Established in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, USA, the University of Washington is the only US public university to sit at #2 nationally on US News Best Global Universities for four straight editions. University of Washington ranking data places it at #92 globally in QS World University Rankings 2027, with Public Health, Atmospheric Science and Computer Science driving its strongest subject positions.
- QS World University Rankings 2027: #92 globally
- Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #684 of 824 globally, #306 of 357 in USA
- THE World University Rankings 2026: #25 globally
- US News Best Global Universities 2025-2026: #8 globally, #2 among US public universities
Reading the rank pattern: UW’s rank gap between QS (#92) and US News (#8) is one of the widest in the global top 100, signalling far stronger research output than reputation-weighted scoring captures. Stanford, Caltech and UCLA show smaller gaps because reputation surveys favour them. For Indian applicants targeting STEM and health programs, the research-heavy bodies (US News, ARWU, THE) are the better signal of UW’s degree value.
Check out the admission process at the University of Washington
Table of Contents
- University of Washington Overall Rankings 2026
- University of Washington Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students
- University of Washington QS World University Rankings 2027
- Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of the University of Washington
- University of Washington Times Higher Education Rankings 2026
- University of Washington ARWU Shanghai Rankings 2025
- University of Washington US News Best Global Universities 2025-2026
- University of Washington Subject Rankings
- University of Washington Rankings: Indian Student Outlook
- University of Washington Ranking FAQs
University of Washington Overall Rankings 2026
Across five tracking bodies, the University of Washington ranking swings from #8 on US News to #92 on QS, an 84-position spread driven by how each body weights research output, reputation surveys and platform reviews.
| Ranking Body (Edition) | University of Washington Rank |
|---|---|
| US News Best Global Universities 2025-2026 | #8 globally, #2 US public |
| ARWU (Shanghai) 2025 | #17 globally |
| THE World University Rankings 2026 | #25 globally |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | #92 globally |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 | #684 of 824 globally |
The three research-weighted bodies (US News, ARWU, THE) cluster within 17 positions of each other, while the two reputation- or platform-weighted bodies (QS, Collegedunia) sit much lower. For an Indian admit, this pattern means a UW degree is read at top-10 US-public level inside research-led recruiters and PhD admission committees, even when the QS number alone looks middling.
Key insight: UW posts top-25 ranks on US News, ARWU and THE in the same year, a profile only about 25 universities globally match. The pattern stays load-bearing across editions, not a single-year spike.
University of Washington Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students
Four signals decide how the University of Washington ranking for Indian students reads in practice: research-body consensus, the gap to the closest IIT, subject-level rank in Indian-popular streams, and Public Health depth.
| Signal | Rank Data | What it means for Indian applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Research-body consensus | US News #12, ARWU #17, THE #25 |
UW degree carries strong weight with research-led recruiters and PhD admission committees |
| QS overall vs IIT Bombay | UW #92 vs IITB #134 (QS 2027) | UW sits 42 positions above India’s top engineering school on QS |
| Top subject for Indian applicants | Computer Science QS #22, THE #20 |
Allen School degree reads at the same tier as Cornell, Princeton and ETH Zurich peers |
| Public Health depth | US News #6, ARWU GRAS #7, THE #20 |
Direct fit for Indian students targeting MPH, global health and biostatistics |
The three research-body ranks carry more weight than the QS number when Indian applicants weigh UW for graduate STEM and health programs. Against IIT Bombay’s QS #134, UW offers a 42-position edge plus access to US faculty, US industry placements and OPT-eligible pathways.
Check out the popular programs and fees at the University of Washington, Seattle
University of Washington QS World University Rankings 2027
UW ranks #92 in QS World University Rankings 2027. QS ranks universities mainly on academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty and international research network, with the current QS 2027 edition published in June 2026.
QS placed UW at #63 in 2024, the strongest year in its five-year window, before a 29-position slip across the next three editions to #92 in 2027.
| Year | University of Washington QS World Rank |
|---|---|
| 2027 | #92 |
| 2026 | #81 |
| 2025 | #76 |
| 2024 | #63 |
| 2023 | #80 |
UW’s five-year QS average is #78, placing the QS 2027 #92 about 14 positions below its own long-term QS baseline. The slip is a reputation-survey effect rather than a research-quality drop, because UW’s ARWU and THE positions stayed flat across the same window.
