The University of Salford, based in Salford, Greater Manchester (United Kingdom), is ranked #201-260 globally for Architecture and Built Environment in QS Subject Rankings 2026, its single highest position across any global ranking. The university sits at #901-950 in QS World University Rankings 2027, with its strongest discipline ranking nearly four times higher than the overall global band. 

  • QS World 2027: #901-950 globally
  • Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #557 globally
  • THE World 2026: #801-1000 band, #34 of 106 in the UK
  • U.S. News Best Global 2026-2027: #1162 worldwide

Reading the rank pattern: Salford’s overall global rank sits in the 900s, but two subject blocks (Architecture #201-260 in QS, Computer Science #301-400 in THE) rank far stronger than the headline number suggests. Compared with mid-band UK peers such as Manchester Metropolitan and Coventry, Salford’s THE Engineering #401-500 and Business #401-500 ranks sit in matching territory. For Indian applicants, the practical signal is that subject-level placement matters more here than the global overall rank, particularly for built environment, computing and engineering streams.


Read More: University of Salford Admissions 2026
 


University of Salford Overall Rankings 2026

Four global ranking bodies place Salford in three distinct bands, with Collegedunia Study Abroad reading the university over 400 positions stronger than QS or U.S. News. The spread reflects different weight given to research output, employer reputation and the size of each ranking body’s pool.

Ranking Body (Edition) University of Salford Rank
Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 #557 globally
QS World University Rankings 2027 #901-950
Times Higher Education World 2026 #801-1000
U.S. News Best Global 2026-2027 #1162

QS and THE put Salford in roughly the same global band, while U.S. News, which weights research citations more heavily, places it 250+ positions lower. For Indian students, the QS and Collegedunia ranks carry more weight at visa interviews and recruiter screens than the U.S. News position.


University of Salford Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students

Three signals from Salford’s ranking pattern matter more to Indian applicants than the overall global number. Subject strength in built environment and computing, the stable THE band over five years and the gap with the closest Indian alternative all shape the decision.

Signal Salford Position What it means for Indian applicants
Strongest subject (QS 2026) #201-260 Architecture Built environment graduates carry a top-260 global subject badge on the CV
THE Computer Science 2026 #301-400 CS and Data Science PG students gain a band 500 positions stronger than the overall THE rank
QS Engineering vs IIT Delhi (QS 2027) Salford overall #901-950 vs IIT Delhi #118 For pure engineering reputation, IIT Delhi outranks Salford by 800+ positions on QS
THE band stability (5 years) #801-1000 in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 Degree value stays consistent across the five years of an Indian student’s UG timeline

Key Insight

  • Subject-vs-overall gap: Salford’s Architecture subject rank is roughly 700 positions stronger than its overall global rank in the same year.
  • Engineering choice: Indian students focused on global reputation in engineering will see IIT Delhi (#118 in QS 2027) outrank Salford by an order of magnitude, so the UK pick should be driven by access to the Graduate Route post-study work visa, not by ranking parity.
  • Stable band: Five straight years inside THE’s #801-1000 band gives Indian employers a consistent reference point for the degree.

University of Salford QS World University Rankings 2027

The University of Salford QS ranking slipped from the #801-1000 band in 2023 to #901-950 in QS 2027, a drift of roughly two bands over five years. QS measures universities on academic reputation, employer opinion, research citations and international diversity.

Salford ranks #63 of 89 UK universities in QS 2027 and sits inside a pool of 1,401 ranked institutions worldwide. The latest edition was released on 18 June 2026.

Year (Edition) Salford QS World Rank
2027 #901-950
2026 #851-900
2025 #851-900
2024 #801-1000
2023 #801-1000

The 50-position slip between QS 2026 and QS 2027 came as the global pool expanded past 1,400 universities, so part of the band shift reflects more competition rather than a score drop at Salford. For an Indian applicant comparing year-on-year, the practical effect is unchanged employer recognition: a rank in the 800s and one in the low 900s both fall outside the top-200 band that recruiters distinguish.

Key insight: Salford has held a 5-year QS average band around #851-925, with no single-year jump or fall greater than one band. The QS rank reads as a stable backdrop, not a deciding signal.

Read More: University of Salford Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students


University of Salford Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings 

Salford’s Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 rank reads roughly 350 positions stronger than its QS World band, because the Collegedunia pool is sized specifically for Indian study-abroad demand. The ranking weights course portfolio in CS, engineering and business, visa-friendly intake and tuition value.

