These international subject rankings for 2022 reconfirm the University’s strong global standing thanks to the quality of our research and teaching and the reputation of our academics across many areas.
Places in the rankings are recorded by either a specific position or a wider band.
The results include two subjects in the top 50 in the world—Library and Information Management at 34 and Development Studies at 50—and a further eight in the top 100—English Language and Literature, Geography, Hospitality and Leisure Management, Law, Linguistics, Performing Arts, Psychology, and Politics and International Studies.
Victoria University of Wellington is also ranked at 76 equal internationally for the Arts and Humanities group of subjects.
In addition to the three top 100 subjects within the Arts and Humanities (English Language and Literature, Linguistics, and Performing Arts), other subjects in this field that rank highly are History and Modern Languages, in the 101-150 band, Archaeology, Architecture/Built Environment, and Philosophy in the 151-200 band.
Kaiwhakakapi Toi Aropai—Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education Professor Sarah Leggott says the results reflect the ongoing commitment of staff and students across the breadth of arts and humanities subjects to creating meaningful impact.
In the Social Sciences and Management group of subjects, Education and Sociology are ranked in the 101-150 band, Social Policy and Administration in the 101-120 band, and Accounting and Finance and Communication and Media Studies in the 151-200 band.
Other highly ranked subjects include Earth and Marine Sciences, Geology, and Geophysics, all in the 101–150.
Kaiwhakakapi Tumu Whakarae—Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Jennifer Windsor says the outstanding results for the University as a whole speak to the talent and dedication of staff, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic—whether in a specialist field such as Library and Information Management, in the Wellington School of Business and Government, or in an area of increasing global relevance, such as Development Studies, in the Wellington Faculty of Science. or in long-established disciplines such as the Faculty of Law (at equal 73rd).
“It’s not just about the rankings themselves; it’s that they reflect broad staff expertise in creating and translating new knowledge – a critical role for universities to play in today’s world.”
As well as our global rankings, the University is number one for research intensity in the latest six-yearly assessment of the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF), New Zealand’s main measure of research quality. The University has a higher proportion of academics conducting high-quality research than any other university in the country. We are fortunate to be the only university to top the PBRF assessment twice, having done so consecutively in 2012 and 2018.