What it signals: The QS slide does not affect the academic value of a UW degree for Indian applicants. UW alumni outcomes, US employer perception and graduate placement remain at top-10 US-public level.
Read More: University of Washington Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students
Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of the University of Washington
The Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of the University of Washington is #684 of 824 globally and #306 of 357 in the USA for 2026. Collegedunia weighs Indian-applicant inquiry volume, on-platform reviews and verified profile depth, not research citations or employer surveys.
| Category | Collegedunia Rank |
|---|---|
| Global Ranking 2026 | #684 of 824 |
| USA Ranking 2026 | #306 of 357 |
The 676-position gap between UW’s Collegedunia rank (#684) and its US News rank (#8) reflects lower Indian-student inquiry traffic on the platform rather than weaker academics. UW recruits Indian applicants through its own international office and the Common Application, which keeps its third-party platform footprint smaller than US universities that depend on agent funnels.
India-relevance: Indian admits should read the Collegedunia rank as a platform-popularity index, not a quality signal. The verified degree value sits with the US News #8, ARWU #17 and THE #25 ranks confirmed for the same year.
Explore the study abroad rankings by Collegedunia in 2026
University of Washington Times Higher Education Rankings 2026
UW ranks #25 in THE World University Rankings 2026. Times Higher Education (THE) uses 18 indicators across teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry, weighted toward research output and citation impact.
Five consecutive editions place UW inside the global top 30, with the rank tightening from #29 in 2022 to #25 across the last three years.
| Year | University of Washington THE Rank |
|---|---|
| 2026 | #25 |
| 2025 | #25 |
| 2024 | #25 |
| 2023 | #26 |
| 2022 | #29 |
UW has climbed 4 positions on THE over the last five years and stayed within one position of #25 for the last four editions. That four-year stability inside the global top 25 is the single strongest UW ranking signal for Indian applicants assessing program quality and degree resale value.
Note: UW is the fourth-ranked US public university on THE, behind UCLA, UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan. The four-position gap from UCB to UW maps to roughly equal degree value for Indian admits in STEM graduate admissions.
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University of Washington ARWU Shanghai Rankings 2025
UW ranks #17 globally in ARWU 2025. ARWU (Academic Ranking of World Universities by ShanghaiRanking) weights Nobel laureates, highly cited researchers, Nature and Science papers and per-capita research output, with zero weight on reputation surveys.
ARWU has moved UW no more than two positions across five years, the tightest band of any ranking body tracking the university.
| Year | University of Washington ARWU Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #17 |
| 2024 | #18 |
| 2023 | #18 |
| 2022 | #17 |
| 2021 | #19 |
The five-year ARWU average is #17.8, meaning the 2025 #17 sits exactly on UW’s long-term baseline. Indian applicants reading ARWU as a pure-research signal can treat UW’s research and faculty quality as unchanged since 2021.
Trend signal: Only six US universities sit ahead of UW on ARWU 2025: Harvard, Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley, Princeton and Caltech. That puts UW research output at the same tier as the most-cited US doctoral programs.
Check out the top ARWU-ranked universities in the US
University of Washington US News Best Global Universities 2025-2026
UW ranks #8 globally on US News Best Global Universities 2025-2026 and #2 among US public universities. US News Best Global ranks 2,250 universities across 105 countries on 13 indicators that weight research reputation, publication count, citation impact and international collaboration.
UW has held a top-8 US News Best Global rank for at least three editions, slipping just 2 positions in total since 2022-23.
| Edition | University of Washington US News Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025-2026 | #8 |
| 2024-2025 | #7 |
| 2022-2023 | #6 |
The 2-position drift from #6 to #8 across four years is the smallest movement in any US News top-10 university over the same span. UW also stays at #2 among US public universities behind only UC Berkeley, a placement Indian applicants can rely on across admission cycles.
