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QS World University Rankings 2026: Check Top 100 List Here!
Edited By Ipshita ghosh | Updated on Jun 20, 2025 09:44 AM IST
The QS World University Rankings 2026 have been released, offering a detailed view of the top universities worldwide. For Indian students aspiring to study abroad, these QS World University rankings are of particular importance as they provide valuable insights into the best universities across the globe. The latest Top 100 QS World University 2026 Rankings covers a range of 1,500 universities across 105 higher education systems all over the globe.
This Story also Contains
- QS World University Rankings 2026
- QS World University Rankings 2026 vs 2025
- Top US Universities QS Ranking 2026
- Top Australian Universities QS Ranking 2026
- Top UK Universities QS Ranking 2026
- Top Germany Universities QS Ranking 2026
- Major Highlights of QS World University Rankings 2026
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In the list of QS World University Rankings 2026 top 100, the major highlight is that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained its rank 1 position. The Imperial College London of UK has climbed up to 2nd position. USA has again most number of top universities ranked in QS Ranking 2026. A total of 197 US universities are ranked in the latest QS world ranking, followed by the UK with 90 and 71 top universities in China.
IIT Bombay has once again secured the top spot in India in the QS World University Rankings 2026. The institute moved up significantly, climbing from the 149th place last year to 118th this year. IIT Delhi also performed well, holding its position as the second-best institute in India with a rank of 150.
One should also check the QS World Rankings 2024 to have detailed ideas on which abroad universities have performed better and which have not. The QS World University Rankings 2024 list with comparable data has been provided in the article below.
These Top 100 QS World University Rankings for global universities are constructed on various aspects such as academic value, employability rate, student-to-faculty ratio, infrastructure and reputation, percentage of international student engagement, etc.
In this article, check the complete details on the QS World University Rankings 2026 list, previous year comparison, country-wise top universities and more.
QS World University Rankings 2026
This year’s QS World University 2026 Ranking has framed the majority of Universities under its banner and ranked them on a wide scale with utmost diligence and reliability. International students can benefit from the QS World University Rankings by comparing and analysing top global universities and applying keeping in mind these rankings and other global education parameters.
Top 100 QS World University Rankings 2026
Below are the top 100 universities ranked by the QS World University Rankings for the year 2026:
| University | Country | Ranking 2026 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | United States | 1 |
| Imperial College London | United Kingdom | 2 |
| Stanford University | United States | 3 |
| University of Oxford | United Kingdom | 4 |
| Harvard University | United States | 5 |
| University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 6 |
| ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology | Switzerland | 7 |
| National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore | 8 |
| UCL | United Kingdom | 9 |
| California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | United States | 10 |
| The University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong SAR | 11 |
| Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) | Singapore | 12 |
| University of Chicago | United States | 13 |
| Peking University | China (Mainland) | 14 |
| University of Pennsylvania | United States | 15 |
| Cornell University | United States | 16 |
| Tsinghua university | China (Mainland) | =17 |
| University of California, Berkeley | United States | =17 |
| The University of Melbourne | Australia | 19 |
| The University of New South Wales (UNSW) | Australia | 20 |
| Yale University | United States | 21 |
| EPFL | Switzerland | =22 |
| Technical University of Munich | Germany | =22 |
| Johns Hopkins University | United States | 24 |
| Princeton University | United States | =25 |
| The University of Sydney | Australia | =25 |
| McGill University | Canada | 27 |
| Université PSL | France | 28 |
| The University of Toronto | Canada | 29 |
| Fudan University | China (Mainland) | 30 |
| King's College London | United Kingdom | 31 |
