Several UK universities—including Bristol, Birmingham and Sheffield—have dropped significantly in the 2011 Shanghai Jiao Tong University Rankings.
The rankings, published on 15 August, show that 10 UK institutions made it into the top 100 worldwide, compared with 11 in 2010.
Birmingham has fallen out of the top 100 for the first time since 2003, dropping from place 99 in 2010 to the “102-105 bracket” in 2011.
But the University of Sheffield has slumped furthest, plunging from 88 in the 2010 rankings to 97 in 2011.
Other universities that have plummeted since last year include the universities of Bristol (from 66 to 70); King’s College (63 to 68); and Nottingham (84 to 85).
The figures also reveal that the top six UK institutions have remained stable or improved their rankings.
The University of Cambridge is still the top UK institution, ranking fifth on the worldwide list as it did last year. It is followed by the University of Oxford, which has remained 10th since last year.
The next four UK institutions have improved their ranking. The biggest rise is recorded by the University of Manchester, from 44 in 2010 to 38 in 2011.
University College London has stepped up from 21 to 20, Imperial College London from 26 to 24 and the University of Edinburgh from 54 to 53.
The London School of Economics has boosted its position from the “201-300 bracket” in 2010 to the “102-150 bracket” in 2011.
Overall, the US dominates the list, with 151 institutions in the top 500, compared with 37 in the UK. Harvard University topped the list in both years.