This article is based on the 2016/17 edition of the QS World University Rankings. Click here to find out the top universities in Canada in 2020.

The launch of the latest QS World University Rankings® sees 26 Canadian universities feature among the world’s best. This includes three top universities in Canada in the worldwide top 50, with a further 10 in the top 300. Read on for more information on the top universities in Canada this year, starting with the top 10.

1. McGill University

Holding on to the top spot among these top Canadian universities for the second consecutive year is McGill University, falling six places this year to rank 30^th in the world. Located in Montréal, McGill has around 40,000 students enrolled, of which 25% are international. It has the highest number of Rhodes scholars and Nobel Prize winners among any Canadian university. 

2. University of Toronto

The University of Toronto edges closer to its rival McGill, climbing two places this year to rank 32^nd in the world. Located in Canada’s largest city, the university contributes CA$15.7 billion to the Canadian economy per year and is famed for its research innovations, including the discoveries of insulin and stem cells.

3. University of British Columbia

Up five places this year, the University of British Columbia now ranks 45^th in the world and retains its position of third amongst the top universities in Canada. Located in Vancouver and Kelowna, the university’s student body of 61,100 includes 13,200 international students from 155 countries.

4. University of Alberta

The University of Alberta is up two places this year to rank 94^th in the world. Located mainly in Edmonton, the university currently enrolls 38,700 students from 147 countries and has a major impact on the economy of Alberta, being the province’s fourth-largest employer.

5. Université de Montréal

Consistently the highest-ranked francophone Canadian university, the Université de Montréal is placed 126^th in the world this year. One of Canada’s major research centers, it has almost 67,000 students, including 9,300 internationals.

6. McMaster University

Retaining its position of joint 149^th in the world this year (alongside the US’s Emory University), McMaster University is located in Hamilton, Ontario, on a scenic 300-acre campus, and is particularly renowned for its medical school.

7. University of Waterloo

Ranked joint 152^nd this year with IIT Bangalore, the University of Waterloo is also located in Ontario. It’s a member of the U15 group of research-intensive Canadian universities, and is particularly famed for its cooperative education (co-op) programs.

8. University of Calgary

Up one place in the top 10 and now ranking within the global top 200 at joint 196^th (with Sweden’s Stockholm University), the University of Calgary is the birthplace of a range of important inventions, including the neurochip.

9. Western University

Previously called the University of Western Ontario, Western University is ranked 198^th this year and is located in London (not the UK one!), Ontario. It has an enrolment of about 28,400 students, representing 117 countries around the world.

10. Queen's University

Ranked joint 223^rd in the world, Queen’s University is located in Kingston, Ontario and is one of Canada’s oldest institutions, established in 1841 – 26 years before Canada itself was founded. The university holds more than 3,500 acres of land throughout Ontario.

The remaining top universities in Canada…

11. Simon Fraser University – ranked 226^th in the world.

12. Dalhousie University – ranked joint 283^rd in the world.

13. University of Ottawa – ranked joint 291^st in the world.

14. University of Victoria – ranked joint 325^th in the world.

15. Laval University – ranked 372^nd in the world.

16. York University – ranked 451-460 in the world.

17. Concordia University – ranked 461-470 in the world.

18. University of Saskatchewan – ranked 471-480 in the world.

The following three universities are ranked in the 501-550 range, and joint 19^th in Canada (click here for more information):

=19. Université du Québec – ranked 501-550 in the world.

=19. University of Guelph – ranked 501-550 in the world.

=19. University of Manitoba – ranked 501-550 in the world.

22. Carleton University – ranked 551-600 in the world.

23. Université de Sherbrooke – ranked 601-650 in the world.

=24. Memorial University of Newfoundland – ranked 651-700 in the world.

=24. University of Windsor – ranked 651-700 in the world.

26. Ryerson University – ranked 701+ in the world.

Find out more about studying in Canada with our complete guide.

Want to get a degree with the flexibility of being able to study anywhere and anytime you like, fitting your studies in alongside other commitments? There are ever-increasing opportunities arising to study online. So if you’re ready to get started with your distance learning, but need some help with funding, check out this selection of scholarships for online students...

