Royal Holloway, University of London rankings place the Egham, Surrey (UK) university at #37 globally in QS Music 2026 and #12 among universities only. The institution sits at #=485 in QS World University Rankings 2027, with Music as the strongest subject on every major ranking body.
- QS World 2027: #=485 globally
- Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #379 globally, #50 in the UK
- THE World 2026: 401-500 band
- QS Music 2026: #37 globally, #12 among universities only
Bottom Line for Indian Students: Royal Holloway sits inside the global top 500 across QS and THE, with its Music department punching far above the overall university rank. For Indian applicants, the gap between department rank and overall is sharp: Music #37 against overall #=485 means degree value depends heavily on your chosen discipline. The Collegedunia UK rank of #50 keeps it in the mid-tier of UK institutions worth shortlisting.
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Royal Holloway, University of London Overall Rankings 2027
Across five global ranking bodies, Royal Holloway’s current positions cluster inside the 400-500 band, with Collegedunia Study Abroad placing it higher at #379 globally. The consolidated view below pulls every verified overall rank from the latest editions.
| Ranking Body (Edition) | Royal Holloway, University of London Rank |
|---|---|
| Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 | #379 globally, #50 UK |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | #=485 |
| Times Higher Education World 2026 | 401-500 band |
| U.S. News Best Global Universities 2025-2026 | #913 |
| ARWU (Shanghai) 2022 | 601-700 band |
The spread between Collegedunia (#379) and U.S. News (#913) is wide, a 534-point gap that reflects how differently these agencies weigh research citations and academic reputation. For Indian students, this signals that Royal Holloway’s teaching reputation and alumni outcomes hold firmer than its raw research citation output.
What it signals: Four of five bodies landing in the 400-500 band confirm a stable mid-tier global position, while the stronger Collegedunia UK rank of #50 keeps Royal Holloway on most Indian shortlists for London-area studies.
Royal Holloway, University of London Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students
The strongest signals for Indian applicants are Music #37 and Psychology inside the top 150, with the U.S. News #913 position acting as the main caution flag. Each row below condenses one signal into a practical reading.
| Signal | Current Rank | What it means for Indian applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Overall QS position | #=485 | Mid-tier UK option, inside the global top 500 |
| Music specialisation | #37 globally | World top-50 subject strength, rare for Indian applicants |
| Collegedunia UK rank | #50 | Comfortably inside the top-50 UK universities on Collegedunia’s India-focused list |
| THE Psychology band | 126-150 | Strong fit for MSc Psychology aspirants from India |
| Research intensity (ARWU) | 601-700 band | Research output trails reputation, pick teaching-led programs |
The sharpest gap is between the Music subject rank (#37) and the overall position (#=485), a 448-point delta that defines Royal Holloway’s identity for Indian applicants. The university rewards subject-focused shortlisting over generic rank-chasing.
Key insight
- Subject-first university: Music, Psychology and Arts and Humanities each outrank the overall position by at least 150 places.
- UK top-50 on Collegedunia: Comfortably inside the top-50 UK universities on Collegedunia Study Abroad, keeping it eligible for most Indian scholarship shortlists.
- Research-trailing profile: ARWU 601-700 and U.S. News #913 confirm that teaching reputation outruns raw research citation volume.
Royal Holloway, University of London QS World University Rankings 2027
Royal Holloway, University of London ranks #=485 in QS World University Rankings 2027. QS rates universities on academic reputation, employer opinion and research citations, and it is the ranking Indian students watch most closely for scholarship eligibility.
Over the past four QS editions, Royal Holloway has slipped 72 positions, with the sharpest drop coming between the 2024 and 2025 editions.
| Year | Royal Holloway, University of London QS Rank |
|---|---|
| 2027 | #=485 |
| 2026 | #461 |
| 2025 | #477 |
| 2024 | #413 |
The 4-year average sits near #459, so the current #=485 position is 26 places below the average and signals a mild downward trend. Indian applicants treating QS as the primary filter should weigh this against the stronger Music and Psychology subject positions.
Key insight: The 72-place slip since 2024 is real, but the band stays firmly inside the global top 500, which keeps Royal Holloway eligible for most Indian scholarship and loan providers that use the QS top 500 cutoff.
