Third of MCS leavers attend top 10 global universities

Sicut Lilium

Like the lily

Our latin motto, still at the heart of our daily philosophy, carries a deep and spiritual meaning. It is an encouragement to flourish and to focus on what matters in life.

We are delighted to learn that a third of last year’s leavers are now studying at universities ranked among the world’s top ten, according to newly released data.

More than 50 pupils (53 out of 156 – 33%) from our 2025 cohort took up places at institutions featured in the top ten of the QS World University Rankings 2027:

2nd place: Imperial College London (11 MCS pupils, 2025)
4th place: University of Oxford (8)
5th place: Harvard University (1)
6th place: University of Cambridge (17)
8th place: UCL (16)

This success looks set to continue, with pupils in our 2026 cohort already having secured offers from Oxford and Cambridge, alongside a range of leading overseas universities, including Ivy League institutions in the United States.

The QS rankings provide an independent assessment of universities worldwide and are widely regarded as one of the leading measures of higher education excellence. A place in the top ten is highly sought after, reflecting outstanding performance across a range of measures including research and discovery, employability and outcomes, international engagement, and sustainability.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the latest rankings. Four of the world’s top ten universities are based in the UK, with the remainder located in the United States, Switzerland and Singapore.

Peter McDonald, Director of Higher Education, said: “We work closely with our pupils to help them secure places at some of the best universities in the world, and it is wonderful to see so many of our leavers thriving at institutions of the highest calibre. These destinations reflect not only academic excellence, but also the ambition and commitment shown by our pupils throughout their time at MCS. We are immensely proud of all they have achieved and look forward to following their future successes.”