The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), based in Los Angeles, California, is the only US public university ranked inside the global top 20 across THE, ARWU and US News in the 2026 cycle. It is ranked #49 in QS World University Rankings 2027 and #13 in Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking for the USA, with Anatomy and Physiology placed #6 worldwide on QS.
Snapshot of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) rankings across current editions:
- QS World University Rankings 2027: #49 globally
- Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #19 globally, #13 in USA
- THE World University Rankings 2026: #18 globally
- US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027: #11 globally
Reading the rank pattern: The QS-THE gap is wide. UCLA sits 31 places higher on THE (#18) than on QS (#49) because THE weighs research output and teaching reputation more heavily than employer surveys. For Indian applicants, the rank pattern signals stronger research credentials than the QS position alone suggests; recruiters that defer to US News or THE see UCLA inside the global top 20.
Read More: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Admissions 2026
Table of Contents
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Overall Rankings
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Rankings Highlights
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) QS World University Rankings
- Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Times Higher Education Rankings
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) US News Best Global Rankings
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) ARWU Rankings
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Financial Times Rankings
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Subject Rankings
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Rankings: Indian Student Outlook
- FAQs
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Overall Rankings 2026-27
Three of the four major global bodies place UCLA inside the top 20 worldwide, while QS keeps it just outside at #49. The single table below brings every verified overall edition into one view for an Indian applicant comparing global offers.
| Ranking Body (Edition) | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Rank |
|---|---|
| US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 | #11 |
| ARWU (Shanghai) 2025 | #16 |
| THE World University Rankings 2026 | #18 |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 (Global) | #19 |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | #49 |
The spread between US News (#11) and QS (#49) is 38 places. Indian applicants should treat the US News, ARWU and THE cluster (#11-#18) as the closer reflection of UCLA’s research strength, with QS the outlier driven by its employer survey and faculty-student ratio weighting.
UCLA Rankings Highlights
UCLA’s degree value for an Indian recruiter or US graduate-school adcom depends on which body they trust. The signals below translate each body’s UCLA placement into something an Indian applicant can act on.
| Ranking Signal | UCLA Position | What it means for Indian applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Research depth (ARWU 2025) | #16 | STEM PhD and MS applicants see strong publication and citation signals. |
| US public-school brand | #2 public | Degree value matches Berkeley for return-on-investment calculations. |
| Subject ceiling (Psychology, ARWU GRAS) | #6 | A top-10 anchor signals premium discipline strength even when the overall rank is #16. |
| QS gap vs. IIT Bombay (QS 2027) | #49 vs #134 | UCLA’s QS rank sits 85 places above IIT Bombay; a clear step up in QS-visibility. |
| MBA recruitment (FT 2026) | #32 | UCLA Anderson sits 20 places below ISB Hyderabad (FT 2026 #12); rethink if MBA placements drive the choice. |
UCLA Key Insight for Indian Applicants
- Strongest for research: US News (#11), ARWU (#16) and THE (#18) average to #15, a 34-place tightening from the QS read.
- Subject ceiling beats overall: Anatomy and Physiology (QS #6) outperforms the overall QS rank (#49) by 43 places.
- QS-vs-THE gap of 31: Choose UCLA on research-heavy bodies if academia or R&D is the goal; weigh more carefully if QS brand-only recognition in India matters most.
UCLA QS World University Rankings 2027
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is ranked #49 in QS World University Rankings 2027, released by QS on 18 June 2026. QS scores universities on academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations and four other indicators, and has revised its weighting twice in the five-year window below.
UCLA’s QS path since 2023 reveals one sharp climb followed by a steady three-year slide back. The numbers tell the story.
| Year | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) QS World Rank |
|---|---|
| 2027 | #49 |
| 2026 | #46 |
| 2025 | #42 |
| 2024 | #29 |
| 2023 | #44 |
UCLA stood at #29 in QS 2024, climbed 15 positions from #44 in 2023, then slipped 20 places over the next three editions to land at #49 in 2027. The slide is steeper than most US peers in the same band over the same window. For an Indian student, the takeaway is simple: UCLA remains a global top-50 brand on QS, but its QS visibility has eased since the 2024 peak.