Read More: Royal Holloway, University of London Courses and Fees 2027 for Indian Students
Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of Royal Holloway, University of London
Collegedunia Study Abroad ranks Royal Holloway at #379 globally and #50 in the United Kingdom for 2026, with its sharpest category strength in Arts and Humanities. The Collegedunia methodology blends global ranking signals with India-specific factors like alumni outcomes and scholarship availability for Indian students.
| Category | Collegedunia Study Abroad Rank 2026 |
|---|---|
| Overall Global | #379 |
| Overall United Kingdom | #50 |
| Arts | #138 |
| Humanities | #138 |
| Law | #190 |
| Computer Science | #206 |
| Social Studies | #235 |
The Collegedunia global rank of #379 is 106 places higher than the QS 2027 position of #=485, a gap that reflects India-specific weightings on alumni outcomes and application density. Arts and Humanities tie at #138, 241 places above the overall global rank.
India-relevance: The Arts and Humanities tie at #138 confirms Royal Holloway as a credible shortlist choice for Indian students pursuing MA English, History or Media over the usual engineering path.
Royal Holloway, University of London Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2026
Royal Holloway sits in the 401-500 band in THE World University Rankings 2026. THE rates teaching, research citations and international outlook, with heavier weight on research output than QS applies.
The band has not moved between the 2025 and 2026 editions, a flat trend that matters for Indian masters planning.
| Year | Royal Holloway, University of London THE Rank |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 401-500 band |
| 2025 | 401-500 band |
Flat positioning across two editions signals stability, not stagnation, which is the pattern Indian applicants want when planning a 2-year masters that finishes in 2029. The THE band also matches the lower end of the QS range, confirming a consistent mid-tier global read.
Trend signal: The flat 401-500 band means degree value stays unchanged for Indian masters students graduating in 2028 or 2029, so there is no risk of a sudden rank drop while they are studying.
Royal Holloway, University of London Other Global Rankings
Across U.S. News and ARWU, Royal Holloway sits deeper in the global pack than it does on QS and THE. These two bodies weight research citation volume and highly cited researchers more heavily, which is where the university’s lower research output shows up most.
| Ranking Body | Edition | Royal Holloway, University of London Rank |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. News Best Global Universities | 2025-2026 | #913 |
| ARWU (Shanghai) | 2022 | 601-700 band |
The U.S. News position of #913 is 428 places below the QS 2027 rank, the widest gap between any two ranking agencies for the university. This confirms the Indian takeaway: pick Royal Holloway for its teaching, subject strengths and location rather than for citation-heavy research careers.
Note: U.S. News weights research citations and publication volume more than reputation, so this gap is a methodology signal, not a quality drop for teaching-focused programs.
Royal Holloway, University of London Subject Rankings
Royal Holloway subject rankings are where the university’s identity sharpens. Music sits at #37 globally in QS, and six more disciplines land inside THE’s top 500 subject bands for 2026.
Key insight
- Top-50 subject: Music ranks #37 globally in QS 2026, with 448 places separating it from the overall QS position.
- Top-150 subject: Psychology lands in the THE 126-150 band for 2026, well above the university’s overall 401-500 band.
- Seven ranked subjects: From Arts and Humanities to Computer Science, seven THE subject areas are ranked, giving Indian applicants multiple strong shortlisting angles.
Royal Holloway, University of London Music Ranking
Royal Holloway ranks #37 globally in QS Music 2026, and #12 when the list is filtered to universities only (excluding standalone conservatories). This is the largest gap between any subject rank and the overall position at the university.
| Ranking | Royal Holloway, University of London Position 2026 |
|---|---|
| QS Music (all institutions) | #37 |
| QS Music (universities only) | #12 |
With no Indian university ranked inside the QS Music top 100 for 2026, Royal Holloway offers a distinctive route for Indian applicants pursuing MA Music, Composition or Performance degrees abroad.
