QS Universities Rankings - Top Global Universities & Colleges | Top Universities (2024)

FAQs

Which university is top in QS World University Rankings? ›

The 2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings is once again topped by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with Imperial College London climbing to second place, above two other UK universities: the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

The ranking has been criticized for its overreliance on subjective indicators and reputation surveys, which tend to fluctuate over time and form a feedback loop. Concerns also exist regarding the global consistency and integrity of the data used to generate the QS rankings.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a higher education analyst and a for-profit services provider headquartered in London with offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

The answer to what college has the lowest acceptance rate is the same as what ivy league college has the lowest acceptance rate: Harvard. While all Ivies are known for having some of the lowest college acceptance rates of all colleges, Harvard has generally been the most selective.

The three longest established and most influential global rankings are those produced by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Times Higher Education (THE) and Shanghai Ranking Consultancy (the Academic Ranking of World Universities; ARWU).

Ans. UCLA is ranked 42 globally in the QS World University Ranking 2025, down from 29th in 2024. The remarkable global rating of the University of California, Los Angeles draws international students to pursue their studies there. In 2023, UCLA is ranked 14th by US News & World Report's Global University Ranking.

QS World University Rankings created by TopUniversities.com is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world.

Rankings & ratings

Harvard University is one of the top universities in Cambridge, United States. It is ranked #4 in QS World University Rankings 2025.

What is the #1 college in the US? ›

The top 10 colleges in the US according to U.S. News' Best National University Rankings are: #1 Princeton University. #2 Columbia University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. #5 Yale University.

Trusted worldwide by students, teachers, governments and industry experts, the 2024 league table reveals how the global higher education landscape is shifting. The University of Oxford tops the ranking for the eighth year in a row, but others in the top five have seen shifts in their ranks.

While both Harvard vs Oxford are world-renowned elite universities, the "better" option depends entirely on your academic interests and goals. Select based on programs and opportunities in your desired field.

As for which ranking is more relevant, it ultimately depends on the specific context and the factors that matter most to you. Both THE and QS are highly regarded and widely referenced rankings within the academic community. However, they have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Both MIT and Harvard are widely recognized as among the most prestigious institutions in the world, but they excel in different academic domains. MIT is celebrated for its unparalleled contributions to science, technology, and innovation, making it highly prestigious in those fields.

Harvard University ranks 4th according to the QS World University Rankings 2025. Furthermore, the US News & World Report Global Universities Rankings for 2023 placed Harvard University at the pinnacle, ranking it as the leading global institution in higher education.

The Rankings Tracker is an easy-to-use analytics tool that allows institutions to access and examine their performance in the QS World University Rankings, and compare this with chosen institutional peers. We also offer rankings trackers for performance evaluation for each of our regional rankings.