The first ever edition of the QS Mexico University Rankings has now been released, and features 50 of the country’s best institutions, each assessed based on a methodology which considers universities on eight indicators, including academic and employer reputations, staff with a PhD, student/faculty ratio and more.

If you’re keen to study abroad in this vibrant Latin American country, read on as we count down the 10 highest-ranked universities in Mexico. You can find out more about studying abroad in Mexico with our guide.

10. Universidad Anahuac

Ranked 10^th in the QS Mexico University Rankings and 581-590 in the QS World University Rankings® 2019, Universidad Anahuac receives the third-highest score in Mexico for the faculty/student ratio indicator, and is also ranked sixth for its reputation among employers. A member of the Anahuac University Network, Anahuac is a private university with two campuses, one in the western outskirts of Mexico City and another towards the south of the city, which were independent institutions prior to 2016.

9. Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP)

Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) is ranked ninth in the new Mexico ranking and in the 751-800 range* of the world rankings. It earns the third-highest score in the country for the staff with PhD indicator, and also achieved five stars in the QS Stars rating system. Founded in 1940, UDLAP has one campus located in the historic city of Cholula, a 20-minute drive from Puebla, a UNESCO world heritage city. It’s noted for producing highly employable graduates, with more than 90 percent of students in employment six months after graduation.

8. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL)

Ranked eighth in Mexico and 801-1000 in the world, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) is one of the largest public universities in Mexico, offering the largest amount of academic programs in northeastern Mexico and hosting about 153,000 students on seven campuses. There are plenty of excellent facilities for UANL’s students to take advantage of, with 84 libraries (holding more than two million volumes), 37 research centers and 25 student computer centers.

7. Universidad de Guadalajara (UDG)

Universidad de Guadalajara (UDG) is a public university with around 119,500 students, mostly at undergraduate level, and is one of the oldest universities in Mexico, having been founded in 1791 as the Real Universidad de Guadalajara. It’s ranked seventh in Mexico and 751-800 in the world in 2019, and earns the second-highest score in the country for the web impact indicator, which assesses how effectively institutions are making use of new technologies.

6. Instituto Tecnológico Autonomo de México (ITAM)

Heading back to Mexico City, the private Instituto Tecnológico Autonomo de México (ITAM) is the sixth highest-ranked university in the new Mexico ranking, and also appears in the world rankings in the 651-700 range. One of the country’s most important think tanks, ITAM receives its best scores in the indicators reflecting the proportion of staff with a PhD and its employer reputation (for which it’s ranked third).

5. Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA)

Ranked fifth in the new Mexico university ranking and 701-750 in the world, Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA) is one of the eight Jesuit universities in Mexico and one of the country’s leading institutions for academia and research. 11,000 students are enrolled and there are a total of 34 undergraduate and 39 graduate programs available, as well as more than 200 diplomas. Like ITAM, UIA achieves its best score in the employer reputation category of the Mexico ranking, at fourth.

4. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM)

Next in our look at the top universities in Mexico in 2019 is the public Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), ranked fourth in the Mexico ranking and 751-800 in the world. UAM has been committed to sustainability for more than a decade, and in 1974 was the first institution in Mexico to offer an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering. UAM also appears in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018 for six subjects, including the global top 100 for art & design.

3. Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN)

Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) is the third-highest ranked university in the Mexico ranking and was placed in the 651-700 range of the latest world university rankings. IPN is another large public university, hosting upwards of 171,000 students (including those in high school). Though primarily based in Mexico City, IPN also operates research institutes and facilities in 22 Mexican states.  

IPN receives the second-highest scores in Mexico for both the indicators measuring papers per faculty and international research partnerships, and also featured in the latest subject rankings among the world’s best for several engineering and technology and life science disciplines.  

2. Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM)

Heading north to Monterrey, the private Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) is ranked second in the Mexico ranking and has been steadily improving in the world university rankings in recent years, currently appearing in 178^th place. It scores in the top five for all but two of the eight indicators, ranking first for citations per paper (a measure of research impact). Founded in 1943, ITESM has expanded rapidly since the 1960s and now operates 31 campuses across 25 Mexican cities. ITESM was also featured at 52^nd – and number one in Mexico – in the recently released QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2019.

1. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Ranked number one among the top universities in Mexico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) receives perfect scores for four indicators, including for its academic and employer reputations, and is also featured in the world university rankings at 113^th. UNAM was established in 1910 and now has over 346,730 students, mainly at the high school and undergraduate levels. Its main campus (Ciudad Universitaria) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its outstanding integration of Mexican traditions through architecture and modern art.

UNAM is ranked among the world’s best for 37 of the 48 subjects covered in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, with positions in the top 50 for art & design, development studies, classics, mining engineering, law, modern languages and more.

*The top universities in Mexico are listed in a different order to the QS World University Rankings® due to the differing methodologies used to compile the rankings. Find out more here.

The QS Asia University Rankings 2019, launched today, continues to reflect a wide range of excellence in academic standards when it comes to universities in Asia. Whilst last year witnessed a staggering 450 Asian universities make it to the ranking, this new edition features an even greater total of 505.

