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Find the world’s top universities in 2024 using the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings data
Scroll down for the full list of best universities in the world
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, released on 27 September 2023, has revealed the world’s top universities.
A UK institution, the University of Oxford, has taken the first place position while Stanford University is in second position.
In total, 1,904 universities across 108 countries or regions are represented in the ranking and 27 of these have at least one university in the top 200. A further 769 universities are listed with “reporter” status, meaning that they provided data but did not meet our eligibility criteria to receive a rank.
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Both in terms of the overall ranking and the highest positions, the US and the UK are well represented. Japan and India are among the best-represented countries in the ranking. Other countries such as Germany, China, Australia and the Netherlands are well represented in the top 200.
The 2024 World University Rankings were put together using a new and improved methodology. Results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics: research environment, teaching (the learning environment), research quality, industry and international outlook. The full methodology can be found here.
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The University of Cambridge is a prestigious university located in the UK.
Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research institution. Its 800-year history makes it the world’s fourth oldest university and the second oldest university in the English-speaking world.
The university is split into 31 colleges, where students receive small group teaching sessions known as supervisions.
In total, 92 affiliates of the university have been awarded Nobel Prizes, covering every category.
Established in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest university in the US and one of the top destinations for US law degrees.
Harvard University is one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. It is part of the Ivy League, a group of eight highly regarded private universities in the US.
Harvard is connected to more than 45 Nobel laureates, at least 30 heads of state and 48 Pulitzer prizewinners. Thirteen US presidents have honorary degrees from the institution; the most recent of these was awarded to John F. Kennedy in 1956.
MIT is organised into six separate schools: architecture and planning; engineering; humanities, arts and social sciences; management; science; and computing.
The first architecture classes in the US were taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The university was founded in the mid-19th century and has always endeavoured to provide financial aid to students on a needs basis.
Its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, includes 18 student residences, many gardens and public works of art.
Admission is extremely selective. The university lays claim to 85 Nobel Laureates, 58 National Medal of Science winners, 29 National Medal of Technology and Innovation winners and 45 MacArthur Fellows. Among its alumni is Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations.
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Many graduates go on to achieve great things, including law degrees. 17 Nobel laureates are affiliated with Stanford University.
There are just under 7,000 undergraduates and 9,000 postgraduates at the university, with a 7:4 student-to-staff ratio.
Stanford University has produced many entrepreneurs and start-ups and was partly responsible for the development of the surrounding Silicon Valley.
The large campus is home to 97 per cent of undergraduates and nearly 700 university buildings, museums, gardens and recreational centres.
Research at Stanford has a $1.22 billion budget and more than 5,000 of its projects are externally funded.
One of the most prestigious universities in the UK has come out on top for the seventh consecutive year.
The University of Oxford is the UK’s oldest university and one of the best known in the world.
There are more than 20,000 students at Oxford, with a roughly equal number of undergraduates and postgraduates.
Admission is extremely competitive; on average the university receives five applications for every place.
The university employs staff from just under 100 countries and foreign citizens make up about 40 per cent of the student and academic body.
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Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 results
Editor’s note: As part of our THE statement on Ukraine published on 2 March 2022, Russian universities have been given less prominence in our rankings. Russian universities that met the criteria for this ranking are not displayed in the table above.
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