Top Universities in the World 2024 - QS, THE, ARWU Ranking

Top Universities in the World 2024 - QS, THE, ARWU Ranking

Edited By Porishmita Paul | Updated on Jul 17, 2024 03:12 PM IST | #IELTS

Students worldwide aspire to study at the top universities. A major focal point for choosing the top universities worldwide is the world university rankings released by QS and Times Higher Education (THE). QS World University Rankings 2024 ranked 1500 institutions from 104 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 2024 for 12 years in a row. The University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford are ranked 2nd and 3rd in the QS ranking, respectively.

THE World University Rankings 2024 features 1904 universities across 108 countries and regions. The University of Oxford secured the first rank in THE World University Rankings 2024 for 8 consecutive years. THE ranked Stanford University 2nd and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 3rd among the top universities in the world 2024.

More than 5 million students each year travel abroad to join top universities in the world. With nearly 5 million students jumping on the study abroad bandwagon, top unis worldwide are engaged in a serious competition to attract international students to their classrooms. International students are increasingly basing their decisions on the World University Rankings to select the good universities in the world for higher education. A few of the top study destinations including USA, United Kingdom, Australia, China, etc. are highly popular and have the highest number of top universities in the world. Read the article to know the top 100 universities in the World and their locations.

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Top Universities in the World 2024

The top universities abroad or local, i.e., in the world 2023 & 2024 are ranked based on various parameters by three major ranking bodies; Times Higher Education (THE), Quacquarelli Symonds(QS world rankings), and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The various parameters on which these ranking engines rank the universities are: academic or research performance, including alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, highly cited researchers, papers published in Nature and Science, papers indexed in major citation indices, and the per capita academic performance of an institution.

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The USA, UK, and Australia have the maximum number of universities in the top 100 universities for 2024 list drawn by QS or THE. USA has the maximum number of top higher education institutes in the global universities ranking followed by UK and Australia. This reflects that these countries focus hugely on maintaining the quality of their higher education institutes. 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 China 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 2024 depends on the requirements of an individual as well as the visa requirements of a particular country.

Explore top study abroad destinations

Best Universities in the World in QS Rankings

Here are the 100 top universities in the world for the years 2024 and 2023 based on QS World University Rankings. Among the top 1500 institutions listed by QS, the 100 top universities in the world 2024 along with their origin in the country are provided below.

Top 100 Universities in the World: QS Ranking

University

Country

Ranking 2025

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

United States

1

Imperial College London

United Kingdom

2

University of Oxford

United Kingdom

3

Harvard University

United States

4

University of Cambridge

United Kingdom

5

Stanford University

United States

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

University of Pennsylvania

United States

11

University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

United States

12

The University of Melbourne

Australia

13

Peking University

China (Mainland)

14

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)

Singapore

15

Cornell University

United States

16

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong SAR

17

The University of Sydney

Australia

18

The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)

Australia

19

Tsinghua University

China (Mainland)

20

University of Chicago

United States

21

Princeton University

United States

22

Yale University

United States

23

Université PSL

France

24

University of Toronto

Canada

25

EPFL

Switzerland

26

The University of Edinburgh

United Kingdom

27

Technical University of Munich

Germany

28

McGill University

Canada

29

The Australian National University

Australia

30

Seoul National University

South Korea

31

Johns Hopkins University

United States

32

The University of Tokyo

Japan

32

Columbia University

United States

34

The University of Manchester

United Kingdom

34

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

Hong Kong SAR

36

Monash University

Australia

37

University of British Columbia

Canada

38

Fudan University

China (Mainland)

39

King's College London

United Kingdom

40

The University of Queensland

Australia

40

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

United States

42

New York University (NYU)

United States

43

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

United States

44

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

China (Mainland)

45

Institut Polytechnique de Paris

France

46

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Hong Kong SAR

47

Zhejiang University

China (Mainland)

47

Delft University of Technology

Netherlands

49

Kyoto University

Japan

50

Northwestern University

United States

50

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

United Kingdom

50

KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology

South Korea

53

University of Bristol

United Kingdom

54

University of Amsterdam

Netherlands

55

Yonsei University

South Korea

56

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong SAR

57

Carnegie Mellon University

United States

58

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Germany

59

Universiti Malaya (UM)

