Warwick is one of the UK’s leading research universities and the quality and impact of our research is demonstrated by our excellent research rankings.

The last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) was conducted in 2008 with Warwick ranked at 7th overall in the UK (based on multi-faculty institutions) and the top University in the Midlands. The RAE was a UK-wide exercise run on behalf of the four UK higher education funding bodies. It has since been replaced by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) with the next assessment due to be completed in 2014.

The results of the RAE 2008 placed a significant number of Warwick departments in the top 10 in the UK in their unit of assessment:

The 2008 RAE results were compiled using a quality profile which identifies the proportion of activity reaching each of four defined 'starred' quality levels – from 4* to unclassified:

• 4* Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour
• 3* Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standard of excellence
• 2* Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour
• 1* Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour
• Unclassified Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work or which does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of assessment.

Warwick did not receive any unclassified rankings in RAE2008 and a total of 65% of the University’s research activity was ranked at a quality level of either 3* or 4*.

Warwick achieved a 35% increase in the number of staff it submitted in RAE2008 compared to RAE2001, the third largest increase in the Russell Group, and submitted almost 90% of its staff to RAE2008.

Further information

Full results of the RAE2008 and further details can be obtained from http://www.rae.ac.uk

Information about the REF 2014 can be found on the HEFCE website

The Times, Guardian, Independent, Times Higher, and Birmingham Post all rank Warwick as the top University in the Midlands in their RAE tables.

Warwick research ranked 7th overall in the UK (based on multi-faculty institutions) and top in the Midlands

65% of Warwick's research is 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (Quality level of either 3* or 4*)

19 Warwick departments are in the top 10 in the UK in their unit of assessment

Warwick achieved a 35% increase in the number of staff submitted with almost 90% taking part