| Australian National University (ANU) | Australia | =32 |
| The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) | Hong Kong SAR | =32 |
| The University of Edinburgh | United Kingdom | 34 |
| The University of Manchester | United Kingdom | 35 |
| Monash University | Australia | =36 |
| The University of Tokyo | Japan | =36 |
| Columbia University | United States | =38 |
| Seoul National University | South Korea | =38 |
| University of British Columbia | Canada | 40 |
| Institut Polytechnique de Paris | France | 41 |
| Northwestern University | United States | =42 |
| The University of Queensland | Australia | =42 |
| The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Hong Kong SAR | 44 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | United States | 45 |
| Northwestern of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | United States | 46 |
| Delft University of Technology | Netherlands | =47 |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | China (Mainland) | =47 |
| Zhejiang University | China (Mainland) | 49 |
| Yonsei University | South Korea | 50 |
| University of Bristol | United Kingdom | 51 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | United States | 52 |
| University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | 53 |
| The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Hong Kong SAR | 54 |
| New York University (NYU) | United States | 55 |
| The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | United Kingdom | 56 |
| Kyoto University | Japan | 57 |
| Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München | Germany | =58 |
| Universiti Malaya (UM) | Malaysia | =58 |
| KU Leuven | Belgium | 60 |
| Korea University | South Korea | 61 |
| Duke University | United States | 62 |
| City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) | Hong Kong SAR | =63 |
| National Taiwan University (NTU) | Taiwan | =63 |
| The University of Auckland | New Zealand | 65 |
| University of California, San Diego (UCSD) | United States | 66 |
| KFUPM | Saudi Arabia | 67 |
| University of Texas at Austin | United States | 68 |
| Brown University | United States | 69 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | United States | =70 |
| Université Paris-Saclay | France | =70 |
| Lund University | Sweden | =72 |
| Sorbonne University | France | =72 |
| The University of Warwick | United Kingdom | 74 |
| Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin | Ireland | 75 |
| University of Birmingham | United Kingdom | 76 |
| The University of Western Australia | Australia | 77 |
| KTH Royal Institute of Technology | Sweden | 78 |
| University of Glasgow | United Kingdom | 79 |
| Universität Heidelberg | Germany | 80 |
| University of Washington | United States | 81 |
| Adelaide University | Australia | =82 |
| Pennsylvania State University | United Kingdom | =82 |
| Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) | Argentina | 84 |
| Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) | Japan | 85 |
| University of Leeds | United Kingdom | 86 |
| University of Southampton | United Kingdom | 87 |
| Boston University | United States | =88 |
| Freie Universitaet Berlin | Germany | =88 |
| Purdue University | United States | =88 |
| Osaka University | Japan | 91 |
| The University of Sheffield | United Kingdom | 92 |
| Uppsala University | Sweden | 93 |
| Durham University | United Kingdom | =94 |
| University of Alberta | Canada | =94 |
| University of Technology Sydney | Australia | 96 |
| University of Nottingham | United Kingdom | 97 |
| KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | Germany | =98 |
| Politecnico di Milano | Italy | =98 |
| University of Zurich | Switzerland | 100 |
Also Check: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026
QS World University Rankings 2026 vs 2025
There have been drastically notable changes in the rankings of universities across the globe as given by QS World University Rankings for the year 2026. If we compare these rankings with the positions of some universities in the year 2025 one can notice significant differences in the same.
Some of the major changes that have come to notice include the successive position of MIT at spot 1 for the past 13 years as highlighted by the QS World Rankings. Moreover, the Imperial College of London has attained a position at 2nd as per the latest rankings from 2025 which is impressive as the college was in 6th position in QS World University Rankings 2024.
In terms of downfall, a slight decrease in the ranking of the University of Cambridge can be noticed from 2nd to 6th position according to the QS World University Rankings 2026.