The universities are ranked based on a methodology which assesses their performance using several indicators, including factors such as the number of staff with PhD, and each university’s proportion of inbound and outbound exchange students.    

Read on to discover the 10 top universities in Asia, or click here for a full view of the rankings table.

10. Seoul National University (SNU)

Location: South Korea

Seoul National University (SNU) was founded in 1946 through the merger of 10 higher education institutions, and ranks 36^th in the QS World University Rankings® 2019. Despite its tumultuous history during the mid-20^th century, it has long stood amongst South Korea’s finest universities and currently comes 10^th in the Asia ranking.

Boasting excellent scores throughout most of the 11 categories, SNU performs particularly well for its academic reputation and employer reputation, achieving near-perfect scores for both indicators. The university educated a range of famous Korean entertainers and politicians, including former South-Korean President, Kim Young-sam.  

9. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

Location: Hong Kong

Established in 1963, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a relatively young university which is ranked ninth in this year’s Asia university rankings, and has evidently earned its place among the region’s higher-education elite. It also stands at 49^th place in the world university rankings, and is the only university in Hong Kong which offers a unique college system.

With impressively high scores across all 11 indicators, CUHK is undoubtedly setting the ideal standards for academic and social excellence; it achieves particularly perfect scores for the indicators used to measure international faculty, international students, and inbound exchange students.

8. KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Location: South Korea

As South Korea’s first research-oriented science and engineering institution, KAIST (formally known as the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) was founded in 1971 and boasts a fast-growing reputation as one of the top universities in the world, currently ranking 40^th.

Also ranked at eighth in Asia, the university performs tremendously well across almost all categories, particularly for its academia; achieving a perfect score for the indicator which assesses the percentage of each university’s staff with a PhD, and near-perfect scores for citations per paper (the impact of the university’s research papers), and papers published per faculty.

7. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Location: Hong Kong

As we travel back to Hong Kong for the second time in the Asia ranking, this year’s next ranked university is the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in seventh place.

Despite its very young existence (having been established in 1991), the university has quickly risen in the world university rankings, currently standing at 37^th place. Comitted to a very high standard in education and research, HKUST achieves impeccable scores across all 11 indicators, boasting perfect scores for those measuring citations per paper, international faculty, international students, and both inbound and outbound exchange students.

6. Fudan University

Location: China

Heading west to China for the next in our look at the top universities in Asia, we’ll find the sixth-ranked institution, Fudan University. Also ranked 44^th in the world, Fudan is situated amid the bustling metropolitan city of Shanghai, and is one of China’s most respected and selective institutions. It was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China’s imperial Qing dynasty.

It achieves very impressive scores overall across the 11 indicators used to compile the Asia university rankings, with a particularly perfect score for the indicator assessing the university’s citations per paper, a measure of research impact.

5. Peking University

Location: China

Founded in 1898, Peking University is the oldest higher education institution in China, and was established as a replacement for the ancient Guozijian school (Imperial College). Over the span of its two-century existence, it’s played a vital role, contributing to major historical events such as China’s New Culture Movement and the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989.

Currently ranking 30^th in the world university rankings and fifth in Asia, having risen four ranks from last year, the university continues to impress throughout all academic factors, achieving perfect scores for both its academic and employer reputations.

=3. Tsinghua University

Location: China

Still in China, Tsinghua University in Beijing is one of the leading institutions for engineering and computer science programs, having been consistently ranked in the top 20 in the world for both disciplines, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Ranked 17^th in the world university rankings and having gone up six places to rank joint third in Asia this year, Tsinghua thoroughly excels in a range of academic factors, achieving particularly impeccable scores for both its academic and employer reputations.

=3. Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Location: Singapore

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore is currently placed 12^th in the world university rankings and as a young research-intensive institution, has claimed first place among the world’s best young universities (under 50 years old) for five consecutive years, according to the QS Top 50 Under 50.

Also ranked joint third among the top universities in Asia, NTU performs excellently across most of the 11 indicators on the index, receiving predominantly seamless scores for those used to measure citations per paper, international research network, international faculty, inbound exchange, and outbound exchange.

2. University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Location: Hong Kong

With a history stretching back a hundred years, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) is the territory’s oldest tertiary institution. It’s consistently ranked amid the world’s leading research-intensive universities, and has six subjects ranked among the top 10 worldwide, with its dentistry program having held number-one spot in the rankings by subject for three consecutive years.

Ranked 25^th in the world and up three places to rank second in Asia, HKU receives high scores across all academic aspects, performing impeccably well for academic reputation, its proportion of international faculty members and international students, as well as inbound and outbound exchange students.

1. National University of Singapore (NUS)

Location: Singapore

Concluding our look at the top universities in Asia in 2019, National University of Singapore (NUS) is one of the world’s leading universities, currently placing 11^th in the world university rankings. From the arts to engineering, it’s home to 17 faculties across three campuses, and with over 38,000 students from 100 countries, is well-renowned for its international approach to education and research, whilst also preserving a focus on the Asian outlook and expertise.

As number one in the Asia ranking, NUS certainly outperforms its rivals in the top 10, featuring perfect scores for nine out of the 11 indicators.

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