Royal Holloway, University of London Psychology Ranking
Royal Holloway lands in the 126-150 band of THE Psychology Rankings 2026. Psychology is a growing choice for Indian students, with MSc routes drawing applicants from Delhi University, Christ University and Fergusson College.
| Ranking | Royal Holloway, University of London Position 2026 |
|---|---|
| THE Psychology | 126-150 band |
The 126-150 band is roughly 275 places above the overall 401-500 THE band, confirming Psychology as one of the strongest department bets at the university for Indian applicants.
Royal Holloway, University of London Arts and Humanities Ranking
Royal Holloway sits in the 201-250 band of THE Arts and Humanities Rankings 2026. The faculty covers English, History, Classics, Philosophy and Media Arts, with the campus holding one of the oldest humanities libraries in the UK.
| Ranking | Royal Holloway, University of London Position 2026 |
|---|---|
| THE Arts and Humanities | 201-250 band |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad Arts | #138 |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad Humanities | #138 |
At 201-250 on THE and #138 on Collegedunia, the subject sits about 200 places above the overall position, giving MA Humanities applicants from India a department that outperforms the university’s headline rank by a wide margin.
Royal Holloway, University of London Law Ranking
Royal Holloway comes in at the 251-300 band of THE Law Rankings 2026. Collegedunia Study Abroad separately ranks the Law program at #190 globally for 2026.
| Ranking | Royal Holloway, University of London Position 2026 |
|---|---|
| THE Law | 251-300 band |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad Law | #190 |
The Collegedunia Law rank of #190 is 61 places better than the THE band’s lower edge, which gives Indian LLM applicants a double-source confirmation of mid-tier UK law strength.
Royal Holloway, University of London Physical Sciences Ranking
Royal Holloway is placed in the 251-300 band of THE Physical Sciences Rankings 2026. The faculty covers Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, with the Physics department running a research group on gravitational wave detection.
| Ranking | Royal Holloway, University of London Position 2026 |
|---|---|
| THE Physical Sciences | 251-300 band |
This 251-300 band sits roughly 150 places above the overall university band, so Physics and Mathematics applicants from India get a stronger relative pick than the headline rank suggests.
Royal Holloway, University of London Business and Economics Ranking
Royal Holloway occupies the 301-400 band of THE Business and Economics Rankings 2026. The School of Business and Management runs MSc Finance, MSc Management and MSc International Business, each popular with Indian applicants.
| Ranking | Royal Holloway, University of London Position 2026 |
|---|---|
| THE Business and Economics | 301-400 band |
At 301-400, Business sits close to the overall university band, so the subject rank adds little uplift for MBA-style applicants over the headline Royal Holloway position.
Royal Holloway, University of London Social Sciences Ranking
Royal Holloway stands at the 301-400 band of THE Social Sciences Rankings 2026. The faculty includes Politics, International Relations, Media Studies and Information Security, the last being a longstanding research strength.
| Ranking | Royal Holloway, University of London Position 2026 |
|---|---|
| THE Social Sciences | 301-400 band |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad Social Studies | #235 |
The Collegedunia Social Studies rank of #235 lands about 66 places above the THE band’s lower edge, matching the pattern where India-focused rankings score Royal Holloway higher than global research-weighted ones.
Royal Holloway, University of London Computer Science Ranking
Royal Holloway is ranked in the 401-500 band of THE Computer Science Rankings 2026, with Collegedunia Study Abroad placing CS at #206 for the same year. The university’s Information Security Group is one of the largest in Europe.
| Ranking | Royal Holloway, University of London Position 2026 |
|---|---|
| THE Computer Science | 401-500 band |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad Computer Science | #206 |
The 195-place gap between Collegedunia (#206) and the THE band’s lower edge is the widest in the subject table, and signals that MSc Data Science and MSc AI applicants from India should weigh the Information Security specialisation separately from the headline CS rank.
Royal Holloway, University of London Rankings: Indian Student Outlook
With roughly 250 Indian students on campus, Royal Holloway operates as a mid-sized destination inside the London commuter belt. The ranking profile tells Indian applicants to shortlist by department, not by headline rank.
Popular programs for Indian students at Royal Holloway:
- MSc Data Science: Backed by the #206 Collegedunia Computer Science rank and the Information Security Group’s reputation.