Category (CD 2026) Collegedunia Rank
Overall #557 globally
#79 of 127 in the UK
Engineering #275 globally
#49 of 70 in the UK
Computer Science #277 globally
#48 of 67 in the UK
Arts #337 globally
#73 of 81 in the UK
Humanities #337 globally
#73 of 81 in the UK
Health Care #332 globally
#76 of 82 in the UK
Medicine #332 globall
#76 of 82 in the UK
Social Studies #397 globally
#93 of 101 in the UK

Engineering (#275) and Computer Science (#277) lead Salford’s CD profile, sitting 280 positions stronger than the overall #557 mark. For Indian PG applicants in CS, data science and engineering, the CD signal reads stronger than the QS overall band, suggesting the programme portfolio is more competitive than the global overall rank implies.

India-relevance: Salford’s CD overall rank (#557) is 344 positions stronger than its QS World rank (#901-950) for the same year, the largest cross-body gap in this article.


University of Salford Times Higher Education Rankings 2026

Salford has stayed inside the #801-1000 band in THE World University Rankings 2026 for five consecutive years, the most stable rank across any body it appears on. THE measures teaching reputation, research citations, industry income and international outlook.

Salford ranks #34 of 106 UK universities in THE 2026, a stronger national position than its global band suggests.

Year Salford THE World Rank
2026 #801-1000
2025 #801-1000
2024 #801-1000
2023 #801-1000
2022 #801-1000

A flat 5-year line in THE is rare. It signals that Salford’s teaching scores and citation density have moved in step with the global pool, with no methodology shock or institutional drop pulling the band down. For Indian alumni already in the workforce, the degree value reads identical to graduates from 2022 through 2026.

Trend signal: Five consecutive years inside one THE band means employer-recognition risk for Salford alumni is among the lowest across mid-band UK universities.


University of Salford U.S. News Best Global Rankings 2026-2027

U.S. News places Salford at #1162 globally in its 2026-2027 Best Global Universities edition, released October 2025. U.S. News weights research output (citations, publications, books) more heavily than the QS or THE formulas, so its rank reads lower than the other bodies for teaching-led universities.

Edition Salford U.S. News Rank
2026-2027 #1162
2025-2026 #1089

Salford slipped 73 positions year-on-year on U.S. News, the largest one-year movement on any body in this article. The drop reflects a research-citation methodology that places mid-sized universities outside the top citation clusters at a structural disadvantage, rather than a measurable decline in Salford’s teaching scores.

What it signals: U.S. News is the weakest single body for Indian applicants making the Salford decision. QS and CD read Salford 200+ positions stronger, and U.S. News is rarely cited by Indian employers or visa officers.


University of Salford Subject Rankings

Across QS and THE subject lists, Salford’s strongest position is Architecture (#201-260 in QS 2026), with Computer Science and Engineering following inside the #301-500 band on THE. Subject ranks consistently read 400+ positions stronger than the overall global rank.

Key Insight

  • Top-260 subject: Architecture is the only Salford subject inside the top-260 band on any body, ranking #9 of 24 UK universities in that QS subject list.
  • CS-vs-overall gap: THE Computer Science (#301-400) is roughly 500 positions stronger than Salford’s THE overall band (#801-1000) in 2026.
  • Engineering band: THE Engineering (#401-500) places Salford alongside several Russell Group lower-band engineering schools at the same band edge.

University of Salford QS Subject Rankings 2026

Architecture is Salford’s strongest individual rank on any body, sitting hundreds of positions stronger than the overall QS position.

Subject QS Subject Rank 2026
Architecture and Built Environment #201-260
Computer Science and Information Systems #751-850
Medicine #775-847

Architecture sits roughly 700 positions stronger than the overall QS rank, a gap that lets built environment students cite a top-260 global subject placement irrespective of the institution’s overall band. CS and Medicine track close to the overall band rather than amplifying it.


University of Salford THE Subject Rankings 2026

Eight THE subject lists rank Salford, with Computer Science and three professional disciplines all sitting inside the #301-500 band, hundreds of positions stronger than the overall THE rank.

Subject THE Subject Rank 2026
Computer Science #301-400
Business and Economics #401-500
Engineering #401-500
Life Sciences #401-500
Psychology #501-600
Arts and Humanities #601-800
Medical and Health #601-800
Social Sciences #601-800

Half of Salford’s THE subjects (Computer Science, Business, Engineering, Life Sciences) sit inside the global top-500, while the overall institution remains in the #801-1000 band. For Indian PG applicants picking by subject, the THE subject rank is the more honest signal of academic depth in that field.

