidemiology, and tropical medicine. Its work has been vital in addressing global health challenges, and the institution’s outstanding RAE scores underscored the profound impact of its research on public policy and global health initiatives.
Tied for fourth place were the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of Oxford. The LSE is internationally renowned for its research in social sciences, economics, and political studies, and its placement reflected the exceptional quality of its research output. The university's influential research has shaped economic theory, policy-making, and public discourse worldwide.
Similarly, the University of Oxford’s fourth-place ranking continued to highlight its status as one of the preeminent universities globally. Known for its breadth and depth of research across disciplines, Oxford consistently produces high-impact research, driving forward knowledge in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. The 2008 RAE reinforced Oxford's strong reputation for research excellence and its contribution to both national and international academic and practical advancements.
The 2008 RAE, therefore, served as an important indicator of research quality in the UK, showcasing the high standard of academic inquiry and innovation at these top institutions. The exercise not only underscored the UK's strength in academic research but also emphasized the critical role of institutions like the Institute of Cancer Research, Cambridge, LSE, Oxford, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in contributing to the global research landscape.
RAE 2008 Rank, Institution
1 Institute of Cancer Research
2 Uni of Cambridge
3 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
=4 London School of Economics and Political Science
=4 Uni of Oxford
6 Imperial College London
7 Uni College London
8 U of Manchester
9 U of Warwick
10 U of York
11 U of Essex
12 U of Edinburgh
13 Queen Mary, U of London
=14 U of Leeds
=14 U of St Andrews
=14 U of Bristol
=14 U of Sheffield
=14 U of Durham
=14 U of Southampton
=20 U of Bath
=20 Lancaster Univ
=22 King's College London
=22 Cardiff Uni
=24 U of Nottingham
=24 Royal Holloway, U of London
26 U of Birmingham
27 U of Newcastle upon Tyne
=28 Loughborough Univ
=28 U of Exeter
30 U of Sussex
=31 U of Kent
=31 School of Oriental and African Studies
=33 U of Glasgow
=33 Birkbeck College
=35 Goldsmiths College, University of London
=35 U of East Anglia
=35 U of Surrey
38 U of Aberdeen
39 Queen's Uni Belfast
=40 U of Liverpool
=40 U of Dundee
42 U of Reading
43 Open U
44 U of the Arts London
=45 U of Ulster
=45 Aberystwyth Univ
=45 City U, London
=45 Heriot-Watt U
49 Cranfield U
50 U of Strathclyde
51 U of Leicester
=52 Swansea U
=52 Bangor U
=52 Aston U
55 Univ of Wales, Newport
=56 Keele U
=56 U of Stirling
58 U of Hertfordshire
=59 U of Brighton
=59 U of Hull
61 U of Salford
62 U of Bradford
=63 De Montfort U
=63 Brunel U
65 Birmingham City U
=66 Edinburgh College of Art
=66 St George's Hospital Medical School
=68 U of East London
=68 London South Bank U
=68 U of Portsmouth
71 U of Westminster
=72 Oxford Brookes U
=72 U of the West of England, Bristol
=72 Roehampton U
=75 Bournemouth U
=75 Middlesex U
=75 U of Plymouth
=78 U of Winchester
=78 Nottingham Trent U
=78 Manchester Metropolitan U
=81 U of Northumbria at Newcastle
=81 Liverpool John Moores U
83 U of Wales, Lampeter
84 U of Huddersfield
85 U of Bedfordshire
86 Anglia Ruskin U
87 Robert Gordon U
=88 Dartington College of Arts
=88 Leeds Metropolitan U
=88 Sheffield Hallam U
=91 U of Glamorgan
=91 Kingston U
=93 U of Wolverhampton
=93 Glasgow Caledonian U
95 U of Teesside
=96 U of Derby
=96 U of Chichester
=96 U of Central Lancashire
=96 UHI Millennium Institute
=100 U of Lincoln
=100 U of Greenwich