Key insight: The five-year QS average is #42; the current edition sits 7 places below that average. Treat UCLA’s QS rank as the floor of its global standing, not the ceiling.
Read More: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students
Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of UCLA 2026
Collegedunia Study Abroad places University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) at #19 globally and #13 in the USA for 2026, with category-specific ranks across seven streams. The category ranks below reflect Indian-student demand alongside the university’s measured strength in each discipline.
| Category | Collegedunia Global Rank | Collegedunia USA Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | #19 | #13 |
| Health Care | #12 | #6 |
| Medicine | #12 | #6 |
| Arts | #12 | #8 |
| Computer Science | #13 | #7 |
| Social Studies | #13 | #9 |
| Engineering | #14 | #7 |
| Law | #20 | #9 |
Health Care, Medicine and Arts all sit at #12 globally; the overall CD rank of #19 is therefore pulled down by Law at #20 rather than by any STEM stream. Indian biomedical and pre-med applicants get a sharper read on UCLA from this CD breakdown than from any single global body alone.
India-relevance: The CD global rank (#19) is 30 places stronger than UCLA’s QS 2027 rank (#49). CD weights Indian-student outcomes more heavily, which narrows the visibility gap UCLA shows on QS.
UCLA Times Higher Education Rankings 2026
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) ranks #18 in THE World University Rankings 2026, the same position it has occupied for three consecutive editions. THE weighs research output, citations and teaching reputation more heavily than QS, which explains why UCLA scores higher here.
THE’s three-year flat line at #18 is the cleanest stability signal on this page. The table below shows the unbroken trend.
| Year | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) THE World Rank |
|---|---|
| 2026 | #18 |
| 2025 | #18 |
| 2024 | #18 |
| 2023 | #21 |
| 2022 | #20 |
UCLA has tightened its THE position by 2 places over five years, from #20 in 2022 to #18 by 2024, and stayed flat since. For Indian applicants planning a 4-year UG or 2-year PG arc, the THE pattern reads as the most predictable academic brand signal in this article.
Trend signal: The 5-year THE average is #19, only 1 place above the current rank. THE’s research and teaching reputation scores have kept UCLA inside the top 20 even as the QS position slipped from #29 to #49 over the same window.
UCLA US News Best Global Universities Rankings 2026-2027
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is placed at #11 in US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027, the strongest current rank UCLA carries on any global body. US News measures global research reputation, publications and citations rather than employer surveys.
UCLA has stayed inside the top 14 on US News for four straight editions, with two visits to #11. The pattern reads like a sawtooth around the #12 mark.
| Edition | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) US News Global Rank |
|---|---|
| 2026-2027 | #11 |
| 2025-2026 | #13 |
| 2024-2025 | #11 |
| 2023-2024 | #14 |
UCLA recovered 2 positions in the latest edition after slipping to #13 in 2025-2026. The four-year average is #12.25, just above the current rank. For Indian STEM PhD and MS applicants weighting research signal, US News reads as the most India-relevant body in this article.
Key insight: US News (#11) is 38 places stronger than QS (#49) for UCLA. The same university looks very different depending on which body the recruiter or admissions committee leans on.
University of California, Los Angeles ARWU (Shanghai) Rankings 2025
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is ranked #16 in ARWU (Shanghai) 2025. ARWU is the most research-pure body covered here: it counts Nobel laureates, Highly Cited Researchers and papers in Nature and Science.
UCLA’s ARWU trend is a slow drift away from a 2022-2023 high. The numbers map the slide.
| Year | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) ARWU Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #16 |
| 2024 | #15 |
| 2023 | #13 |
| 2022 | #13 |
| 2021 | #14 |
UCLA has slipped 3 places since 2023, from #13 to #16, while its US News rank moved in the opposite direction over the same window. The 5-year ARWU average is #14.2, only 1.8 places stronger than the current rank. For Indian research-track applicants, ARWU’s signal stays inside the global top 20, which keeps UCLA inside the world’s research top tier regardless of the small drift.
