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External Relations

Excellence in education

Queen Mary is dedicated to opening the doors of opportunity and realising the potential of every student, educator and academic through co-creating a research-enhanced education model.

Excellence in education
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A sector-leading approach for anyone with potential 

Co-creating our educational offering with our students means we challenge convention and ensure diversity of thought is front and centre. For example, we pioneered Degree Apprenticeship world firsts and a ground-breaking transnational education programme in China. This enables our educators to meet the needs of our diverse learners and our students in realising their career goals in today’s globalised world. 

As a result of these efforts, we have been ranked number one in the UK for social mobility by the 2021 Sutton Trust report, and we have closed the attainment gap between students from ethnic minority backgrounds and white students. 

Excellence in education by numbers

  • Silver in the 2024 Teaching Excellence Framework.
  • Highest scoring Russell Group university in the Social Inclusion Rankings in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020. 
  • 18 Queen Mary educators have been awarded National Teaching Fellowships since 2006. 
  • Established the first science education centre in the world to be located within working biomedical research laboratories (Centre of the Cell). 
  • First Russell Group university to offer Degree Apprenticeships and now have 500 students on these pathways.
  • Queen Mary University of London’s education has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted across all categories for its apprenticeship provision. The University is one of only eight universities nationally to receive this top rating. 

Our student population

We continue to attract students typically under-represented at universities like ours.

  • 94 per cent of our UK students are from state schools.
  • 73 per cent from minority ethnic backgrounds.
  • 45 per cent first in their family to go to into higher education.
  • 37 per cent from households where the annual income is less than £35k, qualifying them automatically for the Queen Mary University of London Bursary.
  • 21 per cent eligible for free school meals.   

League tables and rankings

Access data about Queen Mary’s rankings both nationally and internationally. 
League tables and rankings

Making education accessible

The case studies, facts and stories that demonstrate our commitment to opening the doors of opportunity.
Making education accessible

Page last updated on 22/10/25.

Have you spotted an error, or missing information? Please email content@qmul.ac.uk.

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