Scholarships to study online offered by universities

• American University Online Program Scholarships – All admitted students are automatically considered for the scholarships they’re eligible for, such as the online Master of Public Administration and Policy.
• Berklee Online Music Scholarships – 16 online scholarships of almost US$1,500 each are available for current students of the online school of the Berklee College of Music.
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Welch Scholarship – All new part-time or online students of the Master of Public Health (MPH) will be awarded the $20,000 Welch Scholarship.
• University of Edinburgh Online Distance Learning Scholarships – Various postgraduate scholarships for online students to study part-time at the UK’s University of Edinburgh. There are currently many medical scholarships listed among these.
• University of Manchester Scholarships for Online Master of Public Health – Scholarships for online students from Tanzania, Uganda or Rwanda which cover all tuition fees, course materials and examinations for the online MPH degree. Among the requirements is at least two years’ relevant work experience.
• Penn State World Campus Scholarships – Various undergraduate scholarships to study online at Pennsylvania State University’s ‘World Campus’ (online campus). 
• University of London LLM Scholarships – Offered in partnership with Canon Collins Trust, postgraduate scholarships are available for students from South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe or Zambia to complete a Master of Laws degree by distance learning. Four scholarship winners will receive full exam and tuition fee waivers. Applicants must be working either full- or part-time and be able to commit at least 10 hours a week to studying.
• Washington State University ASWSU Global Scholarship – Online scholarships for new and returning students of Washington State University’s global campus, based on both academic merit and financial need. 
• Western Governors University Scholarships – Various online scholarships to study at bachelor’s or master’s level, some of which are offered in partnership with other organizations.

Scholarships to study online offered by other organizations

• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships – Online scholarships for citizens of developing commonwealth countries to study a master’s degree via distance learning, which includes largely internet-based courses. Courses are either offered in partnership with universities in developing countries, or delivered directly from UK universities.
• E-Learning Instructional Design & Learning Technologies Scholarship program – Scholarships for US citizens who possess a minimum of five years of post-high school work experience and have been accepted to an eligible US-based online program (related to eLearning Design/Development, Instructional Design or Learning Technology).
• Get Educated Online College Scholarship Program – Scholarships for online students from the US enrolled in an accredited online degree program in the country. You must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Open Colleges Photography Scholarship – Merit-based scholarships in which the first-place winner receives a cheque from Open Colleges to cover the complete value of the cost of their online photography course. The second-place prize is a cheque for half of the cost of your course, while the third-placed entrant receives a cheque for the quarter of the cost.
• Online Study Australia Scholarship for Online Learners – A scholarship prize of AU$2,000 is available for a foreign or Australian student who is either currently studying online is planning to undertake online study with a university or college. To enter, you need to write 200 words or less on a theme related to studying online.
• UNICAF Scholarships – Scholarships for online students of any nationality to complete online courses through the UK’s University of South Wales, the US’s Marymount California University and the Cypriot University of Nicosia. 

Click here to view the latest version of this article, based on the QS World University Rankings® 2020.

The world’s leading international study destination, the US consistently dominates the global rankings tables – and this remains the case in the QS World University Rankings® 2016-2017. Top US universities account for almost a third (32) of the top 100 positions in the ranking, with a further 30 US universities in the global top 300. Read on to discover this year’s top 10, as well as how the other 144 top US universities featured in the ranking.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) tops the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017, placing 1^st for the fifth year running. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT is of course known for its physical sciences and engineering, but is also increasingly well-respected for other subject areas in the social sciences, arts and humanities.

2. Stanford University

Climbing one place this year to overtake Harvard, Stanford University ranks second in the world in the 2016-2017 tables. Located in the heart of the famous Silicon Valley, Stanford University and is particularly well-known for its business courses – with an alumni community full of successful entrepreneurs.

3. Harvard University

Harvard University concludes the uninterrupted trio of US universities at the top of the QS World University Rankings this year. Harvard is the oldest university in the US, dating back to 1636, and achieved the top position for life sciences and medicine in the QS World University Rankings by Faculty 2015. 

4. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Retaining fifth place in the overall world ranking this year is California Institute of Technology, commonly known as Caltech, located in the city of Pasadena, California. The smallest US university in the top 10, Caltech punches above its weight – particularly in scientific and technical subjects.

5. University of Chicago

Ranked fifth in the US and tenth in the world this year, the University of Chicago is affiliated with 89 Nobel Prize winners, and its physics department is known for developing the world’s first man-made, self-sustaining nuclear reaction.

6. Princeton University

Princeton University retains its position, at 11^th place once again this year. Another of the oldest US universities, it’s especially renowned for academic excellence in the arts and humanities, achieving seventh place for this in the faculty rankings.