Key insight: Salford’s THE Computer Science position (#301-400) is the most cited subject rank by Indian applicants on Collegedunia reviews, reflecting demand for the MSc Data Science and MSc Cyber Security programmes.


University of Salford Rankings: Indian Student Outlook

For Indian applicants, Salford’s Collegedunia overall rank (#557) reads 344 positions stronger than its QS World rank, the largest CD-vs-QS gap covered in this article. Two subject blocks (Architecture in QS, Computer Science in THE) carry positions hundreds of ranks above the overall band.

Indian students at Salford most commonly enrol in:

  • MSc Data Science and MSc Cyber Security, Threat Intelligence and Forensics, both backed by THE Computer Science #301-400
  • MBA and MSc International Business, supported by THE Business and Economics #401-500
  • MSc Project Management, a long-running Salford PG portfolio with strong India demand
  • BSc and MSc Architecture, Built Environment and Quantity Surveying, anchored by QS Architecture #201-260
  • MSc Robotics, MSc Civil Engineering and other engineering streams, tracked by THE Engineering #401-500
Signal for Indian applicants Salford position
Strongest subject (QS 2026) #201-260 Architecture
Strongest subject (THE 2026) #301-400 Computer Science
UK national rank (THE 2026) #34 of 106
UK national rank (QS 2027) #63 of 89
Compared with IIT Delhi (QS 2027) IIT Delhi #118 vs Salford #901-950

Key Insight

  • Pick by subject: CS and Architecture students gain 500-700 positions of rank value by reading the subject band rather than the overall global rank.
  • UK vs India choice: An Indian engineering applicant choosing between Salford and IIT Delhi gains +800 positions of QS reputation at IIT Delhi but loses access to the UK Graduate Route 2-year post-study work visa.
  • Stability premium: Salford’s flat 5-year THE band means a 2022 graduate holds the same employer-recognition signal as a 2026 graduate, a stability not all mid-band UK universities offer.

Read Salford by its subject ranks, not its overall band. The Architecture position in QS 2026 sits roughly 700 positions stronger than the overall QS rank, the Computer Science position in THE sits 500 positions stronger and four THE subjects land inside the global top-500. The five-year THE band stability is the second signal worth carrying into the application decision.

FAQs

Ques. What is the QS World University Rankings position for University of Salford in 2027?

Ans. University of Salford ranks #901-950 in QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026. Within the UK, Salford ranks #63 of 89 ranked institutions. The 5-year QS trend has held inside the #801-950 band.

Ques. What is University of Salford’s Times Higher Education ranking?

Ans. University of Salford sits in the #801-1000 band of THE World University Rankings 2026 for the fifth consecutive year. The UK national position is #34 of 106 ranked institutions. THE Computer Science 2026 places Salford at #301-400, the strongest THE subject rank the university carries.

Ques. Is University of Salford a good university for Indian students looking at rankings?

Ans. For Indian applicants in Architecture, Computer Science, Engineering or Business, Salford’s subject ranks read 400-700 positions stronger than its overall global rank. The Collegedunia Study Abroad rank places Salford at #557, roughly 344 positions stronger than the QS overall position.

Ques. What is University of Salford’s strongest subject ranking?

Ans. Architecture and Built Environment is the strongest subject at #201-260 in QS Subject Rankings 2026, placing it #9 of 24 UK universities ranked in that subject. THE Computer Science 2026 follows at #301-400, the strongest THE subject position.

Ques. How does University of Salford rank in the UK?

Ans. University of Salford ranks #34 of 106 UK universities in THE 2026 and #63 of 89 UK universities in QS 2027. UK domestic guides place it at #85 in The Guardian 2026 and #79 in the Complete University Guide.

Ques. Is University of Salford ranked by ARWU (Shanghai)?

Ans. University of Salford does not currently appear inside ARWU’s top 1,000 published list. ARWU weights Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists and Nature or Science publications heavily, metrics where mid-sized UK research universities outside the top 50 typically do not place.

Ques. What is University of Salford’s Collegedunia Study Abroad rank?

Ans. University of Salford is ranked #557 globally in Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 and #79 of 127 UK universities. By subject, Engineering ranks #275 and Computer Science #277, both 280 positions stronger than the overall CD rank.