Malaysia

60

Duke University

United States

61

City University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong SAR

62

KU Leuven

Belgium

63

Sorbonne University

France

63

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

65

University of Texas at Austin

United States

66

Korea University

South Korea

67

National Taiwan University (NTU)

Taiwan

68

The University of Warwick

United Kingdom

69

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

United States

69

Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)

Argentina

71

University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

United States

72

Université Paris-Saclay

France

73

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Sweden

74

Lund University

Sweden

75

University of Washington

United States

76

The University of Western Australia

Australia

77

University of Glasgow

United Kingdom

78

Brown University

United States

79

University of Birmingham

United Kingdom

80

University of Southampton

United Kingdom

80

The University of Adelaide

Australia

82

University of Leeds

United Kingdom

82

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg

Germany

84

Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech)

Japan

84

Osaka University

Japan

86

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Ireland

87

University of Technology Sydney

Australia

88

Durham University

United Kingdom

89

Pennsylvania State University

United States

89

Purdue University

United States

89

Universidade de São Paulo

Brazil

92

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC)

Chile

93

Lomonosov Moscow State University

Russia

94

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Mexico

94

University of Alberta

Canada

96

Freie Universitaet Berlin

Germany

97

Pohang University of Science And Technology (POSTECH)

South Korea

98

RWTH Aachen University

Germany

99

University of Copenhagen

Denmark

100


QS Rankings are considered by many aspirants when selecting among the top universities in the world 2024 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

Top universities in the world 2024 rankings are different for different ranking engines. The most well-known ranking methodology, the QS ranking 2024 uses six metrics.

QS uni rankings methodology

Metric

Weightage

Academic Reputation

40 %

Employer Reputation

10 %

Faculty/Student Ratio

20 %

Citation per faculty

20 %

International Faculty Ratio

5 %

International Student Ratio

5 %

Top Universities in the World by THE 2024

The "THE World University 2024 rankings" include a total of 1904 universities from across 108 countries. Among them, the 100 top universities in the world are listed with the universities and locations.

