Trinity College restored to global ranking following last year's embarrassing exclusion

Trinity is now ranked 131st in the Times Higher Educaton (THE) World University Rankings for 2016/17.

The university didn’t make it into the league table, when it was published last autumn, after the college made an error in the data it returned to the rankings researchers.

Last September, Trinity discovered its mistake in  submissions for both 2016 and 2015. In light of this, the THe recalculated Trinity’s ranking for the last two years and have announced the results.

Trinity would have been placed somewhere between 200-250th place if it had been ranked based on the incorrect data.

Trinity’s ranking for 2015-16 has also been revised upwards, with the university now listed as 101st.

Welcoming the recalculations, TCD Dean of Research Professor John Boland said rankings were important because they attracted the best students and staff and enable Trinity to collaborate with the world’s best universities and corporate partners.

“It is good news for the University and good news for Ireland which now more so then ever needs to promote and nurture the success of flagship institutions with a truly global reach.

“That said, we have still dropped 30 places in a single year. This amounts to a 30pc drop in rank and crystallises the international headwinds facing the Irish university sector following a decade of neglect and chronic underfunding.

He said if the Government expected excellence from the universities and the capacity to create the sort of skilled workforce needed in a post-Brexit world, it must begin to invest in education once again.