- MSc Artificial Intelligence: Tied to the same CS department strengths and growing Indian demand for AI masters in the UK.
- MSc Social Work: Draws on the THE Social Sciences 301-400 band and Collegedunia Social Studies #235.
- BSc Criminology and Psychology: Benefits from the THE Psychology 126-150 band, the strongest subject fit for this program.
- BSc Biomedical Sciences: Fits inside the THE Physical Sciences 251-300 band for Indian science applicants.
| Indian Applicant Signal | Data Point | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Strongest subject fit | QS Music #37 | Rare top-50 global subject for Indian applicants |
| Collegedunia UK rank | #50 | Comfortably inside the top-50 UK universities on Collegedunia |
| QS trend since 2024 | Slipped 72 places | Mild downward trend, still inside global top 500 |
| Closest Indian comparator | IITs lead QS top 150 for engineering | Different value: Royal Holloway for humanities and music, IITs for engineering routes |
| Collegedunia-vs-QS gap | 106 places | India-focused ranking scores Royal Holloway above the global average |
Indian applicants weighing Royal Holloway should treat Music, Psychology and Arts and Humanities as the ranking-backed anchor subjects. Picking the right department here matters more than at any peer UK university of similar overall rank.
Key insight
- Subject-first shortlist: With a 448-place gap between Music and overall QS, pick Royal Holloway for a named department, not a headline brand.
- Stable UK top-50: The Collegedunia UK rank of #50 and THE’s flat 401-500 band keep Royal Holloway on most Indian scholarship-eligibility lists.
- Teaching over research: ARWU 601-700 and U.S. News #913 point Indian masters applicants toward taught MSc routes over research doctorates.
- India-focused rank uplift: The 106-place Collegedunia-vs-QS gap confirms Collegedunia’s methodology rewards Royal Holloway’s Indian-student outcomes.
Royal Holloway’s ranking profile is sharper than the headline QS 2027 position of #=485 suggests. The 448-place gap to its top Music subject rank, the flat THE 401-500 band and the Collegedunia UK #50 placement together make it a credible pick for Indian applicants who shortlist by department. The 72-place QS slip since 2024 is worth watching, but it does not disqualify the university from top-500 global shortlists.
Royal Holloway, University of London Ranking FAQs
Ques. What is the QS ranking of Royal Holloway, University of London in 2027?
Ans. Royal Holloway, University of London ranks #=485 in QS World University Rankings 2027. This is 24 places lower than its #461 position in the 2026 edition, and 72 places lower than its #413 position in 2024.
Ques. What is the Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of Royal Holloway, University of London?
Ans. Collegedunia Study Abroad ranks Royal Holloway at #379 globally and #50 in the United Kingdom for 2026. Its best category rank is Arts at #138, tied with Humanities.
Ques. Is Royal Holloway, University of London ranked in Times Higher Education Rankings?
Ans. Yes, Royal Holloway sits in the 401-500 band of THE World University Rankings 2026. The position has remained flat across the 2025 and 2026 editions.
Ques. What is Royal Holloway’s best subject ranking?
Ans. Royal Holloway’s best subject ranking is Music, which sits at #37 globally in QS Music 2026 and #12 when the list is filtered to universities only. Psychology is a close second at the THE 126-150 band.
Ques. How does Royal Holloway, University of London rank for Indian students?
Ans. For Indian students, Royal Holloway ranks #50 in the UK on Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 and sits inside the global top 500 on QS 2027. The 106-place Collegedunia-vs-QS gap shows India-focused rankings score it higher than global ones.
Ques. Why does Royal Holloway rank lower on U.S. News than on QS?
Ans. Royal Holloway ranks #913 in U.S. News Best Global Universities 2025-2026, which is 428 places below its QS 2027 position. U.S. News weights research citations and publication volume more than reputation, which pulls Royal Holloway’s lower citation output deeper into the global pack.
Ques. Has Royal Holloway’s QS ranking improved recently?
Ans. No, Royal Holloway’s QS ranking has slipped from #413 in 2024 to #=485 in 2027, a 72-place drop over four editions. The band stays inside the global top 500 and does not change scholarship-eligibility status for Indian applicants.










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