UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK has become Ireland’s first five star university and improved its position in the world ranking of universities.

UCC has jumped to 181 in the QS World University Rankings and became the country’s first five star institution but three other Irish universities dropped in the rankings.

Trinity ranked 65th, down from 52nd last year. University College Dublin came in at 134, down from 114 with National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway coming 298th, dropping from 232nd last year.

Top of the pile is the University of Cambridge, with US institutions Harvard, Massachusetts IT, and Yale following. In fifth is the University of Oxford.

According to the QS methodology, universities are ranked in six areas.

Forty per cent is weighted on academic reputation, 10 per cent on employer reputation, 20 on citations per faculty, 20 per cent on faculty student and 5 per cent each on the proportion of international students and international faculty.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio, the university’s president Dr Michael Murphy said that the ranking was an outstanding achievement and make the university more attractive to international students.

In order to receive a five star rating, universities must apply for the status. It’s not clear if other Irish institutions did so.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, UCD president Hugh Brady responded to his institution’s drop in the rankings by saying saying Ireland cannot hope to compete when institutions in the UK are charging as much as £9,000 in fees calling on the “procrastination” over funding in this country to end.