Global ranking: US universities are most prestigious in the world

Times Higher Education (THE) has today published its World Reputation Rankings, a reputable list of the world’s most prestigious universities compiled from research insight from leading global academics.

The US takes 8 out of the top 10 places, with Harvard University taking the top spot for the seventh year in a row, and have a total of 42 institutions in the top 100.

However, Asian universities continue their rise with 28 institutions in this year’s ranking.

The Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2017: United States (Copyright: Times Higher Education 2017) (Read the full results and analysis here):

“The United States continues to dominate the THE World Reputation Rankings but several of its most prestigious institutions have been outshone by Asia’s leading universities for the first time,” said Phil Baty, Times Higher Education rankings editor, in a statement. “Claiming 42 places in the top 100 list (one fewer than last year), the US is the most-represented country in the table. But it will have to watch out for the rise of Asia as several of the continent’s higher education stars overtake well-established American powerhouses.”

(Next page: The top 30 universities worldwide)

Baty noted that China’s Tsinghua University and Peking University both leapfrogged the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University in the table this year, while the University of Tokyo now has a stronger reputation than Columbia University. Meanwhile Seoul National University is now considered more prestigious than the University of California, Davis.

Overall, 20 of the US’s 42 representatives have declined since last year and only eight have improved; the rest are stagnant.

“Despite these movements, the relative prestige of the US’s top six university brands has not changed, with Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton and Yale all claiming the same positions in the overall top 8 as last year,” he continued. “The University of Chicago joins the top 10 for the first time at ninth.”

Baty also mentioned that “the situation is not much rosier in Canada. Although the country’s three leading institutions remain in the list, they have all lost ground; Toronto has slipped one place to 24^th, while British Columbia and McGill have each dropped three places to 40^th and joint 42^nd respectively.”

The Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings: Top 30 (Copyright Times Higher Education 2017) (Read the full results and analysis here):

Material from a press release was used in this report.

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