Harper Adams University has been ranked number one in the world for agriculture and forestry employer reputation, after four years in second place.
Global feedback from businesses has seen the Shropshire-based university top the rankings in the QS World University Subject Rankings metric for employer reputation.
According to higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds, Harper Adams University stands out at a leading institution for its specialist subject base.
The rankings examine the performance of more than 15,200 individual university programmes across the globe.
Institutions are examined across 51 different academic disciplines – with comparative performance data being provided across a range of metrics.
Ben Sowter, QS senior vice president, said: “Observing performance trends across over 15,000 university departments enables us to see which factors influence success.
“An international outlook –both in terms of faculty body and research relationships –correlates strongly with improved performance.
“Rising universities received targeted investment from governments for over a decade. Lastly, strengthening relationships with industry correlates with better employment, research, and innovation outcomes.”
Harper Adams saw further improvement in metrics this year covering academic and research citations categories, as well as in the metric covering its reputation with employers in its specialist subject base.
This employer reputation indicator draws on the responses of tens of thousands of graduate employers worldwide.
For this year’s survey, employers in companies globally were asked to identify institutions they considered ‘excellent’ for the recruitment of graduates – and the disciplines from which they prefer to recruit.
Their selections were used by analysts to infer an institution’s measure of excellence in a given discipline.
Harper Adams vice-chancellor, Professor Ken Sloan responded to the rankings: “Our courses are co-developed with industry partners.
"Our students are engaged throughout their studies with the real-world challenges and opportunities that industry partners face.
"That is why many of our graduates hold senior roles in a wide range of organisations."