102 Bath Spa U
103 U of Wales Institute, Cardiff
=104 Leeds Trinity & All Saints
=104 U of Sunderland
106 Coventry U
=107 London Metropolitan U
=107 U of the West of Scotland
=109 U of Abertay Dundee
=109 Napier U
=111 Swansea Metropolitan U
=111 Canterbury Christ Church U
113 U of Bolton
114 U of Chester
115 St Mary's Univ College
116 U of Gloucestershire
=117 Glyndŵr U
=117 U of Northampton
=119 Thames Valley U
=119 Buckinghamshire New U
121 Staffordshire U
122 U of Worcester
123 Newman U College
=124 Heythrop College
=124 Edge Hill University
126 Southampton Solent U
127 Liverpool Hope U
128 York St John U
129 Queen Margaret U Edinburgh
130 U of Cumbria
131 Bishop Grosseteste U College, Lincoln
132 U College Plymouth St Mark & St John
Source: Times Higher Education
RAE 2008 Rank, Institution
1 Institute of Cancer Research
2 Uni of Cambridge
3 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
=4 London School of Economics and Political Science
=4 Uni of Oxford
6 Imperial College London
7 Uni College London
8 U of Manchester
9 U of Warwick
10 U of York
11 U of Essex
12 U of Edinburgh
13 Queen Mary, U of London
=14 U of Leeds
=14 U of St Andrews
=14 U of Bristol
=14 U of Sheffield
=14 U of Durham
=14 U of Southampton
=20 U of Bath
=20 Lancaster Univ
=22 King's College London
=22 Cardiff Uni
=24 U of Nottingham
=24 Royal Holloway, U of London
26 U of Birmingham
27 U of Newcastle upon Tyne
=28 Loughborough Univ
=28 U of Exeter
30 U of Sussex
=31 U of Kent
=31 School of Oriental and African Studies
=33 U of Glasgow
=33 Birkbeck College
=35 Goldsmiths College, University of London
=35 U of East Anglia
=35 U of Surrey
38 U of Aberdeen
39 Queen's Uni Belfast
=40 U of Liverpool
=40 U of Dundee
42 U of Reading
43 Open U
44 U of the Arts London
=45 U of Ulster
=45 Aberystwyth Univ
=45 City U, London
=45 Heriot-Watt U
49 Cranfield U
50 U of Strathclyde
51 U of Leicester
=52 Swansea U
=52 Bangor U
=52 Aston U
55 Univ of Wales, Newport
=56 Keele U
=56 U of Stirling
58 U of Hertfordshire
=59 U of Brighton
=59 U of Hull
61 U of Salford
62 U of Bradford
=63 De Montfort U
=63 Brunel U
65 Birmingham City U
=66 Edinburgh College of Art
=66 St George's Hospital Medical School
=68 U of East London
=68 London South Bank U
=68 U of Portsmouth
71 U of Westminster
=72 Oxford Brookes U
=72 U of the West of England, Bristol
=72 Roehampton U
=75 Bournemouth U
=75 Middlesex U
=75 U of Plymouth
=78 U of Winchester
=78 Nottingham Trent U
=78 Manchester Metropolitan U
=81 U of Northumbria at Newcastle
=81 Liverpool John Moores U
83 U of Wales, Lampeter
84 U of Huddersfield
85 U of Bedfordshire
86 Anglia Ruskin U
87 Robert Gordon U
=88 Dartington College of Arts
=88 Leeds Metropolitan U
=88 Sheffield Hallam U
=91 U of Glamorgan
=91 Kingston U
=93 U of Wolverhampton
=93 Glasgow Caledonian U
95 U of Teesside
=96 U of Derby
=96 U of Chichester
=96 U of Central Lancashire
=96 UHI Millennium Institute
=100 U of Lincoln
=100 U of Greenwich
102 Bath Spa U
103 U of Wales Institute, Cardiff
=104 Leeds Trinity & All Saints
=104 U of Sunderland
106 Coventry U
=107 London Metropolitan U
=107 U of the West of Scotland
=109 U of Abertay Dundee
=109 Napier U
=111 Swansea Metropolitan U
=111 Canterbury Christ Church U
113 U of Bolton
114 U of Chester
115 St Mary's Univ College
116 U of Gloucestershire
=117 Glyndŵr U
=117 U of Northampton
=119 Thames Valley U
=119 Buckinghamshire New U
121 Staffordshire U
122 U of Worcester
123 Newman U College
=124 Heythrop College
=124 Edge Hill University
126 Southampton Solent U
127 Liverpool Hope U
128 York St John U
129 Queen Margaret U Edinburgh
130 U of Cumbria
131 Bishop Grosseteste U College, Lincoln
132 U College Plymouth St Mark & St John
Source: Times Higher Education
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