The world’s best veterinary school has a campus in Welwyn Hatfield, according to a global review of universities.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC), which is based in London and Brookmans Park, was ranked number one of 401 institutions offering veterinary sciences in the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2019.

It is the first time the RVC has occupied top spot in this league table, after being ranked in the world’s top three veterinary schools for the past four years.

Rankings are determined by a range of criteria, such as academic reputation, research impact and number of citations.

The RVC notably received perfect scores for its academic staff and research impact.

RVC principal Professor Stuart Reid said: “We are absolutely delighted to learn that we have been ranked first internationally, particularly given the strength of the discipline both at home and abroad.

“The result is testament to the commitment of all of those at the Royal Veterinary College to advancing veterinary science and making a difference to the lives of animals and humans worldwide.

“It is a privilege to lead the RVC and humbling for us to be held in such high esteem by our peers around the globe.”

The results were calculated based on the analysis of more than 22 million papers, the responses of more than 83,000 academics and feedback from more than 42,000 global employers.