The rankings are based upon academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact (click here to read the full methodology).

Use the interactive table below to filter the rankings by location, and click on individual universities for more information. Registered users will also be able to use the site’s Compare function to see facts and statistics about multiple universities side-by-side.

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” Hamlet may have been plagued with doubt, but there’s nothing but confidence at the University of Oxford, which has come top of the English subject rankings for the fourth time in the last five years.

Unsurprisingly, English-speaking countries dominate the top of the rankings with the UK, US, Canada and Australia all represented in the top 50. The highest-ranked university from a country where English isn’t an official language is Peking University, China, at 34th place.

Interested in other courses besides English Language & Literature? The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017 covers 46 different subjects. Click here to see the full list.