Note: ARWU’s #16 placement sits 33 places stronger than QS (#49). If a PhD adviser cares about citations and Nobel-counting credentials, ARWU is the body to quote in the statement of purpose.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Financial Times Rankings 2026
UCLA Anderson School of Management is ranked #32 globally in the Financial Times MBA Ranking 2026. FT measures alumni salary three years after graduation, salary growth and weighted career progress for MBA cohorts.
This is UCLA’s weakest current rank across the bodies covered here. For an Indian MBA applicant comparing UCLA Anderson with ISB Hyderabad (FT 2026 #12), the gap is 20 positions in ISB’s favour.
India-relevance: The FT MBA rank (#32) sits 21 places below UCLA’s US News overall rank (#11). MBA applicants should treat FT as the decision signal, not the university’s general brand.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Subject Rankings 2026
UCLA’s subject rankings tell a sharper story than its overall rank. Eight subjects sit inside the global top 10 across QS, ARWU and US News, and three break into the top 6.
UCLA top 5 Subjects Rankings
- Oncology (US News): #5 globally, UCLA’s single best subject placement.
- Atmospheric Science (ARWU GRAS): #5 globally; relevant for Indian climate-science PhD applicants.
- Anatomy and Physiology (QS): #6 globally; relevant for medicine and biomedical Indian applicants.
- Psychology (ARWU GRAS): #6 globally; a top-10 anchor that pulls the social-science cluster.
- Artificial Intelligence (ARWU GRAS): #7 globally; the headline signal for Indian CS and AI applicants.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) QS Subject Rankings 2026
QS publishes UCLA’s strongest positions in arts, humanities and life-science subjects. The table below lists every QS subject inside the global top 15.
| Subject (QS 2026) | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Rank |
|---|---|
| Anatomy and Physiology | #6 |
| Anthropology | #7 |
| English Language and Literature | #9 |
| Modern Languages | #9 |
| Geography | #10 |
| Linguistics | #10 |
| Psychology | #11 |
| Mathematics | #12 |
Anatomy and Physiology (#6) outperforms UCLA’s QS overall rank (#49) by 43 places, the widest subject-vs-overall gap on this page. Indian biomedical applicants reading UCLA on its overall QS rank alone would understate the discipline strength by a wide margin.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) THE Subject Rankings 2026
THE places UCLA inside the top 25 across every subject area measured, with Psychology leading. THE’s mix here leans on teaching reputation and applied research scores.
| Subject (THE 2026) | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Rank |
|---|---|
| Psychology | #12 |
| Arts and Humanities | #13 |
| Education Studies | #14 |
| Medical and Health | #14 |
| Social Sciences | #14 |
| Physical Sciences | #17 |
| Computer Science | #18 |
| Engineering | #18 |
| Business and Economics | #20 |
| Law | #22 |
| Life Sciences | #23 |
The narrowest THE subject-vs-overall gap is 5 places (Life Sciences at #23 vs overall #18), and Psychology beats the overall by 6 places. Indian applicants get an unusually tight THE read across UCLA’s 11 measured subject areas, with no outlier below #23.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) ARWU Subject Rankings 2025
ARWU’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) is where UCLA’s research firepower shows clearest. Seven subjects sit inside the global top 12.
| Subject (ARWU GRAS 2025) | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Rank |
|---|---|
| Atmospheric Science | #5 |
| Psychology | #6 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | #7 |
| Artificial Intelligence | #7 |
| Clinical Medicine | #7 |
| Materials Science and Engineering | #8 |
| Biotechnology | #12 |
| Economics | #12 |
Indian applicants targeting AI, electrical engineering or materials science find UCLA inside the global top 8 on ARWU GRAS for each. The average of those three ARWU subject ranks is #7.3, a sharper signal than any overall body in this article.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) US News Subject Rankings 2026-2027
| Subject (US News 2026-2027) | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Rank |
|---|---|
| Oncology | #5 |
| Biology and Biochemistry | #10 |
| Molecular Biology and Genetics | #12 |
Oncology at #5 globally is UCLA’s strongest US News subject finish. For Indian biomedical applicants weighing UCLA against US private peers, oncology and the broader life-sciences cluster carry the strongest research-impact signal.