7. Yale University

Ranked 15^th in the world, Yale University’s alumni includes five US presidents and 13 billionaires, and in 1861 the university awarded the first PhD in the US. Around 20% of Yale’s 12,385 students are international, representing 118 countries.

8. Cornell University

Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell University ranks 16^th in the world this year. Having awarded the nation’s first veterinary medicine degree, it currently ranks second in the world for veterinary science in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016.

9. Johns Hopkins University

Ranked 17^th in the world, Johns Hopkins University was established in 1876. Considered to be the first research university in the US, it is particularly esteemed for research and teaching in the life sciences and medicine (achieving fifth place for this in the QS World University Rankings by Faculty).

10. University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania, commonly known as Penn, is ranked 18^th in the world this year. Located in Philadelphia, it’s another institution which is highly regarded for life sciences and medicine, achieving first place in this year’s inaugural ranking of the world’s top nursing schools.

The remaining 20 top universities in the US (all but one of which are in the top 50) this year are…

11. Columbia University (ranked 20^th in the world)

12. University of Michigan (ranked 23^rd in the world, up from joint 30^th last year)

13. Duke University (ranked joint 24^th in  the world)

14. Northwestern University (ranked 26^th in the world)

15. University of California, Berkeley (UCB; ranked 28^th in the world)

16. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA; ranked 31^st in the world)

17. University of California, San Diego (UCSD; ranked 40^th in the world)

18. New York University (NYU; ranked joint 46^th in the world)

19. Brown University (ranked joint 49^th in the world)

20. University of Wisconsin-Madison (ranked joint 53^rd in the world)

The next 58 top US universities all achieved positions in the global top 400:

21. Carnegie Mellon University (ranked 58^th in the world)

22. University of Washington (ranked 59^th in the world)

23. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (ranked 66^th in the world)

24. University of Texas at Austin (ranked 67^th in the world)

25. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech; ranked 71^st in the world)

26. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (ranked 78^th in the world)

27. University of California, Davis (UCD; ranked joint 85^th in the world)

28. Ohio State University (ranked 88^th in the world)

29. Boston University (ranked 89^th in the world)

30. Rice University (ranked 90^th in the world)

31. Purdue University (ranked 92^nd in the world)

32. Pennsylvania State University (ranked joint 95^th in the world)

33. Washington University in St. Louis (ranked joint 106^th in the world)

34. University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB; ranked 118^th in the world)

35. University of Maryland, College Park (ranked joint 131^st in the world)

36. University of Southern California (ranked 136^th in the world)

37. University of Minnesota (ranked 137^th in the world)

38. University of Pittsburgh (ranked 145^th in the world)

39. Emory University (ranked joint 149^th in the world)

40. University of California, Irvine (UCI; ranked 156^th in the world)

41. Dartmouth College (ranked 158^th in the world)

=42. Texas A&M University (ranked joint 160^th in the world)

=42. Michigan State University (ranked joint 160^th in the world)

44. University of Colorado at Boulder (ranked 170^th in the world)

45. University of Virginia (ranked 172^nd in the world)

46. University of Florida (ranked joint 185^th in the world)

47. University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC; ranked joint 187^th in the world)

48. University of Rochester (ranked 194^th in the world)

49. Case Western Reserve University (ranked 202^nd in the world)

=50. Vanderbilt University (ranked joint 203^rd in the world)

=50. University of Notre Dame (ranked joint 203^rd in the world)

52. Georgetown University (ranked joint 214^th in the world)

53. Arizona State University (ranked 222^nd in the world)

54. University of Arizona (ranked 233^rd in the world)

55. Tufts University (ranked 238^th in the world)

56. University of Massachusetts, Amherst (ranked 251^st in the world)

57. University of Miami (ranked joint 252^nd in the world)

58. University of California, Riverside (UCR; ranked 271^st in the world)

59. North Carolina State University (ranked 277^th in the world)

60. Indiana University Bloomington (ranked 291^st in the world)

61. University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC; ranked 296^th in the world)

62. Boston College (ranked joint 299^th in the world)

63. Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick (ranked 301^st in the world)

64. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (ranked joint 310^th in the world)

65. Yeshiva University (ranked joint 330^th in the world)

66. University at Buffalo Suny (ranked 342^nd in the world)

67. University of Hawaii at Mānoa (ranked 343^rd in the world)

=68. Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech; ranked joint 361^st in the world)

=68. Northeastern University (ranked joint 361^st in the world)

70. George Washington University (ranked joint 363^rd in the world)

71. University of Kansas (ranked 373^rd in the world)

72. University of Colorado at Denver (ranked joint 374^th in the world)

73. University of Texas Dallas (ranked joint 380^th in the world)

74. American University (ranked 384^th in the world)

75. Colorado State University (ranked joint 386^th in the world)

76. Stony Brook University (ranked joint 390^th in the world)

77. University of Iowa (ranked joint 393^rd in the world)

78. Washington State University (ranked joint 395^th)

After the top 400, the world’s top universities are given a rank in a range, starting from 401-410, up to 701+. You can find out more here.