India-relevance: US News Best Global is the most widely referenced US ranking inside Indian H1B and PhD admission discussions. UW’s stable #8 carries more weight than its QS rank for Indian STEM applicants targeting US graduate school.
University of Washington Subject Rankings
UW posts top-25 ranks in at least 11 subjects across QS, THE, and ARWU, with Atmospheric Science, Oceanography, Public Health and Computer Science as the strongest fits for Indian applicants.
Key insight
- Atmospheric Science (ARWU GRAS 2025): #1 worldwide, the only #1 in UW’s portfolio.
- Oceanography (ARWU GRAS 2025): #3 globally, top-three for five consecutive years.
- Public Health: US News #6, ARWU GRAS #7, THE #20, the strongest cross-body consensus subject at UW.
- Computer Science (QS 2026): #14 globally, anchored by the Paul G. Allen School.
- Master in Supply Chain Management (QS 2026): #9 globally, top-ten for the Foster School.
University of Washington Computer Science Rankings
UW Computer Science ranks #14 on QS Subject Rankings 2026 and #20 on THE Subject Rankings 2026. The QS rank places UW at the same tier as Cornell, Princeton and ETH Zurich for Indian applicants targeting MS Computer Science.
What it signals: The Allen School’s QS Subject #14 rank sits 78 positions above UW’s overall QS rank of #92. For an Indian applicant choosing a US MS CS program, the subject rank is the more relevant number for both admission value and employer recognition.
University of Washington Public Health Rankings
UW Public Health ranks #7 worldwide on ARWU GRAS 2025, #6 on US News Best Global Subject Rankings and #20 on THE Medical and Health 2026. Three independent ranking bodies agree UW Public Health sits in the global top 20.
University of Washington Business and Management Rankings
Foster School posts #9 worldwide on QS Master in Supply Chain Management 2026, #23 on QS Master in Business Analytics 2026 and #77 on QS Executive MBA 2026. The Foster Full-Time MBA sits at #33 in the United States on QS.
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University of Washington Engineering and Other Subjects (THE 2026)
The Times Higher Education (THE) 2026 subject rankings showcase the University of Washington’s deep academic infrastructure, driven by a concentration of top-tier pure and applied science fields.
| Subject | University of Washington THE Subject Rank 2026 |
|---|---|
| Medical and Health | #20 |
| Computer Science | #20 |
| Life Sciences | #22 |
| Physical Sciences | #25 |
| Social Sciences | #25 |
| Education Studies | #32 |
| Psychology | #43 |
| Business and Economics | #44 |
| Engineering | #56 |
| Arts and Humanities | #76 |
| Law | #101-125 |
Six of UW’s eleven THE subject ranks fall within the global top 25, with Medical and Health, Computer Science and Life Sciences all between #20 and #22. The Engineering rank of #56 trails the Computer Science rank by 36 positions, a useful signal for Indian applicants choosing between MS CS and MS Mechanical or MS Electrical at UW.
Check out the top universities as per the QS rankings 2027
University of Washington ARWU Subject Rankings 2025
The 2025 ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) evaluates the University of Washington based entirely on empirical research outputs, omitting subjective reputation surveys.
| Subject | University of Washington ARWU GRAS 2025 Rank |
|---|---|
| Atmospheric Science | #1 |
| Oceanography | #3 |
| Public Health | #7 |
| Dentistry and Oral Sciences | #7 |
| Library and Information Science | #8 |
| Biological Sciences | #9 |
| Medical Technology | #10 |
| Statistics | #12 |
Eight ARWU subjects sit inside the global top 12 for UW, with Atmospheric Science at #1 the standout. Indian applicants targeting MS Statistics, MS Public Health or research roles in oceanography and atmospheric science are choosing a UW program with verified top-12 research output, not just an overall-ranked brand.
University of Washington Rankings: Indian Student Outlook
The University of Washington ranking for Indian students reads strongest in research-led STEM and health subjects, where UW posts top-25 ranks across US News, ARWU, and THE in the same year. Most Indian applicants choose UW for the Paul G. Allen School, the Foster School graduate programs, or the School of Public Health.