Top 100 QS World University Rankings 2026 vs 2025
The comparison for QS World University Rankings of the top 100 institutions for the years 2026 and 2025 is mentioned below:
Ranking 2025 | Ranking 2026 | Institution Name |
1 | 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
2 | 2 | Imperial College London |
3 | 4 | University of Oxford |
4 | 5 | Harvard University |
5 | 6 | University of Cambridge |
6 | 3 | Stanford University |
7 | 7 | ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology |
8 | 8 | National University of Singapore (NUS) |
9 | 9 | UCL |
10 | 10 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) |
11 | 15 | University of Pennsylvania |
12 | =17 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) |
13 | 19 | The University of Melbourne |
14 | 14 | Peking University |
15 | 12 | Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) |
16 | 16 | Cornell University |
17 | 11 | The University of Hong Kong |
18 | =25 | The University of Sydney |
19 | 20 | The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) |
20 | =17 | Tsinghua University |
21 | 13 | University of Chicago |
22 | =25 | Princeton University |
23 | 21 | Yale University |
24 | 28 | Université PSL |
25 | 29 | University of Toronto |
26 | =22 | EPFL |
27 | 34 | The University of Edinburgh |
28 | =22 | Technical University of Munich |
29 | 27 | McGill University |
30 | =32 | The Australian National University |
31 | =38 | Seoul National University |
=32 | 24 | Johns Hopkins University |
32 | =36 | The University of Tokyo |
=34 | =38 | Columbia University |
=34 | 35 | The University of Manchester |
36 | =32 | The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) |
37 | =36 | Monash University |
38 | 40 | University of British Columbia |
39 | 30 | Fudan University |
40 | 31 | King's College London |
40 | =42 | The University of Queensland |
42 | 46 | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
43 | 55 | New York University (NYU) |
44 | 45 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
45 | =47 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University |
46 | 41 | Institut Polytechnique de Paris |
47 | 44 | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology |
47 | 44 | Zhejiang University |
49 | =47 | Delft University of Technology |
=50 | 57 | Kyoto University |
=50 | =42 | Northwestern University |
=50 | 56 | The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) |
54 | 51 | University of Bristol |
55 | 53 | University of Amsterdam |
56 | 50 | Yonsei University |
57 | 54 | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University |
58 | 52 | Carnegie Mellon University |
59 | =58 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |
60 | =58 | Universiti Malaya (UM) |
61 | 62 | Duke University |
62 | =63 | City University of Hong Kong |
63 | 60 | KU Leuven |
=63 | =72 | Sorbonne University |
65 | 65 | The University of Auckland |
66 | 68 | University of Texas at Austin |
67 | 61 | Korea University |
68 | =63 | National Taiwan University (NTU) |
69 | 74 | The University of Warwick |
=69 | =70 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
71 | 84 | Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) |
72 | 66 | University of California, San Diego (UCSD) |
73 | =70 | Université Paris-Saclay |
74 | 78 | KTH Royal Institute of Technology |
75 | =72 | Lund University |
76 | 81 | University of Washington |
77 | 77 | The University of Western Australia |
78 | 79 | University of Glasgow |
79 | 69 | Brown University |
80 | 76 | University of Birmingham |
80 | 87 | University of Southampton |
82 | 82 | The University of Adelaide |
82 | 86 | University of Leeds |
84 | 80 | Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg |
84 | 85 | Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) |
86 | 91 | Osaka University |
87 | 75 | Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin |
88 | 96 | University of Technology Sydney |
89 | =94 | Durham University |
89 | =82 | Pennsylvania State University |
89 | =88 | Purdue University |
94 | 87 | Lomonosov Moscow State University |
96 | =94 | University of Alberta |
97 | =88 | Freie Universitaet Berlin |
Top US Universities QS Ranking 2026
The US stands as one of the most sought-after destinations to study and work abroad. It is considered to be a country of fulfilling dreams, ambitions, and career-oriented aspirations for the past two decades. Therefore, it becomes necessary to mention some of the top universities in the US as per the QS World University Rankings 2026.
Top 10 QS World University Rankings USA
2026 Ranking | Institution Name |
1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
5 | Harvard University |
3 | Stanford University |
10 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) |
15 | University of Pennsylvania |
=17 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) |
16 | Cornell University |
21 | University of Chicago |
21 | Yale University |
| 24 | John Hopkins |
Also Read: Study in USA for Indian Students
Top Australian Universities QS Ranking 2026
In terms of quality education and emerging job opportunities, 2026 Australian university rankings have been speaking volumes. As the country is considered a home to many international students it becomes essential to mention the top universities that have gained a reputed position in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. Explore the 2026 Australian university rankings below.
