The QS World University Rankings 2026 has been released which includes over 1500 institutions from 105 countries worldwide. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, US has been ranked number 1 among the top universities in the world by QS World University Rankings 2026 for 14th year in a row. Students worldwide aspire to study at the top universities. One of the biggest deciding factor for selecting the top universities is the world university rankings as released by QS, Times Higher Education (THE) and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Only QS has released the 2026 rankings; other ranking bodies such as THE have not released the rankings yet. THE World University Rankings 2025features 2,092 universities across 108 countries and regions. The University of Oxford secured the first rank in THE World University Rankings 2025 for the 9th consecutive year. We have mentioned in detail the top 100 universities in the world for 2026 for international students. It also includes the methodologies, rankings, and which is the best university in the world after measuring across different aspects. A few of the countries that have primarily dominated the top 100 universities worldwide in 2026 include US, UK, etc. Read further for a comprehensive guide to the best universities in the world as per their rankings in 2026.
This Story also Contains
Top 100 Universities in the World: QS 2026
Major Highlights Of QS World University Rankings 2026
QS World University Rankings Methodology 2026
Top 10 Indian Universities as per QS WUR 2026
QS Asia University Rankings 2025
Subject Wise Top Universities in the World: QS WUR
ARWU Ranking 2025
Most Popular Courses in Top 100 Universities in the World 2026
Admission Requirements for Top Universities in the World 2026
Benefits of Studying in the World's Top 100 Universities
top universities in the world
Top 100 Universities in the World: QS 2026
Here are the 100 top universities in the world for 2026 based on QS World University Rankings. Among the top 1,500 institutions listed by QS, the top 100 universities in the world for 2026 are provided below. We also have the QS WUR 2025 and 2024 of these educational institutions. Students can use these rankings to make academic decisions.
Major Highlights Of QS World University Rankings 2026
Over 1,500 universities across 105 higher education systems are featured in the QS WUR 2026, where 100 locations are represented around the world. The majority of universities that are among the top universities worldwide are located in the USA, followed by the UK and China. Here is an overview of what is covered in the world university rankings
IELTS 2025 Writing Task 1 & 2 - Study Materials
Aspirants who are appearing for IELTS exam can download this eBook which have complete study material for academic writing task 1 (Data Interpretation) and academic writing task 2 (Essays) sections.
MIT has maintained its rank at 1st for 14 years. IN 2026, MIT will remain the best university in the world.
Oxford University holds the 3rd position in the last 2 years, as per QS WUR. However, the rank got dropped to 4th as per the 2026 rankings.
The top 5 universities in the world as per QS 2026 include MIT, Imperial College London, Oxford, Harvard, and Stanford.
Around 500 universities have improved their performance from the previous year.
One of the universities that improved well from the past year is Sunway University in Malaysia. It has improved and skipped 120 ranks.
USA is a prominent country that boasts around 190 top universities, which are ranked by QS WUR 2026.
Top Universities in the World 2026
The USA, UK, and Australia have the maximum number of universities in the top 100 universities for 2026 list drawn by QS or THE. The USA has the maximum number of top higher education institutes in the global universities ranking, followed by UK and China. This reflects that these countries focus hugely on maintaining the quality of their higher education institutions. Also, these countries give a lot of weightage to research, so, students attain firsthand knowledge and do not just limit their teaching to rot learning. Apart from this, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and Australia are some of the popular study-abroad destinations that have been included in the top universities in the world list. Ultimately, the best choice for top universities in the world 2026 depends on the requirements of an individual as well as the visa requirements of a particular country.
QS Rankings are considered by many aspirants when selecting among the top universities in the world 2026 for their studies abroad. QS rankings provide an overall picture of a university. The most significant factors like student/faculty ratio, international students, employment outcomes, and sustainability. Sustainability refers to the potential of a university to stand well in the years to come. This is decided based on the research quality, presence of faculty, and curriculum adopted among others.
