Queen's University Belfast

Queen's University Belfast is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history.

Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast, we became an independent university in 1908. Today, we are ranked in the top 173 universities in the world (QS World Rankings 2020) in the top 140 in the world for graduate prospects (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020), and a member of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos.

A World-Class Education and Student Experience

At Queen’s, we offer a world-class education that prepares our students for leadership and citizenship in a global society.

Our inspiring alumni comprises outstanding scholars, Nobel Prize winners - such as Seamus Heaney and David Trimble - and influential leaders who are making an impact in Northern Ireland and across the globe.

Our students enjoy being educated by world-leading academics working at the forefront of their disciplines and a significant investment in the student experience has resulted in high levels of student satisfaction.

Over 96% of Queen’s graduates are in employment or further study six months after graduation; our graduates are dominating senior leadership positions in 80 of Northern Ireland's top 100 companies and making a difference in over 120 countries.

Leaders in Innovation and Impact

Queen's is a driver of innovation and talent based on excellence. We are globally connected and networked with strategic partnerships across the world, helping us to expand our impact on wider society locally, nationally and globally.

We are leaders in commercial impact and are in the top five UK universities for revenue generated from research commercialisation - £71m. Through QUBIS Ltd, our commercial arm, we have created over 80 spin-out companies. Three of these companies (Kainos, Andor Technology and Fusion Antibodies) have been publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange.

We are number one in the UK for our participation in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). A recent report by London Economics found that Queen’s contributes £1.9billion to the UK economy, employing 3,700 staff and supporting further 2,750 jobs across the UK.

A Global and Inclusive University Community

Queen’s is ranked 22nd in the world for international outlook and is attracting global talent to Belfast.*

We currently have staff and students from over 80 countries, helping to create a multicultural and vibrant campus. They are joining a university that is committed to attracting, retaining and developing the best global talent within an environment that enables them to realise their full potential.

An innovative, welcoming and inclusive place to work and study, Queen’s is a leader in gender equality and diversity. We are one of the UK’s most successful universities in the Athena SWAN initiative which promotes gender equality and career progression. We currently have two Gold, eight Silver and five Bronze departmental awards, as well as an Institutional Silver.

*Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019

Investing in the Future

The UK’s ninth oldest university, Queen’s blends its proud heritage with cutting-edge facilities for the best experience of University life.

Our £700m investment in facilities is transforming the University campus, expanding an environment that stimulates, enables and supports world-class education and research.

This has included the development of a state-of-the-art Graduate School, which is home to a thriving postgraduate community; the award-winning McClay Library; a new Computer Science Building; a School of Law; and the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine.

The University has also invested in sporting facilities, new purpose-built student accommodation in Belfast City Centre and has announced plans for the development of a world-class Student Centre, including a new Students’ Union facility.

At the Forefront of Tackling Global Challenges

Our life-saving graduates comprise 430 nurses, 50 dentists, 130 pharmacists, 250 doctors, 90 social workers.

Together, we are changing lives across Northern Ireland and further afield: our discovery of a new molecule has the potential to prolong the life of people living with cystic fibrosis; we are at the forefront of a major breakthrough in the fight against bowel cancer, and we’re striving to help people with MS recover nerve function.

We are at the forefront of developing new thinking and technologies in key areas such as Health, Peace and Justice, Information Technology, Food Security, and Energy.

Ranked 8th in the UK for Research Intensity

Our researchers are at the forefront of discovery and innovation, with ambitious projects to address global problems and make a difference to society worldwide.

The total value of new research grants and contracts awarded to Queen's during 2016-17 was £101.6m, the first time the annual figure has topped £100m. Queen's was also the No 1 AHRC-funded university in the UK.

We are ranked 8th in the UK for Research Intensity with over 75% of our research assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (REF 2014).

Northern Ireland's Legendary Beauty

Queen’s University is situated in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland.

A city with innovation at its heart, technological advances infiltrate every sector helping to build our competitiveness on the global stage. There are almost 900 international companies located in Northern Ireland, making Belfast the second most successful city in the UK (after London) for attracting US trade.

There’s plenty happening outside the city, including the famous filming locations for the HBO series Game of Thrones, the awe-inspiring Giant’s Causeway, voted the UK’s best Heritage Attraction, and the Mourne Mountains, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty canonised as CS Lewis’ Narnia.

*Lonely Planet, 2017