Top 100 Universities in the World: THE Ranking

Name

Rank 2024

Rank 2023

University of Oxford, UK

1

1

Stanford University, USA

2

3

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

3

5

Harvard University, USA

4

2

University of Cambridge, UK

5

3

Princeton University, USA

6

7

California Institute of Technology, USA

7

6

Imperial College London, UK

8

10

University of California, Berkeley, USA

9

8

Yale University, USA

10

9

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

11

11

Tsinghua University, China

12

16

The University of Chicago, USA

13

13

Peking University, China

14

17

Johns Hopkins University, USA

15

15

University of Pennsylvania, USA

16

14

Columbia University, USA

17

11

University of California, Los Angeles, USA

18

21

National University of Singapore, Singapore

19

19

Cornell University, USA

20

20

University of Toronto, Canada

21

18

UCL, UK

22

22

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, USA

23

23

Carnegie Mellon University, USA

24

28

University of Washington, USA

25

26

Duke University, USA

26

25

New York University, USA

27

24

Northwestern University, USA

28

26

The University of Tokyo, Japan

29

39

University of Edinburgh, UK

30

29

Technical University of Munich, Germany

30

30

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

32

36

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland

33

41

University of California, San Diego, USA

34

32

University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

35

31

Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

36

38

University of Melbourne, Australia

37

34

King’s College London, UK

38

35

LMU Munich, Germany

38

33

Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris, France

40

47

University of British Columbia, Canada

41

40

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

42

48

Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

43

52

Fudan University, China

44

51

KU Leuven, Belgium

45

42

London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

46

37

Universität Heidelberg, Germany

47

43

Delft University of Technology, Netherlands

48

70

McGill University, Canada

49

46

Karolinska Institute, Sweden

50

49

University of Manchester, UK

51

54

University of Texas at Austin, USA

52

50

Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

53

45

Monash University, Australia

54

44

Kyoto University, Japan

55

68

Zhejiang University, China

55

67

University of Science and Technology of China, China

57

74

Université Paris-Saclay, France

58

93

University of California, Davis, USA

59

63

The University of Sydney, Australia

60

54

University of Amsterdam

61

60

Seoul National University, South Korea

62

56

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

63

81

Brown University, USA

64

61

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

64

58

Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands

64

59

Australian National University, Australia

67

62

Washington University in St Louis, USA

68

57

University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

69

64

The University of Queensland, Australia

70

53

Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France

71


95

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

72

69

Nanjing University, China

73

17

University of Southern California, USA

74

65

Sorbonne University, France

75

90

Yonsei University (Seoul campus), South Korea

76

78

Leiden University, Netherlands

77

77

Boston University, USA

78

71

University of Groningen, Netherlands

79

75

University of Zurich, Switzerland

80

82

University of Bristol, UK

81

76

City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

82

99

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea

83

91

UNSW Sydney, Australia

84

71

University of Minnesota, USA

85

101

Purdue University West Lafayette, USA

86

127

University of Glasgow, UK

87

82

Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong

87

79

Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany

87

86

RWTH Aachen University, Germany

90

99

University of Bonn, Germany

91

89

University of California, Irvine, USA

92

95

Vanderbilt University, USA

92

98

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany

94

73

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation

95

163

University of Tübingen, Germany

95

86

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

97

155

University of Southampton, UK

97

108

Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands

99

80

Ohio State University, USA

99

112

Times Higher Education rankings have the highest number of factors in their ranking process. If students are looking for both research quality and reputation among employers, Times Higher Education rankings are the best to consider. Teaching reputation carries the highest weightage in THE followed by research quality. Teaching in universities is ranked based on surveys regarding the quality of teaching. THE rankings give an overall view of a university.

Times Higher Education Ranking Methodology

The Times Higher Education Ranking methodology for the top universities in the world 2023 considers five indicators teaching, research, citations, international outlook, and industry income.

Ranking Parameters for Universities by THE

Indicator

Weight

Teaching (the learning environment)

30%

Research (volume, income, and reputation)

30%

Citations (research influence)

30%

International outlook (staff, students, research)

7.5%

Industry income (knowledge transfer)

2.5%

Best Universities in the World in ARWU Rankings

The ARWU rankings are the Academic Ranking of World Universities published by the Center for World-Class Universities (CWCU) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. This is an Independent organisation focused on higher education and intelligence. Every year it publishes the best 100 universities in the world. Among them, the top 100 universities in the world and their location details are provided below.

Top 100 Universities in the World: ARWU Ranking

Name of the University

ARWU Ranking

Harvard University, USA

1

Stanford University, USA

2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

3

University of Cambridge, UK

4

University of California, Berkeley, USA

5

Princeton University, USA

6

University of Oxford, UK

7

Columbia University, USA

8

California Institute of Technology, USA

9

University of Chicago, USA

10

Yale University, USA

11

Cornell University, USA

12

University of California, Los Angeles, USA

13

University of Pennsylvania, USA

14

Paris-Saclay University, France

15

Johns Hopkins University, USA

16

University College London, UK

17

University of Washington, USA

18

University of California, San Diego, USA

19

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

20

University of California, San Francisco, USA

21

Tsinghua University, China

22

Imperial College London, UK

23

University of Toronto, Canada

24

Washington University in St. Louis, USA

25

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

26

University of Tokyo, Japan

27

New York University, USA

28

Peking University, China

29

Northwestern University, USA

30

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

31

University of Copenhagen, Japan

32

Zhejiang University, China

33

Duke University, USA

34

University of Melbourne, Australia

35

University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA

35

Karolinska Institute, Sweden

37

University of Edinburgh, UK

38

Kyoto University, Japan

39

Rockefeller University, New York, USA

39

PSL University, France

41

University of Manchester, UK

41

University of Texas at Austin, USA

43

University of British Columbia, Canada

44

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA

44

Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

46

Sorbonne University, France

46

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, USA

48

University of Geneva, Switzerland

49

University of Maryland, College Park, USA

50

Shanghai ARWU rankings reflect the quality of research at the universities. Rankings are assigned based on Noble prize winners also. However, ARWU rankings are not based on academic reputation. So prospects who are looking to study in research-intense universities that provide world-class infrastructure and resources must consider ARWU rankings when deciding the best university for them.

ARWU Ranking 2023 Parameters

Top universities in the world 2023 as ranked by the Shanghai Ranking take a similar metric as the above two but the percentage of weight allotted to each is different.

