SOAS shortlisted for University of the Year in Times Higher Education awards
SOAS University of London has been shortlisted for University of the Year in this year’s prestigious The Times Higher Education (THE) award.
The THE University of the Year category spotlights universities who have demonstrated exceptional performance in research, teaching, access, and leadership, as well as bold, imaginative or innovative initiatives.
We're not trying to replicate what other universities are doing. We know our mission and we're clear about who we are...
In particular, SOAS’s achievements across research, academic excellence, student access, and scholarships, coupled with our unique focus on Asia, Africa and the Middle East was highlighted in the nomination.
The 2026 THE awards received over 500 applications, with THE Editor, Chris Havergal saying: "It is a huge achievement to have reached this stage in another very competitive year."
Judges shortlisted after considering SOAS’s recent achievements and remarkable institutional turnaround after the well-publicised challenges faced in 2019, and during a difficult time for the sector post-Brexit and the pandemic. Today SOAS is financially stable and continues to attract large numbers of students because of its progressive approach to learning, teaching and research.
This year, four of SOAS’s subjects were ranked in the global top 25 in the 2026 QS World University Rankings, and 13 subjects ranked in the top 100 for universities across the world. SOAS’s international faculty has also ranked joint first in the UK and 21 for international students in the UK in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
Speaking on the shortlisting, SOAS Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib, said: "SOAS is a specialist university offering a style of education you simply can't find elsewhere – built around our unique approach of viewing academic disciplines through the lens of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. We're not trying to replicate what other universities are doing. We know our mission and we're clear about who we are, and that clarity keeps resonating with prospective students, as we've seen again this summer. The message is clear: the next generation want to understand the world, not just study it, and they're choosing SOAS to do that."
SOAS was also shortlisted for 'Lecturers and Teaching Quality' at the 2026 Whatuni Student Choice Awards earlier this year.
