World University Rankings 2024 List: Oxford Leads Among 1,906 Universities

The World University Rankings for 2024 are out, and the University of Oxford is at the top again! This year, they looked at an impressive 1,906 universities from all over the world, covering 108 different countries. This list is really important because it helps students and teachers, as well as government and industry experts, understand which universities are doing the best globally.

To make this list, they used a new way of ranking universities, looking at 18 different things that show how good a university is. These include how well they teach, the kind of research they do, how much they work with industries, and how they connect with others around the world. They did a lot of work to make this list, checking out more than 134 million times that research papers from these universities were mentioned in other work, and they even asked opinions from over 68,000 scholars.

The University of Oxford is leading for the eighth year in a row, but there have been some changes in the other top spots. For example, Stanford University has moved up to second place, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has climbed to third. This list is really helpful for anyone who wants to know more about the best universities in the world right now.

Top 100 Best Universities In The World 2024

RankUniversity NameCountry1University of OxfordUnited Kingdom2Stanford UniversityUnited States3Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)United States4Harvard UniversityUnited States5University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom6Princeton UniversityUnited States7California Institute of TechnologyUnited States8Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom9University of California, BerkeleyUnited States10Yale UniversityUnited States11ETH ZurichSwitzerland12Tsinghua UniversityChina13The University of ChicagoUnited States14Peking UniversityChina15Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States16University of PennsylvaniaUnited States17Columbia UniversityUnited States18University of California, Los AngelesUnited States19National University of SingaporeSingapore20Cornell UniversityUnited States21University of TorontoCanada22UCLUnited Kingdom23University of Michigan-Ann ArborUnited States24Carnegie Mellon UniversityUnited States25University of WashingtonUnited States26Duke UniversityUnited States27New York UniversityUnited States28Northwestern UniversityUnited States29The University of TokyoJapan30University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom31Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeSingapore32École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneSwitzerland33University of California, San DiegoUnited States34University of Hong KongHong Kong35Georgia Institute of TechnologyUnited States36University of MelbourneAustralia37King’s College LondonUnited Kingdom38LMU MunichGermany39Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research UniversityFrance40University of British ColumbiaCanada41University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUnited States42Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityChina43Fudan UniversityChina44KU LeuvenBelgium45London School of Economics and Political ScienceUnited Kingdom46Universität HeidelbergGermany47Delft University of TechnologyNetherlands48McGill UniversityCanada49Karolinska InstituteSweden50University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom

RankUniversity NameCountry51University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom52University of Texas at AustinUnited States53Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong54Monash UniversityAustralia55Kyoto UniversityJapan55Zhejiang UniversityChina57University of Science and Technology of ChinaChina58Université Paris-SaclayFrance59University of California, DavisUnited States60The University of SydneyAustralia61University of AmsterdamNetherlands62Seoul National UniversitySouth Korea63University of Wisconsin-MadisonUnited States64Brown UniversityUnited States64The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong64Wageningen University & ResearchNetherlands67Australian National UniversityAustralia68Washington University in St LouisUnited States69University of California, Santa BarbaraUnited States70The University of QueenslandAustralia71Institut Polytechnique de ParisFrance72University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States73Nanjing UniversityChina74University of Southern CaliforniaUnited States75Sorbonne UniversityFrance76Yonsei University (Seoul campus)South Korea77Leiden UniversityNetherlands78Boston UniversityUnited States79University of GroningenNetherlands80University of ZurichSwitzerland81University of BristolUnited Kingdom82City University of Hong KongHong Kong83Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)South Korea84UNSW SydneyAustralia85University of MinnesotaUnited States86Purdue University West LafayetteUnited States87University of GlasgowUnited Kingdom88The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong Kong89Humboldt University of BerlinGermany90RWTH Aachen UniversityGermany91University of BonnGermany92University of California, IrvineUnited States92Vanderbilt UniversityUnited States94Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinGermany95Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityRussian Federation96University of TübingenGermany97KTH Royal Institute of TechnologySweden98University of SouthamptonUnited Kingdom99Erasmus University RotterdamNetherlands100Ohio State University (Main campus)United States

The list of the best universities in the world for 2024 that I just shared is based on real information, but it might change because things in universities can always get better or worse. The Times Higher Education made this list, and it shows that the United States has the most top universities. After the US, the United Kingdom has a lot of really good universities too. In total, there are 1,906 universities from 108 different countries on this list.