The following 19 US universities are all in the global top 500:

=79. Brandeis University (ranked 401-410)

=79. Illinois Institute of Technology (ranked 401-410)

=79. Wake Forest University (ranked 401-410)

=82. University of Delaware (ranked 411-420)

=82. University of Utah (ranked 411-420)

=84. Iowa State University (ranked 421-430)

=84. University of Connecticut (ranked 421-430)

=86. Florida State University (ranked 431-440)

=86. The University of Georgia (ranked 431-440)

88. University of Maryland, Baltimore County (ranked 441-450)

89. Oregon State University (ranked 451-460)

=90. University of New Mexico (ranked 461-470)

=90. University of Oklahoma (ranked 461-470)

=90. University of Tennessee (ranked 461-470)

=90. Wayne State University (ranked 461-470)

94. Clark University (ranked 471-480)

95. Lehigh University (ranked 481-490)

=96. University of Nebraska (ranked 491-500)

=96. University of South Florida (ranked 491-500)

The ranking now continues in a wider range, grouping universities in bands of 50:

=98. City University of New York (501-550)

=98. Drexel University (501-550)

=98. Michigan Technological University (501-550)

=98. Missouri University of Science and Technology (501-550)

=98. Tulane University (501-550)

=98. University of Kentucky (501-550)

=104. College of William & Mary (551-600)

=104. Howard University (551-600)

=104. Syracuse University (551-600)

=104. University of Cincinnati (551-600)

=104. University of Massachusetts, Boston (551-600)

=104. University of Missouri, Columbia (551-600)

=104. University of Oregon (551-600)

=104. University of South Carolina at Columbia (551-600)

=104. University of Vermont (551-600)

=113. Clarkson University (601-650)

=113. New School University (601-650)

=113. University of Alabama (601-650)

=113. University of Houston (601-650)

=113. University of Mississippi (601-650)

=113. University of New Hampshire (601-650)

=113. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (601-650)

=120. Brigham Young University (651-700)

=120. George Mason University (651-700)

=120. Louisiana State University (651-700)

=120. Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey, Newark (651-700)

=120. Stevens Institute of Technology (651-700)

=120. Temple University (651-700)

=120. University at Albany Suny (651-700)

=120. University of Denver (651-700)

=120. Virginia Commonwealth University (651-700)

Finally, 26 universities in the US are in the 701+ range of the QS World University Rankings:

This means they’re equally placed at joint 129^th among US universities.

=129. Auburn University (701+)

=129. Baylor University (701+)

=129. Binghamton University Suny (701+)

=129. Clemson University (701+)

=129. Fordham University (701+)

=129. Georgia State University (701+)

=129. Kansas State University (701+)

=129. Kent State University (701+)

=129. Loyola University Chicago (701+)

=129. Marquette University (701+)

=129. Miami University (701+)

=129. New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT; 701+)

=129. Ohio University (701+)

=129. Oklahoma State University (701+)

=129. San Diego State University (701+)

=129. Smith College (701+)

=129. Southern Methodist University (701+)

=129. University of Arkansas (701+)

=129. University of Central Florida (701+)

=129. University of Montana Missoula (701+)

=129. University of San Diego (701+)

=129. University of San Francisco (701+)

=129. University of the Pacific (701+)

=129. University of Tulsa (701+)

=129. University of Wyoming (701+)

=129. Utah State University (701+)

To compare top US universities on each of the six indicators assessed by the rankings, explore the interactive results table. 

Find out more about studying in the US with our complete guide. 

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Martin Ince looks at the evidence gathered by the OECD on how university spending affects higher education achievement, alongside analysis of the latest QS World University Rankings. 

Over the past century, educating children has come to be regarded as a basic task for a working society. In the rich world, virtually all children go to school, while in the developing world, an “inclusive and equitable quality education” is one of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 across the South.

And a school-educated population is a national asset that most governments realize is worth paying for. According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance handbook for 2015, 91% of the money spent on non-tertiary education in the OECD nations comes from the public purse.

