List of Top Universities in the World

The decision of selecting an educational institution for your higher education plays a pivotal role in one’s academic and professional quest. It is extremely important to research thoroughly about the different universities and colleges and find the right one that aligns with your course preferences, interests and career aspirations. With more and more students are aspiring to study abroad and gain international, there are numerous academic institutions across the globe that are offering a plethora of courses in almost every field of study. This blog brings a comprehensive list of top universities in the world as well as the major study destinations you must consider for pursuing overseas education!

Quick Read: How to Study Abroad Amid the Havoc of Coronavirus?

Top Universities in the World 2022

In order to find the top universities in the world, there are varied parameters that need to be assessed. These parameters range from academic reputation, teaching, student to faculty ratio, alumni, employer reputation, awards, amongst others. To help you explore the best academic institutions across the globe, we have enlisted the top universities in the world as per the globally acclaimed QS Rankings and THE World University Rankings for the year 2021-2022:

Top Universities in the World	QS World Rankings 2022	THE World University Rankings 2022
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA	1	#5
University of Oxford, UK	2	#1
Stanford University, USA	=3	#2
University of Cambridge, UK	=3	#6
Harvard University, USA	5	#3
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	6	#4
Imperial College London, UK	7	#11
ETH Zurich- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology	=8	#14
University College London, UK	=8	#16
University of Chicago, USA	10	#11

Here are our top picks for Best Countries to Study Abroad Amidst Covid-19!

Now that you are familiar with the global rankings of the top universities of the world, let’s move further and analyse the major academic institutions of the top countries to study abroad.

Top Universities in the USA 2022

Home to a wide range of highly ranked universities in the world, the USA stands firm amongst the top countries to pursue higher education abroad. Imparting world-class education, excellent research opportunities, immense industrial exposure in almost every field of study, the USA has become the choicest study destination of those planning to study abroad. Take a look at the top universities in the USA listed below:

Top Universities in the USA	QS Rankings for USA 2022	THE World University Rankings for USA 2022
Stanford University	#3	#4
Harvard University	#5	#2
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	#6	#2
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	#1	#5
University of California, Berkeley	32	#8
Yale University	=14	#9
University of California Los Angeles	40	#20
Princeton University	#20	#7
University of Chicago	#10	#10
Johns Hopkins University	#25	#13
University of Pennsylvania	#13	#13
Columbia University	#19	#11
Cornell University	#21	#22

Know all about the Admission Process to Study in USA 2021!

Top Universities in the UK 2022

Having the oldest academic institutions in the world, the UK is another prominent study destination famed for its top-notch programmes available at economical costs and the immense global exposure it offers! Increasing emerging as a multicultural nation, the country attracts thousands of students from across the globe and the costs of living and healthcare are also affordable here. Let’s explore the popular universities of the UK as per QS and THE Rankings 2022:

Top Universities in the UK	QS World University Rankings 2022	THE World University Rankings 2022
University of Oxford	#2	#1
University of Cambridge	=3	#5
University College London	#8	#18
Imperial College London	#7	#12
The University of Edinburgh	#16	#30
The University of Manchester	=27	#50
King’s College London	#35	#35
London School of Economics and Political Science	#49	#37
University of Bristol	#62	#92
University of Warwick	#61	#78

Here are the February Intake Universities in UK 2021!

Top Universities in Canada 2022

Ahead in the league with the UK and US remains Canada which is a hotspot of Indian students. Offering quality education at pocket-friendly costs, Canada has a has become a preferred choice of international students. The country is home to various globally renowned institutions giving cut-throat competition to other top universities in the world. The following table enlists the top universities in Canada that you must consider for pursuing your chosen course:

Top Universities in Canada	QS World University Rankings 2022	THE World University Rankings 2022
University of Toronto	#26	#1
McGill University	=27	#3
University of British Columbia	#46	#2
Universite de Montreal	#111	#5
University of Alberta	#126	#6
McMaster University	#140	#4
University of Waterloo	=149	#9
Western University	170	#9
University of Calgary	235	#8
Queen’s University	=240	=11
University of Ottawa	230	#7
Dalhousie University	=272	=11

Top Universities in Australia 2022

Regarded as a student-friendly country, Australia has emerged amongst the major study destinations because of the cultural diversity, high quality of education and friendly natives. The Australian universities provide globally accredited qualifications and a varied range of programs at economical prices. Glance through the renowned universities in Australia as ranked by QS and THE World University Rankings for 2022:

Top Universities in Australia	QS World University Rankings 2022	THE World University Rankings 2022
Australian National University	=27	#54
University of Sydney	#37	#58
The University of Melbourne	#38	#33
University of New South Wales	#43	–
University of Queensland	#47	#54
Monash University	#58	#57
University of Western Australia	#93	#132
University of Adelaide	#108	#111
University of Technology, Sydney	#133	#143
Curtin University	=194	=251-300
University of Canberra	=436	#170

Top Universities in Germany 2022

Famed for providing free education to students around the world, Germany has implemented a state-funded approach for its public universities in order to provide academic programmes at no tuition costs but a minimal administrative fee. The free universities in Germany don’t compromise with providing world-class education and have prominently featured amongst the top universities in the world. Here is a list of top universities in Germany as per the QS and Times Higher Education Rankings for 2022:

Top Universities in Germany	QS World University Rankings 2022	THE World University Rankings 2022
Technical University of Munich	=50	#38
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich	#64	#32
Heidelberg University	#63	#42
Humboldt University of Berlin	=128	#74
Free University of Berlin	#127	#83
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology	#136	#180
RWTH Aachen University	#165	#108
Technical University of Berlin	#159	#139
Technical University of Dresden	=194	#301-380
University of Tubingen	=177	–
University of Freiburg	=172	–
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin	–	–

Subject Specific Universities in the World

Here is a list of some subject specific universities in the world:

Best Universities in the world for Sciences – Natural Sciences

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Cambridge
• Stanford University
• University of Oxford
• Harvard University
• University of California, Berkeley
• ETH Zurich
• The University of Tokyo
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• Imperial College London

Best Universities in the world for Arts and Humanities

• University of Oxford
• Harvard University
• University of Cambridge
• University of California, Berkeley
• Stanford University
• Yale University
• Princeton University
• The University of Tokyo
• Columbia University
• University College London

Best Universities in the world for Social Sciences

• Harvard University
• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• National University of Singapore
• The University of Melbourne
• University of California, Berkeley
• The University of Hong Kong

Best Universities in the world for Engineering and Technology

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• University of Cambridge
• ETH Zurich
• Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• Imperial College London
• National University of Singapore
• The University of Tokyo
• University of Oxford
• Tsinghua University

Best Universities in the world for Life Sciences & Medicine

• Harvard University
• University of Cambridge
• University of Oxford
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Johns Hopkins University
• Stanford University
• Karolinska Institute (Sweden)
• University College London
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of California, San Francisco

How are World Rankings for Universities Determined?

Popular universities are judged on different parameters such as academic excellence, publications, citations, the reputation of the university, diversity and excellence of the faculty and often, international student ratio. QS World Rankings determines the rankings of a university based on academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty/student ratio, international faculty ratio and international student ratio.

Thus, we hope that this blog provided you with insightful analysis of top universities in the world as well as the major study destinations and their high-ranked academic institutions. Confused about how to apply for your dream university abroad? Sign up for an e-meeting with our Leverage Edu experts and we will guide you throughout the admission process to ensure that you successfully land into your dream university abroad!