Cranfield University has been shortlisted for ‘Specialist Institution of the Year’ in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.
Known as ‘the Oscars of Higher Education’, the THE Awards recognise excellence in the sector by highlighting exceptional teaching, research, collaborations and impacts shown by institutions from across the UK and Ireland.
As the UK’s leading specialist postgraduate institution for technology, engineering and management, Cranfield occupies a unique place in the higher education landscape.
Ranked in the top 55 worldwide for engineering, Cranfield also boasts deep industry links from ties with small and medium-sized enterprises all the way up to household names like Airbus, Boeing and Rolls-Royce.
Cranfield has distinctive, high-value facilities and infrastructure tailored for aerospace engineering and technology. The University is the only in Europe with its own airport, and operates the National Flying Laboratory Centre, which takes over 2,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students on flights each year.
Professor Dame Karen Holford FREng, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, said: “To be shortlisted in this category is a real testament to the time, energy and commitment that the staff at Cranfield have put into making our university a world leading specialist for engineering, technology and management.
“Through teaching, research and industry collaboration, Cranfield has never been afraid to tackle society’s big challenges and we’re proud to have a level of influence that exceeds our size. It’s tremendous to see everyone’s hard work recognised through this shortlisting.”
Chris Havergal, Editor of Times Higher Education, said: “These continue to be challenging times for our higher education sectors, but that makes it only more important to celebrate the contribution of the teams and individuals who continue to transform lives for the better, week in, week out, across the UK and Ireland.
“Too often the outstanding endeavours of academics and higher education professionals are overlooked in the public narrative about our universities. We hope that our awards ceremony in Birmingham this November will contribute towards changing the conversation about these vital institutions and the people who work in them.”
The winners will be announced at the THE Awards Ceremony, that takes place at The Vox, Birmingham on Thursday November 26th.
