Cambridge is the best university in the world, according to a new league table which sees its rival Oxford awarded fifth place.

The institution topped the eighth annual QS World University Rankings, seeing off competition from leading US institutions.

It is the second year running that Cambridge University has taken the top spot. It wrestled first place from Harvard last year, pushing the American university into second for the first time since the tables began.

The QS World University Rankings questions academics and employers and rates universities worldwide on areas including research, teaching standards, graduate employability and international work.

Oxford University came fifth in the tables, up one place from last year, while Imperial College London came sixth this year, and University College London took seventh place.

The rest of the top 10 was made up of US institutions with Massachusetts Institute of Technology in third place, Yale University fourth, University of Chicago eighth, University of Pennsylvania ninth and Columbia University in 10th place.