Maynooth University has today been recognised as one of the leading new universities in the world, ranked 68th in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) ‘Top 150 under 50’ list. This success follows on from Maynooth’s extremely strong performances in other recent THE rankings, including being named among the top 400 universities in the world, the top 200 European universities, and being recognised as one of the top 200 universities for international connections and outlook.

Today’s ranking, which lists the world’s best 150 universities less than 50 years old, includes representatives from 39 countries. Universities are ranked according to a range of criteria, including research income achieved; reputation for teaching; numbers of PhDs awarded; the number of scholarly publications and their quality evidence by citations; and the numbers of international staff and students. Maynooth was ranked 68th, while two other Irish universities are also named in the top 150.

Maynooth University President, Professor Philip Nolan, said: “While rankings of this nature are subjective and problematic, it is a welcome endorsement of the performance of the entire University; it shows yet again that our research and teaching are excellent by international standards, and recognised as such by our peers.

We are very proud of our standing as a global university, yet we are continually working to further enhance our research and to improve the educational experience we offer. The quality of our research is evident from our position as first in Ireland for publications in the top 1% of academic journals in the world. Students are responding to our new and exciting undergraduate curriculum, evidenced by our highest ever number of first preferences on the CAO applications.”

Maynooth University has international research strengths in the humanities, social sciences, information and communications technology, and biological and chemical sciences. A major programme of research investment is consolidating and enhancing our capacity in these areas. Furthermore, Maynooth University has developed an approach to undergraduate education which is unique in the Irish university sector, offering simple CAO choices, much greater flexibility and breadth within its degree programmes, and expanding opportunities for students to study across disciplines. This ground-breaking innovation has given Maynooth University its highest-ever level of first preference applications to the CAO, and the University’s Bachelor of Arts degree is now the most popular course in the country.