Shreyashi Pathak Study Abroad Content Specialist
Study Abroad Content Specialist
Highlights:
- QS World University Rankings 2025: On June 4, 2024 QS have released their 21st edition of world university rankings.
- What is QS Ranking: Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is an education analytics firm. In 2025, they have published their 21st edition of World University Rankings
- Universities: MIT, Imperial College London, University of Oxford are the top 3 universities in the world as per QS World University Rankings 2025
- Parameters: QS ranks the universities based on academic reputation, employer reputation, international-student ratio and other factors
- Ranking Portfolio: Apart from universities, QS provides rankings by subject, Regional rankings, MBA rankings and best student cities ranking.
The QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings is a globally recognized list that evaluates universities based on factors like academic reputation, employer feedback, research output, and international diversity. Featuring over 1,500 institutions from 105 countries, this ranking helps students and academics compare universities to make informed decisions about their higher education.
In the QS World University Rankings 2025, 1,500 universities were ranked after analyzing 17.5 million academic papers and gathering expert opinions from over 240,000 academic and industry professionals. For the 13th consecutive year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took the #1 spot, while Imperial College London rose four places to claim #2. The University of Oxford and Harvard University secured the #3 and #4 positions, respectively.
Check out: Top Universities in the World
Table of Content
QS Ranking: The Methodology
In the latest edition of ranking, QS introduced 3 new parameters namely: Sustainability, Employment Outcomes and International Research Network. But do they actually mean?
- Sustainability: The QS International Student Survey revealed that 80% of students think universities could do more for the environment. This is a reflection of the wider trend of younger students who advocate strongly for social and environmental activism. Sustainability has a 5% weightage.
- Employment outcomes: High employment rates are an important aspect for which international students prefer universities. Hence, QS has added 15% weight to the Employer Reputation and added 5% weightage to Employment Outcomes.
- International research network: The 3rd new metric recognises the importance of research in changing the world. It has a weightage of 5%.
The methodology for the World University Rankings 2025 remains unchanged as of 2024. The parameters on which the rankings are released are the following
| Parameters | Weightage |
|---|---|
| Academic Reputation | 30% |
| Citations per Faculty | 20% |
| Employer Reputation | 15% |
| Faculty Student Ratio | 10% |
| International Student Ratio | 5% |
| International Faculty Ratio | 5% |
| Sustainability | 5% |
| Employment Outcomes | 5% |
| International Research Network | 5% |
QS World University Ranking 2025: Top 10 Universities
QS have recently published their 21st edition of World University rankings on June 4, 2024. Check out the top 10 universities in QS World University Rankings 2025 from the table below
| University | QS Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | #1 |
| Imperial College London | #2 |
| University of Oxford | #3 |
| Harvard University | #4 |
| University of Cambridge | #5 |
| Stanford University | #6 |
| ETH Zurich | #7 |
| National University of Singapore | #8 |
| University College London (UCL) | #9 |
| California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | #10 |
QS World University Ranking 2024: Top 10 Universities
The ranking portfolio of QS include
- QS World University Rankings
- QS World University Rankings by Subject,
- 4 regional rankings tables (including Asia, Latin America, Europe, Central Asia, and the Arab Region)
- QS MBA rankings (Global and Online)
- QS Best Student Cities rankings
Here, we have added a table of top 10 universities, with their location and acceptance rates.
| Universities | Global Rank | Location | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | #1 | Cambridge, United States | 4% |
| University of Cambridge | #2 | Cambridge, United States | 21% |
| University of Oxford | #3 | Oxford, United Kingdom | 22% |
| Harvard University | #4 | Cambridge, United States | 3% |
| Stanford University | #5 | Stanford, United States | 4% |
| Imperial College London | #6 | London, United Kingdom | 40% |
| ETH Zurich | #7 | Zürich, Switzerland | 8% |
| National University of Singapore (NUS) | #8 | Singapore | 23% |
| University College London | #9 | London, United Kingdom | 36% |
| University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | #10 | Berkeley, United States | 11% |
QS World University Rankings 2024 by Subject
Featuring 51 different subjects, the QS World University Rankings by Subject are one of the easiest ways to discover which universities are the best for your chosen subject. The study areas of QS World University Rankings by Subjects are as follows
| Subjects | Rank by Popularity |
|---|---|
| Computer Science & Information Systems | #1 |
| Engineering & Technology | #2 |
| Business & Management Studies | #3 |
| Medicine | #4 |
| Economics & Econometrics | #5 |
| Law | #6 |
| Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering | #7 |
| Architecture | #8 |
| Art & Design | #9 |
| Accounting & Finance | #10 |
QS World University Rankings 2024 Computer Science
According to QS ranking, the top 10 universities in the world for Computer Science are as follows.
| University | Computer Science Rank in the World |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | #1 |
| Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) | #2 |
| Stanford University | #3 |
| University of Oxford | #4 |
| University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | #5 |
| National University of Singapore (NUS) | #6 |
| Harvard University | #7 |
| University of Cambridge | #8 |
| ETH Zurich | #9 |
| Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) | |
| EPFL – École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne | #10 |
| Tsinghua University |
QS World University Rankings 2024 Engineering and Technology
Top 10 universities in the world for engineering and technology as per QS World University Rankings 2024 Engineering are as follows
| Universities | Engineering Rank in the World |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | #1 |
| Stanford University | #2 |
| Delft University of Technology | #3 |
| University of Cambridge | #4 |
| Harvard University | #5 |
| ETH Zurich | #6 |
| National University of Singapore (NUS) | #7 |
| University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | #7 |
| Politecnico di Milano | #9 |
| University of Oxford | #9 |
| Imperial College London | #11 |
| Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) | #12 |
| Tsinghua University | #13 |
QS World University Rankings 2025 MBA
Universities in QS world university rankings 2024 MBA Global and online MBA are given below
| Global MBA | Online MBA |
|---|---|
| Stanford Graduate School of Business | Imperial College Business School |
| Wharton Business School | IE Business School |
| Harvard Business School | Warwick Business School |
| Sloan School of Management (MIT) | AGSM @ UNSW Business School |
| London Business School | Kelley School of Business (Indiana University) |
| HEC Paris | Alliance Manchester Business School |
| Judge School of Business | Tepper School of Business (Carnegie Mellon University) |
| Columbia Business School | POLIMI Graduate School of Management |
| IE Business School | University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) |
| IESE Business School | Marshall (University of Southern California) |
You can consider the above details while looking for QS While selecting the best university for your study abroad journey, you can use QS ranking to sort list the universities. After that, head to the university's official website and apply for your dream course.
FAQs
Ques: What changes were made in the QS World University Rankings 2025 compared to previous years?
Ans: The 2025 rankings introduced new metrics including International Research Network, Employment Outcomes, and Sustainability. These additions reflect QS’s effort to provide a more comprehensive assessment of university performance and impact.
Ques: Why are QS rankings important for students and universities?
Ans: QS rankings are significant as they provide a global benchmark for universities, helping students make informed decisions about where to study. They also help universities identify areas for improvement and gain international recognition, which can attract faculty, students, and funding.
Ques: How reliable are the QS World University Rankings?
Ans: QS World University Rankings are widely regarded as one of the most reliable university ranking systems. However, like all rankings, they have limitations and should be considered alongside other factors such as program specifics, campus environment, and personal preferences.
Ques: How can universities improve their QS ranking?
Ans: Universities can improve their QS ranking by enhancing their academic and employer reputation, improving faculty/student ratios, increasing research output and citations, boosting internationalization efforts, and focusing on sustainability and employability outcomes.
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