UK private school makes global universities announcement

Magdalen College School in east Oxford has revealed that a third of last year’s leavers are now studying at universities ranked among the world’s top 10, according to newly released data.

More than 50 pupils at the school in Cowley Place (53 out of 156 – 33%) from the 2025 cohort took up places at institutions featured in the top 10 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: University College London (16)

This success looks set to continue, with pupils in the 2026 cohort having already 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 10 is highly sought after, reflecting outstanding performance across a range of measures including research and discovery, employability and outcomes, international engagement, and sustainability.

Pupils at Magdalen College School (Image: MCS/Andrew Walmsley)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the latest rankings.

Four of the world’s top 10 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.”

Magdalen College School is one of the top performing schools in the country, ranking in the top 20 independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Parent Power Schools Guide 2026.

While there has been a co-educational sixth form at the school for 15 years, the school announced earlier this year it will become fully co-educational over the coming decade.

The transition will be a gradual one. The school in Cowley Place will welcome girls into Year 3 and Year 4 in September 2027, and Year 7 in September 2030 – joining the existing cohort of sixth form girls.

The school was founded in 1480 as a ‘song school’ and department of Magdalen College, and continues to educate the 16 boy choristers of Magdalen Chapel Choir.

Master of Magdalen College School Helen Pike (Image: MCS/Andrew Walmsley)

Helen Pike announced earlier this year that she has decided to step down as Master at the end of the 2026/27 academic year, and the recruitment process for her replacement is now under way.

The first female Master at MCS, Ms Pike guided the board of governors to one of the most significant decisions in the school’s history, to become fully co-educational.

Former pupils at the school include Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Saint Thomas More, Sir Tim Hunt (Nobel Prize Winner), film director Sam Mendes, and top actor Jonathan Bailey.