UCLA Rankings: Indian Student Outlook
UCLA’s overall rank cluster places it inside the top 20 on three of four global bodies that Indian applicants check first. The disciplines Indian students most often choose at UCLA are also where the rank signal is the sharpest.
Programs popular with Indian students at UCLA, with the rank signal that backs each:
- MS Computer Science: backed by ARWU AI rank #7 and THE Computer Science rank #18.
- MS Electrical and Computer Engineering: backed by ARWU Electrical and Electronic Engineering rank #7.
- MBA at UCLA Anderson: FT 2026 rank #32; weigh against ISB Hyderabad (#12) before committing.
- MS Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: linked to ARWU Materials Science and Engineering rank #8.
- MS Financial Engineering: linked to ARWU Economics rank #12 and THE Business and Economics rank #20.
| Signal | UCLA Position | Closest Indian alternative |
|---|---|---|
| QS 2027 Global Rank | #49 | IIT Bombay #134 |
| QS Anatomy and Physiology 2026 | #6 | AIIMS Delhi unranked on QS subject list |
| ARWU AI 2025 | #7 | IIT Madras (top 75-100 band) |
| FT MBA 2026 | #32 | ISB Hyderabad #12 |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 (USA) | #13 | No Indian alternative inside CD US bucket |
UCLA: India-Specific Takeaways
- Research wins: US News (#11), ARWU (#16) and THE (#18) cluster at an average of #15, a 34-place tightening from the QS read.
- STEM ceiling above the overall: The average of UCLA’s top 5 ARWU subjects is #6.6, almost 10 places stronger than any overall body.
- MBA caveat: Anderson at FT #32 trails ISB Hyderabad by 20 places; an Indian MBA applicant should pick UCLA on global brand reach, not FT salary signals.
- Subject-vs-overall gap: The widest gap (Anatomy QS #6 vs overall QS #49) is 43 places, the kind of gap Indian applicants miss when only the headline number is read.
Across the four global bodies covered, UCLA’s average rank sits at #23.5, a number that pulls higher than its QS rank alone suggests. Indian applicants targeting research-track MS, PhD and biomedical paths will see the sharper signal in the discipline tables; MBA applicants should treat Anderson’s FT #32 as a separate decision input rather than an extension of UCLA’s overall brand.
FAQs
Ques. What is the QS ranking of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2027?
Ans. UCLA is ranked #49 in QS World University Rankings 2027. The rank was published on 18 June 2026 and reflects a 3-position slip from #46 in QS 2026. UCLA has stayed inside the global QS top 50 for all five years of the current window.
Ques. Why does UCLA rank higher on THE than on QS?
Ans. THE weighs research output, citations and teaching reputation more heavily, while QS gives larger weight to employer surveys and faculty-student ratio. UCLA’s THE rank (#18) sits 31 places above its QS rank (#49) because its research and citation scores dominate its employer-survey scores.
Ques. Is UCLA in the top 20 globally on any major ranking body?
Ans. Yes. UCLA is ranked #11 in US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027, #16 in ARWU 2025 and #18 in THE World University Rankings 2026. Three of the four major global bodies tracked here place UCLA inside the top 20.
Ques. What is the Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of UCLA?
Ans. Collegedunia Study Abroad ranks UCLA #19 globally and #13 in the USA for 2026. By stream, UCLA ranks #12 globally for Health Care, Medicine and Arts, and #13 for Computer Science.
Ques. What is UCLA’s best subject ranking?
Ans. UCLA’s joint-best subject placements are #5 in Oncology (US News 2026-2027) and #5 in Atmospheric Science (ARWU GRAS 2025). On QS, the strongest subject is #6 in Anatomy and Physiology.
Ques. How does UCLA Anderson rank for Indian MBA applicants?
Ans. UCLA Anderson is ranked #32 in the Financial Times MBA Ranking 2026, a 13-position slip from #19 in FT 2025. Indian MBA applicants should compare it directly with ISB Hyderabad (FT 2026 #12) before deciding.
Ques. How stable is UCLA’s THE ranking?
Ans. UCLA has stayed at #18 in THE World University Rankings for three consecutive editions (2024, 2025, 2026). The 5-year band is #18 to #21, the tightest stability signal across the four global bodies covered in this article.
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