The University of Reading is the best university in the UK for agriculture. That’s according to the new QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016, published this week.

Reading is 12th overall in the rankings, with Wageningen in the Netherlands claiming the top spot and the Universities of California Davis, Cornell and California Berkeley in the US and AgroParisTech, France making up the rest of the top five.

The only other UK institution in the top fifty Universities globally is the University of Nottingham, ranked 42nd.

Professor Julian Park, Head of Reading’s School of Agriculture, Development and Policy, commented, “This result confirms our reputation as one of the best institutions in the world for the study of agricultural production, food security and climate change. As well as reflecting the excellence of our staff and students, this position is aided by the enviable environment in which we work, and Reading’s long-standing reputation across agriculture, horticulture, food and nutrition, and meteorology.”

The QS Rankings were formerly part of the Times Higher Education ranking system, before the two split in 2009 and began producing their own rankings.  World University Rankings By Subject are based on measures of academic reputation, the employability of graduates as rated by major employers, and citations for published research.