QS World University Rankings Methodology 2026
Top universities in the world 2026 rankings are different for different ranking engines. The most well-known ranking methodology, the QS ranking 2026 uses six metrics.
Let us now check the top universities in India that are recognised by QS World University Rankings in 2026. The majority of IITs are in the top 10 Indian universities by QS.
Top Universities
QS WUR 2026
IIT Delhi
123
IIT Bombay
129
IIT Madras
180
IIT Kharagpur
215
IISc Bangalore
219
IIT Kanpur
222
University of Delhi
328
IIT Guwahati
334
IIT Roorkee
339
Anna University
465
QS Asia University Rankings 2025
Students must note that the QS Asia rankings 2026 have not been released yet. It is assumed to be announced in the end of October. Other than overall rankings, some of the greatest universities in the world are found based on specific regions as well. For those students seeking to study in Asia, one may opt for the top world universities based on QS Asia University Rankings. Hence, we have mentioned the QS Asia University Rankings 2025.
Top 10 Asia Universities (QS)
QS Asia University Rankings 2025
National University of Singapore
#8
Peking University
#14
Tsinghua University
#20
Nanyang Technological University
#15
University of Hong Kong
#17
University of Tokyo
#32
Seoul National University
#31
Zhejiang University
#47
Kyoto University
#50
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
#36
Subject Wise Top Universities in the World: QS WUR
As the subject wise QS WUR rankings 2026 are yet to be released, we have mentioned the rankings for 2025. Candidates who have decided on their stream and looking for the best universities in that domain can check the best universities for subject-wise categories. The subject-wise top universities in the world for masters are listed below.
Top Universities in the World for Business
Name of the University
QS 2025 Ranking for Business
Harvard Business School
1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2
Stanford University
3
INSEAD
4
University of Cambridge
5
University of Oxford
5
London Business School
7
National University of Singapore (NUS)
8
University of Pennsylvania
9
Bocconi University
10
Top Universities in the World for MBA
Name of the University
QS 2025 Ranking for MBA
Stanford University
1
Penn (Wharton)
2
Harvard Business University
3
MIT (Sloan)
4
London Business School
5
HEC Paris
6
Cambridge (Judge)
7
Columbia Business School
8
IE Business School
9
IESE Business School
10
Top Universities in the World for Masters
Name of the University
QS 2025 Ranking
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
1
Imperial College London, UK
2
University of Oxford, UK
3
Harvard University, USA
4
University of Cambridge, UK
5
Stanford University, USA
6
ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Switzerland
7
National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
8
University College London (UCL), UK
9
California Institute of Technology (Caltech), USA
10
Top Universities in the World for Engineering
Name of the University
QS 2025 Ranking for Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
1
Oxford University, UK
2
Stanford University, (USA)
3
University of Cambridge, UK
4
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
5
University of California, Berkeley (UCB), (USA)
6
Tsinghua University (Mainland)
7
Imperial College, UK
8
Harvard University, USA
9
EPFL – École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
10
Top Universities in the World for Computer Science
Note: Candidates can apply for the admission exams of these respective universities to get enrolled in the courses. Depending on the course, the entrance exams like GRE, GMAT, and SAT and get varies. Each university has its own cut-off marks and selection criteria for admission purposes. Candidate can check them individually and proceed with their study abroad goals.
ARWU Ranking 2025
The official Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2025 has not been released yet. Students can explore the top 100 universities in the world 2025 according to QS and THE for the time being. We will update the ARWU Ranking 2025 as soon as we get any update on the latest ranking data. The ARWU 2025 is also popularly referred to as the Shanghai Ranking 2025 official body.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2025, as well as QS and THE rankings, offer valuable information about the best world institutions, enabling students to make informed choices for their foreign higher education.