The five disciplines that pull the largest Indian applicant pool to UW are:
- MS Computer Science (Paul G. Allen School): matches QS Subject #14 and THE Subject #20 ranks
- MS Data Science: sits inside UW’s #14 CS and #12 Statistics tier
- MS Business Analytics (Foster): ranked #23 globally on QS Master's in Business Analytics 2026
- MS Supply Chain Management (Foster): ranked #9 globally on QS 2026
- MPH and MS Biostatistics (School of Public Health): aligns with US News #6 Public Health and ARWU GRAS #7
| Indian-Relevant Signal | UW Rank | Closest Indian Comparator |
|---|---|---|
| Overall (QS 2027) | #92 | IIT Bombay #134 |
| Overall (US News 2025-2026) | #8 | No Indian university in US News Best Global top 100 |
| Research output (ARWU 2025) | #17 | No Indian university in ARWU top 200 |
| Computer Science (THE Subject 2026) | #20 | IIT Bombay ranked outside THE Computer Science top 75 |
Key insight
- Cross-body strength: UW posts top-25 ranks on US News, ARWU and THE simultaneously, a profile only about 25 universities globally match.
- Subject-vs-overall gap: Computer Science (QS #14) sits 78 positions above the overall QS rank, making the Allen School the strongest single brand inside UW.
- QS vs IIT Bombay: UW leads IIT Bombay by 42 positions on QS 2027, with a wider lead in CS, Statistics and Public Health subject ranks.
- Stability: Four straight years at THE #25 and five years inside ARWU top 19 mean degree value has not shifted for Indian admits since 2021.
Read More: University of Washington Scholarships 2026 for Indian Students
Across five ranking bodies and twenty-plus subjects, UW’s strongest signal for an Indian applicant is its top-25 stability on research-weighted rankings (US News #8, ARWU #17, THE #25) combined with subject-level top-15 ranks in Computer Science, Supply Chain Management and Public Health. The 84-position gap between US News #8 and QS #92 should be read as a methodology divergence, not a quality drop.
University of Washington Ranking FAQs
Ques. What is the QS ranking of University of Washington in 2027?
Ans. The University of Washington ranking on QS World University Rankings 2027 is #92 globally. The five-year QS range for UW is #63 to #92, with #78 as the five-year average.
Ques. What is the University of Washington world ranking on Times Higher Education?
Ans. UW is ranked #25 on THE World University Rankings 2026, the same position it has held for the last four editions. It is the fourth-ranked US public university on THE, behind UCLA, UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan.
Ques. Why does the University of Washington rank higher on US News than on QS?
Ans. US News Best Global weights research reputation, publication count and citation impact, where UW scores at top-10 level (#8 in 2025-2026). QS weights employer reputation and academic surveys more heavily, which places UW at #92 on QS 2027. The research-body ranks are the closer fit to UW’s actual research output.
Ques. What is the University of Washington Computer Science ranking?
Ans. UW Computer Science is ranked #14 on QS Subject Rankings 2026 and #20 on THE Subject Rankings 2026. The Paul G. Allen School carries the strongest single subject brand inside UW’s overall ranking profile.
Ques. Where does the University of Washington rank for Indian students compared to IIT Bombay?
Ans. UW leads IIT Bombay by 42 positions on QS 2027 (#92 vs #134) and posts top-20 ranks on US News and ARWU where no Indian university appears in the top 100. The University of Washington ranking for Indian students reads strongest in Computer Science, Statistics and Public Health.
Ques. What subjects is the University of Washington ranked #1 in?
Ans. UW is ranked #1 worldwide for Atmospheric Science on ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025. It also sits at #3 for Oceanography and #7 for Public Health on the same ranking.
Ques. What is the Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of University of Washington?
Ans. The Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of University of Washington is #684 of 824 globally and #306 of 357 in the USA for 2026. The Collegedunia rank weights Indian-applicant inquiry depth and platform reviews, not research citations, which explains the gap from its US News #8 rank.
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