Criteria

Indicator

Weight

Quality of Education

Alumni of an institution winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals

10%

Quality of Faculty

Staff of an institution winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals

20%

Highly cited researchers

Research Output

Paper published in Nature and Science

20%

Papers indexed in Science Citation Index-Expanded and Social Science Citation Index

Per Capita Performance

Per capita academic performance of an institution

10%

Total


100%

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Top Universities in the World for Subject-Wise

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 2024 Ranking for MBA

Stanford Graduate School of Business

1

Penn (Wharton)

2

Harvard Business School

3

London Business School

4

HEC Paris

5

MIT (Sloan)

6

Columbia Business School

7

IE Business School

8

Cambridge (Judge)
9

IESE Business School

9

INSEAD

11

Top Universities in the World for MBA

Name of the University

THE 2024 Ranking for MBA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

1

Stanford University

2

Harvard University

3

University of California, Berkeley
4
University of Cambridge
5

University of Oxford

5

University of Chicago

7

Tsinghua University

8

Yale University

9

Peking University

10

Top Universities in the World for Masters

Name of the University

QS 2024 Ranking

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

1

University of Cambridge, UK

2

University of Oxford, UK

3

Harvard University, USA

4

Stanford University, USA

5

Imperial College London, UK

6

ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Switzerland

7

National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

8

University College London (UCL), UK

9

University of California, Berkeley (UCB), USA

10

Top Universities in the World for Engineering

Name of the University

QS 2024 Ranking for Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

1

Stanford University, USA

2

Oxford University, UK

3

University of Cambridge, UK

4

University of California, Berkeley (UCB), USA

5

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

6

Imperial College London, UK

7

Harvard University, USA

8

California Institute of Technology (Caltech), USA

9

EPFL – École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
10

Top Universities in the World for Computer Science

Name of the University

QS 2024 Ranking for Computer Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

1

Carnegie Mellon University, USA

2

Stanford University, USA

3

University of Oxford, UK

4

University of California, Berkeley (UCB), USA

5

National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

6

Harvard University, USA

7

Cambridge University, UK

8

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

9

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)

10

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.

Admission Requirements for Top Universities in the World

Admission requirements for the world’s top 100 universities vary 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 are listed below:

  1. 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 are highly competitive, hence students are expected to maintain a high GPA throughout their studies.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Entrance Exams for Studying Abroad

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Questions related to IELTS

Have a question related to IELTS ?

Hello Student,

For the AMC (Australian Medical Council) exam , which assesses international medical graduates for practice in Australia, the IELTS requirement is generally a minimum overall score of 7.0 , with no individual band score below 7.0 (in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking).

Alternatively, the AMC also accepts equivalent scores from OET, TOEFL iBT, and PTE Academic :

  • OET : A grade of B in all four components.
  • TOEFL iBT : A minimum overall score of 94, with minimum scores of 24 in Listening, 24 in Reading, 27 in Writing, and 23 in Speaking.
  • PTE Academic : A minimum overall score of 65, with a minimum score of 65 in each communicative skill.

Meeting these requirements is essential to proceed with the AMC’s application and registration processes.


I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.


Hello

To be eligible for the Australian Medical Council (AMC) exams , candidates must demonstrate English .

AMC assessment process :

1. Accepted English Language Tests and Scores

IELTS ( International English Language Testing System ) :

Overall band score : 7.0 in each band ( listening , reading , writing and speaking ) .

PTE Academic ( Pearson Test of English Academic ) :

Overall score of 65 in each band ( listening , reading , writing and speaking ) .

2. Validity of Test Scores

The test results must be no older than two years at the time of submitting your AMC application .

3. Preparation Tips for IELTS

Practice regularly : Build your language skills across all four components .

Take practice exams : practice can help improve speed and accuracy .

professional coaching if needed , specially for writing and speaking , which are often the most challenging part .

Use official IELTS resources : Cambridge IELTS books , online mock tests and other reliable materials can give you an accurate rating  .

4. Application Tips

Ensure that your English test scores are valid and meet the minimum requirements before applying .

Keep a copy of your scores as they may need to be provided to both the AMC and registration authority in Australia .

Hope this helps you .

All the best

If you have completed a master's degree in the UK, you might still need to take the IELTS test to qualify for a Permanent Residency (PR) or Work Visa in Australia. While your degree from an English-speaking country like the UK may demonstrate your proficiency in English, Australian immigration authorities typically require a standardized English language test score, such as IELTS, to assess your language skills formally.

For better guidance, Invicta Institute can provide you with detailed information and assistance regarding the specific English language requirements for Australian PR or Work Visa applications. Invicta's experienced counselors can help you navigate the process and determine if your UK degree suffices or if you need to take the IELTS test.


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