This list isn’t just about which university is the most famous. It looks at how good the teaching is, what kind of research they do, and how much they work with people and universities in other countries. Universities can move up or down in the rankings each year, depending on how well they do in these areas.

The best universities, like those in the US and the UK, often have a lot of money and have been around for a long time, which helps them stay at the top of the list. But there are also universities from other countries that are becoming more well-known and doing really well.

Remember, this list is more than just a bunch of names and numbers. It shows how rich and varied universities all over the world are. Over 2,673 universities gave information to be on this list, so it gives a really good picture of what universities around the world are like right now.

Best Universities In The World 2024

1. University of Oxford:

• Location: Oxford, England
• Highlights: Oldest university in the English-speaking world, renowned for humanities and sciences.

2. Stanford University:

• Location: Stanford, California, USA
• Highlights: Known for its entrepreneurial character and ties to Silicon Valley.

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT):

• Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
• Highlights: World leader in technology and engineering research.

4. Harvard University:

• Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
• Highlights: Prestigious Ivy League institution, excels in law, business, and medicine.

5. University of Cambridge:

• Location: Cambridge, England
• Highlights: Historic institution, strong in sciences and mathematics.

6. Princeton University:

• Location: Princeton, New Jersey, USA
• Highlights: Renowned for humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

7. California Institute of Technology (Caltech):

• Location: Pasadena, California, USA
• Highlights: Small but mighty in science and engineering research.

8. Imperial College London:

• Location: London, England
• Highlights: Leader in science, engineering, medicine, and business.

9. University of California, Berkeley:

• Location: Berkeley, California, USA
• Highlights: Known for social sciences, natural sciences, and political activism.

10. Yale University:

• Location: New Haven, Connecticut, USA
• Highlights: Famous for law school, arts, and humanities programs.

11. ETH Zurich:

• Location: Zurich, Switzerland
• Highlights: Specializes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

12. Tsinghua University:

• Location: Beijing, China
• Highlights: Leading in engineering and computer science in Asia.

13. The University of Chicago:

• Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Highlights: Strong in economics, law, and literary criticism.

14. Peking University:

• Location: Beijing, China
• Highlights: Known for humanities and Chinese history and culture.

15. Johns Hopkins University:

• Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
• Highlights: Leader in medical research and education.

16. University of Pennsylvania:

• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• Highlights: Notable for business (Wharton School) and medical research.

17. Columbia University:

• Location: New York City, New York, USA
• Highlights: Strong in journalism, law, and medical research.

18. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA):

• Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Highlights: Diverse programs in arts, sciences, and entertainment.

19. National University of Singapore (NUS):

• Location: Singapore
• Highlights: Asia’s top university, excels in engineering, business, and law.

20. Cornell University:

• Location: Ithaca, New York, USA
• Highlights: Wide range of disciplines, with strong engineering and hotel management programs.

21. University of Toronto:

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Highlights: Diverse academic programs, strong in literature and medicine.

22. UCL (University College London):

• Location: London, England
• Highlights: Known for architecture, anthropology, and education.

23. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor:

• Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
• Highlights: Strong in engineering, business, and medical research.

24. Carnegie Mellon University:

• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
• Highlights: Leader in computer science, robotics, and fine arts.

25. University of Washington:

• Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
• Highlights: Renowned for medical research and environmental science.

26. Duke University:

• Location: Durham, North Carolina, USA
• Highlights: Strong in medical, law, and business education.

27. New York University (NYU):

• Location: New York City, New York, USA
• Highlights: Notable for law, business, and arts programs.

28. Northwestern University:

• Location: Evanston, Illinois, USA
• Highlights: Known for journalism, performing arts, and engineering.

