New HEPI and CUP&A Report: ‘Soft Power Index 2026’

The universities that educate today’s international students may be shaping global relationships for decades to come. The 10th edition of HEPI’s Soft-Power Index shows the extraordinary reach of American and British higher education, with the US and UK together having educated 126 of the world leaders currently in office.

Published by HEPI and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, The 2026 Soft-Power Index: 10th Anniversary edition tracks where the world’s most influential political figures received their higher education. The United States leads the 2026 Index with 66 serving world leaders educated there, followed closely by the UK with 60. France is a more distant third with 29, while Russia has educated 12. At an institutional level, Harvard University, the University of Oxford and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst occupy the top three positions.

Marking a decade of the Index, the report also looks beyond this year’s rankings to explore the long-term relationship between international education and soft power. It traces the history of international students in the UK from the arrival of Emo of Friesland at Oxford around 1190 to today’s policy debate over international recruitment. Against the backdrop of tighter Basic Compliance Assessments, a shorter Graduate Route and the forthcoming International Student Levy in England, the report considers what changes to international student policy could mean for the UK’s ability to build lasting relationships and influence overseas.

After 10 years of tracking the education of global leaders, the Soft-Power Index offers a distinctive perspective on how universities contribute to countries’ international reach and reputation. Click here to access the press release and read the full report.