Most Popular Courses in Top 100 Universities in the World 2026
There are end number of courses available for students to study abroad. the major one being the STEM courses. STEM courses have gained popularity in countries like USA, Germany, Canada and in other countries as well. Other top courses and subjects in the top 100 universities in the world include:
Business Administration
Engineering
Medicine
Biotechnology
Information Technology
Architecture
Arts and Humanities
Hospitality and Tourism Management
Data Science
Admission Requirements for Top Universities in the World 2026
Admission requirements for the world’s top 100 universities in 2026 varies based on the course chosen by a student and the entry requirements of a university. However, each university has a few general admission requirements, which include academic scores, entrance exams, and documents to make a strong application. A few of these entry requirements to study at the best universities in the world 2026 are listed below:
Academic Performance: All applicants are required to have a high academic score in their high school and their bachelor’s (if applying for a master’s degree). Admissions to the top 100 universities is highly competitive, hence students are expected to maintain a high GPA throughout their studies.
Test Scores: Depending on the university and the course chosen, students must have a valid score in SAT, ACT, GMAT, or GRE exams. All international students are required to meet the English language requirement and hence must submit a valid IELTS or TOEFL score.
Extracurricular Activities: Candidates are required to have an involvement in extracurricular activities, and show that they are all-rounder. In addition to having excellent academic results, students must be involved in extracurricular activities by applying for internships, and leadership positions, and participating in artistic or athletic competitions.
Strong Application Documents: All applicants planning to seek admission to the top 100 universities in the world are required to have a strong application along with a well-written statement of purpose and letters of recommendation at the time of admission.
Benefits of Studying in the World's Top 100 Universities
There are numerous benefits to study at top universities of the world. Let us check a few of them:
World-Class Education
Exceptional Networking Opportunities
Career Opportunities and Advancement
Cutting-Edge Research Opportunities and Facilities
Q: Which is the top 1 university in the world 2026?
A:
As per the QS World University Ranking 2026, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA is the top 1 university in the world 2026. Very impressively, it has been recognised at first for the 14th time this year by QS.
Q: How can students use university rankings to their advantage?
A:
Students can use the rankings to differentiate between universities and choose the most suitable one. If they have shortlisted say, seven universities, they can use the rankings to narrow it down to three and proceed with their application.
Q: Why are university rankings important?
A:
University rankings help students to differentiate between colleges and find the best college suited to their needs.
Q: What is the world's oldest university?
A:
According to UNESCO, the world's oldest university is the University of Bologna, located in Italy. The university of Bologna was established in 1088 and is regarded as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. According to some historians and scholars, AL-Qarawiyyin is also known as the world's oldest existing educational institution.
Q: Is the University of Oxford expensive?
A:
The cost of attending the University of Oxford depends on a variety of factors which includes housing, food, transportation and many more. For international students, the cost of tuition at Oxford ranges from GBP 28,000 to GBP 44,000 per year. Students must have a budget of approximately GBP 1300 to GBP 1850 per month to cover the cost of studying at Oxford.
Q: How does the ranking of international universities help a student to study abroad?
A:
The ranking of universities in the world by different reputed agencies such as QS, THE or ARWU will help a student shortlist the best universities to make the application process easier.
Yes, admission to a German private university with 52% in bachelors, 6.0 IELTS band, and a 1-year gap is possible, but options are limited.
Private universities in Germany are more flexible than public ones. You can apply for courses in management, business, or IT fields. However, you must justify the gap year and ensure a strong Statement of Purpose (SOP).
It’s better to contact universities directly, as some may ask for additional documents or foundation courses before admission.
You are running short of time usually the ideal time would be 2–3 months prior,i advice that you start with your applications that you can quicky begin with your study abroad procedure.
It depends on the university you are applying to.
Most German universities do not require
GATE
for admission to a Master's in Biotechnology. However, some universities may ask for the
GRE
, especially if you are applying to a highly competitive program.
You should check the specific admission requirements of the universities you are interested in. Generally, having
IELTS (or TOEFL)
and a
German language proficiency certificate
(if the course is in German) is enough.