29. The University of Tokyo:

• Location: Tokyo, Japan
• Highlights: Japan’s top university, excels in technology and law.

30. University of Edinburgh:

• Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
• Highlights: Leader in medical and scientific research.

31. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore:

• Location: Singapore
• Highlights: Innovative in engineering and business education.

32. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne:

• Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
• Highlights: Specializes in science and engineering.

33. University of California, San Diego:

• Location: San Diego, California, USA
• Highlights: Known for oceanography, biology, and neuroscience.

34. University of Hong Kong:

• Location: Hong Kong
• Highlights: Strong in law, business, and medicine.

35. Georgia Institute of Technology:

• Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Highlights: Prominent in engineering and computing.

36. University of Melbourne:

• Location: Melbourne, Australia
• Highlights: Diverse disciplines with a focus on research and innovation.

37. King’s College London:

• Location: London, England
• Highlights: Renowned for nursing, psychiatry, and law.

38. LMU Munich:

• Location: Munich, Germany
• Highlights: Leader in humanities, natural sciences, and medicine.

39. Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University:

• Location: Paris, France
• Highlights: Excellence in arts, science, and engineering.

40. University of British Columbia:

• Location: Vancouver, Canada
• Highlights: Strong in environmental science and forestry.

41. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:

• Location: Urbana and Champaign, Illinois, USA
• Highlights: Renowned for engineering, information sciences, and physics.

42. Shanghai Jiao Tong University:

• Location: Shanghai, China
• Highlights: Strong in engineering, business, and medicine.

43. Fudan University:

• Location: Shanghai, China
• Highlights: Known for humanities, natural sciences, and technical studies.

44. KU Leuven:

• Location: Leuven, Belgium
• Highlights: Oldest university in Belgium, excels in law, theology, and biomedical sciences.

45. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE):

• Location: London, England
• Highlights: Specializes in social sciences, known for economics and political studies.

46. Universität Heidelberg:

• Location: Heidelberg, Germany
• Highlights: Germany’s oldest university, strong in medicine and humanities.

47. Delft University of Technology:

• Location: Delft, Netherlands
• Highlights: Leader in engineering and technology, especially civil and structural engineering.

48. McGill University:

• Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Highlights: Known for medical research and a diverse range of academic programs.

49. Karolinska Institute:

• Location: Stockholm, Sweden
• Highlights: World-renowned medical university, known for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

50. University of Manchester:

• Location: Manchester, England
• Highlights: Strong in science and engineering, particularly in physics.

51. University of Texas at Austin:

• Location: Austin, Texas, USA
• Highlights: Known for engineering, business, and computer science.

52. Chinese University of Hong Kong:

• Location: Hong Kong
• Highlights: Strong in business, medicine, and arts.

53. Monash University:

• Location: Melbourne, Australia
• Highlights: Leader in pharmacy, law, and engineering.

54. Kyoto University:

• Location: Kyoto, Japan
• Highlights: Japan’s second oldest university, excels in humanities and sciences.

55. Zhejiang University:

• Location: Hangzhou, China
• Highlights: Known for engineering, technology, and business.

56. University of Science and Technology of China:

• Location: Hefei, China
• Highlights: Specializes in science and technology.

57. Université Paris-Saclay:

• Location: Paris, France
• Highlights: Strong in physics, engineering, and life sciences.

58. University of California, Davis:

• Location: Davis, California, USA
• Highlights: Known for veterinary science, agriculture, and environmental sciences.

59. The University of Sydney:

• Location: Sydney, Australia
• Highlights: Comprehensive university, strong in law, education, and health sciences.

60. University of Amsterdam:

• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Highlights: Known for social sciences, humanities, and economics.

61. Seoul National University:

• Location: Seoul, South Korea
• Highlights: Leading university in South Korea, strong in engineering and law.

62. University of Wisconsin-Madison:

• Location: Madison, Wisconsin, USA
• Highlights: Known for research in life sciences, agriculture, and engineering.

63. Brown University:

• Location: Providence, Rhode Island, USA
• Highlights: Prestigious Ivy League institution, renowned for its flexible curriculum.

64. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology:

• Location: Hong Kong
• Highlights: Focus on science, engineering, business, and humanities.

64. Wageningen University & Research:

• Location: Wageningen, Netherlands
• Highlights: World leader in agricultural and environmental science.

67. Australian National University:

• Location: Canberra, Australia
• Highlights: Known for politics, science, and international studies.

68. Washington University in St Louis:

• Location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
• Highlights: Strong in medicine, social work, and art and design.

69. University of California, Santa Barbara:

• Location: Santa Barbara, California, USA
• Highlights: Leader in materials research, chemical engineering, and humanities.

70. The University of Queensland:

• Location: Brisbane, Australia
• Highlights: Known for business, life sciences, and medicine.

71. Institut Polytechnique de Paris:

• Location: Paris, France
• Highlights: Excellence in science and technology.

72. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

• Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
• Highlights: Renowned for medicine, business, and journalism.

73. Nanjing University:

• Location: Nanjing, China
• Highlights: Strong in humanities, natural sciences, and engineering.

74. University of Southern California:

• Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Highlights: Known for film, law, and business programs.

75. Sorbonne University:

• Location: Paris, France
• Highlights: Prestigious in arts, humanities, and sciences.

76. Yonsei University (Seoul campus):

• Location: Seoul, South Korea
• Highlights: Leader in business, medicine, and Korean studies.

77. Leiden University:

• Location: Leiden, Netherlands
• Highlights: Known for law, arts, and sciences.

78. Boston University:

• Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Highlights: Strong in business, communication, and health sciences.

79. University of Groningen:

• Location: Groningen, Netherlands
• Highlights: Leader in environmental science, economics, and business.

80. University of Zurich:

• Location: Zurich, Switzerland
• Highlights: Known for medicine, humanities, and economics.

81. University of Bristol:

• Location: Bristol, England
• Highlights: Strong in engineering, social sciences, and health sciences.

82. City University of Hong Kong:

• Location: Hong Kong
• Highlights: Known for engineering, business, and law.

83. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST):

• Location: Daejeon, South Korea
• Highlights: Leading in technology and engineering research.

84. UNSW Sydney:

• Location: Sydney, Australia
• Highlights: Renowned for business, law, and engineering.

85. University of Minnesota:

• Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
• Highlights: Strong in health sciences, engineering, and economics.

86. Purdue University West Lafayette:

• Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
• Highlights: Known for engineering, technology, and agriculture.

87. University of Glasgow:

• Location: Glasgow, Scotland
• Highlights: Leader in medical research, veterinary medicine, and law.

88. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University:

• Location: Hong Kong
• Highlights: Specializes in applied science and textiles.

89. Humboldt University of Berlin:

• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Highlights: Prestigious in humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

90. RWTH Aachen University:

• Location: Aachen, Germany
• Highlights: Known for engineering, especially mechanical engineering.

91. University of Bonn:

• Location: Bonn, Germany
• Highlights: Strong in mathematics, physics, and philosophy.

92. University of California, Irvine:

• Location: Irvine, California, USA
• Highlights: Renowned for science, especially biology and medicine.

92. Vanderbilt University:

• Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
• Highlights: Known for medicine, education, and music.

94. Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin:

• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Highlights: One of Europe’s largest university hospitals, leading in medicine.

95. Lomonosov Moscow State University:

• Location: Moscow, Russia
• Highlights: Russia’s oldest and largest university, strong in physics and mathematics.

96. University of Tübingen:

• Location: Tübingen, Germany
• Highlights: Renowned for humanities, especially theology and philosophy.

97. KTH Royal Institute of Technology:

• Location: Stockholm, Sweden
• Highlights: Leader in engineering and technology.

98. University of Southampton:

• Location: Southampton, England
• Highlights: Known for engineering, particularly in oceanography.

99. Erasmus University Rotterdam:

• Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Highlights: Strong in business, economics, and health sciences.

100. Ohio State University (Main campus):

• Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA
• Highlights: Renowned for research in various fields, including medicine and business.