Top 10 QS Rankings Australia 2026
2026 Ranking | Institution Name |
19 | The University of Melbourne |
20 | The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) |
=25 | The University of Sydney |
=32 | Australian National University (ANU) |
=36 | Monash University |
=42 | The University of Queensland |
77 | The University of Western Australia |
82 | The University of Adelaide |
Also Read: Study in Australia for Indian Students
Top UK Universities QS Ranking 2026
The UK is known to have fostered a large population of international students for many years. The country is home to some of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. The educational institutions are well-renowned for providing academic excellence, and exceptional work opportunities after graduation to lead a quality lifestyle. Hence, we bring to you the top universities in the UK in accordance to the latest QS World University Rankings.
Top 10 QS World University Rankings UK
2026 Ranking | Institution Name |
2 | Imperial College London |
4 | University of Oxford |
6 | University of Cambridge |
9 | UCL |
31 | King's College London |
34 | The University of Edinburgh |
35 | The University of Manchester |
56 | The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) |
54 | University of Bristol |
| 74 | The University of Warwick |
| 76 | University of Birmingham |
| 79 | University of Glasgow |
92 | The University of Sheffield |
=94 | Durham University |
Also Read: Study in the UK for Indian Students
Top Germany Universities QS Ranking 2026
Germany has emerged as a popular study-abroad destination for international students in recent years. It has gained a lot of recognition and momentum in terms of attracting a large inflow of international applicants due to its minimal to no-cost tuition fees. Therefore, the below-given list below contains the top universities in Germany as per the positions granted by the QS World University 2026 Rankings.
Top 5 QS World University Rankings Germany
2026 Ranking | Institution Name |
=22 | Technical University of Munich |
=58 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |
| 60 | KU Leuven |
80 | Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg |
=88 | Freie Universitaet Berlin |
Also Read: Study in Germany for Indian Students
Major Highlights of QS World University Rankings 2026
The QS World University Rankings has released the list of rankings for the year 2026 which sets a benchmark for global institutions worldwide.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has again gained the position at the top of the rankings for the 14th time in a row which has intensified its reputation among higher education institutions globally.
In terms of the most-ranked universities in the world QS World University Rankings 2026, the US is classified as the most prominently represented country with more than 190 ranked universities.
Notably, the Imperial College of London has attained the position of 2nd while the 3rd and 4th positions are dominated by Stanford and University of Oxford respectively.
A shift in the position of the University of Cambridge can be noticed from 2nd to 6th in the QS World University Ranking 2026 highlighting a sudden drop in the rankings as compared to 2024.
Some other countries that have had major representation in the latest QS World Rankings remain to be the UK and China with approximately 90 and 71 universities in the list, respectively.
These rankings play an important factor in fostering reputation and prestige for universities around the globe on a large scale. It gives a chance to analyse and determine the right choice of institutions for many researchers, future students, and scholars to follow their educational pursuits effectively.
Also Read:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the basis of QS World University Rankings?
The QS World University Rankings take into consideration several factors before denoting a specific rank to any university on a global platform. These factors may include academic excellence, institutional reputation, employability rate, student-faculty ratio, international representation, etc., providing a basis for the QS World University Rankings 2026.
2. Can we trust QS World University Rankings?
Yes, QS is one of the most accountable, renowned, and reputed ranking bodies globally. It grants rankings to global universities on certain criteria and performance basis. Hence, QS World University Rankings help create the reputation and popularity of many universities worldwide.
3. Which is no. 1 University as per QS World University Rankings 2026?
As per the QS World University Rankings 2026, the institution that has successfully gained first position remains to be Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It has been ranked on the top position for 14 years consecutively due to its global appeal, and efficiency in maintaining educational prestige.
4. Why is the QS ranking important?
QS Rankings are important because it helps in comparing and analysing different universities across the world. It provides several parameters to create a point of difference and evaluate universities based on their overall performance which sets a rankings benchmark for all institutions.
5. How many universities participate in the QS ranking?
According to the 21st edition of QS World University Rankings 2026, a total of 1,500 institutions were ranked over 104 different locations or countries based on various factors. This rankings body is known for its consistency, performance efficiency, and credibility in ranking global universities in a fair and definite manner.
6. What is the full name of QS?
The full form for QS denotes to be Quacquarelli Symonds. It is a higher-educational-ranking body that has headquarters in parts of Asia, Europe, and the USA. It has recently launched the much-awaited QS World University Rankings 2026 engulfing and ranking universities from all over the world.
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