18 December 2014
University of Edinburgh Business School has been ranked 16th in the UK and second in Scotland according to the Power Index, which measures the quality and breadth of research, in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment.
The School has increased the percentage of its world leading or internationally excellent research activity from 50% to 77%.
Recognition in the REF tops off a successful year in which the business school joined the 1% of business schools worldwide to be ‘triple-accredited’ from international ranking bodies, AACSB, EQUIS and A91.
It also climbed ten places in the Economist’s top 100 91 rankings, and gained A91 accreditation for its new Executive 91 (E91) programme.
Professor Ian Clarke, Dean of University of Edinburgh Business School, said:
“We’re tremendously proud of our achievement in the REF results. The dramatic improvement in our ranking since the 2008 RAE follows a period of significant commitment to developing the School’s research capacity.
“The results reflect the dedication of our faculty to delivering world-leading insights, which address the complex challenges facing organisations today.
“They also show the steps we’ve taken to nurture a vibrant and sustainable research community are working.
“Research is key to society at large and the support of funding councils provided by REF will be invaluable in continuing our upward trajectory.”
Based on the quality and breadth of its research, the University of Edinburgh as a whole was rated fourth in the UK and top in Scotland.
A replacement for the RAE, the UK’s higher education funding bodies between 2012 and 2013 carried out the REF exercise. The assessment is designed to provide accountability for public investment and better communicate its benefits.
Funding bodies will use the assessment outcomes to inform the allocation of research funding to higher education institutions from 2015/2016 for the next 5-6 years.
Full rankings are available on the