But even governments that accept the need to pay for schools are less inclined to fund the whole cost of higher education. The same OECD report notes that in contrast with the position for schools, 30% of the money that goes into tertiary education comes from private sources. The biggest of these is income from tuition fees paid by students and their families. Other sources of private income, such as contracts for industrial research, are smaller but still important.

Steady growth in private funding

There is also a clear trend for private funding to grow over time. The OECD finds that for countries where data is available, public funding declined from 69 to 65% of spending between 2000 and 2012.

It is possible to argue that money is money, and where it comes from does not matter, provided universities have enough of it. However, there are also critics who claim that this growing dependence on tuition fee income is bad for universities. It encourages them to grow student numbers faster than they add teaching staff, and in recent years both the UK and Australia have abandoned state controls on student numbers.

It also makes universities dependent on cash flow that can easily be diverted elsewhere if a particular institution falls in student attractiveness. And in many nations, especially the US, the sheer volume of debt built up by current fee levels is so great as to have become a national political and economic issue.

But let’s use the OECD data to look at this controversy in a new way. What, if anything, is the link between higher education spending and university success, as measured by the QS World University Rankings®?

Variation in HE spending per student

The OECD finds that its members spent an average of US$15,028 on each university student in 2012, about 50% more than the average spending on a child in primary school. But rates of growth in this spending vary wildly.

While some nations have cut spending since the 2008 financial crisis, others have continued to expand. Of the 34 nations on which the OECD has firm data, six were spending less per student in 2012 than in 2005. Hungary, Switzerland and Iceland were spending 85, 87 and 90% as much per student respectively as they had seven years earlier. (All these figures are corrected for the effects of inflation in the country in question.)

As the Swiss have one of the world’s most capable higher education systems, with its top universities ranked 8^th and 14^th in this year’s QS World University Rankings, this perhaps suggests that growing expenditure per student is not a prerequisite for university success.

The same data shows that one nation – Australia – was spending exactly as much per student as in 2005, and that Israel, Mexico and the Netherlands are essentially unaltered. However, Australia’s student numbers also grew by 33% over the same period. So the amount of cash in the higher education system rose drastically between 2005 and 2012.

Australia is of course a massive player in global higher education, and is a magnet for mobile students from Asia and beyond. It has four top-50 universities in this year’s QS World University Rankings, although its flagship institution, the Australian National University, has fallen out of the top 20.

The Netherlands, too, is well-represented in this and all other international university rankings, with a dozen top-200 institutions in the 2016 QS ranking. However, nine of these are worse-placed now than in 2015, while only three are higher. This may suggest that both countries are putting enough money into their universities to keep them functioning as world-class institutions, but have no plans for heavy new investment.

Asian investors’ success in climbing rankings

If we look at countries with significant increases in spending per student, we find that many are involved in a national catch-up operation with the rich West, including the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Also notable is Japan, which is spending more per student by 14%, at a time when student numbers are falling, making this growth steadily more affordable.

Sadly, the figures gathered by the OECD do not cover Singapore, whose top universities are in 12^th and 13^th place in this year’s QS World University Rankings. Five years ago they were placed 28^th and 58^th. However, we know that the Singaporean government has put immense resources into higher education. One sign of this success is that the Singapore Management University, set up in 2000, is one of the newest institutions in the QS ranking, entering this year in the 431-440 bracket.

However, the most striking point to emerge from the OECD data is that the biggest single increase in spending took place in South Korea, which in 2012 was spending 38% more per student in higher education than in 2005. Student numbers there were also up by 3% from 2005 and by 11% since 2000.

A look at this year’s QS World University Rankings alongside the 2011 edition shows that in those five years, Korea has grown its presence in our top 200 from five institutions to seven. Of the original five, all are better-placed now than in 2011. The top two, Seoul National University and KAIST, are up from 42^nd to 35^th, and from 90^th to 46^th respectively over the five years, while Korea University is up from 190^th to 98^th. This must be strong evidence that money spent on students is at least one factor in improved university performance.

Do ‘excellence initiatives’ work?

We know that governments do not want universities to compete only on the education they provide. They also want them to be globally important centers for the production of new knowledge. And in recent years, many have decided that the way to compete with the US and the UK as major research powers is to imitate their policy of concentrating research cash in a small number of institutions.

This has certainly been the approach taken by South Korea, where Seoul National University and a few others have received most of the nation’s university research funding. The same applies in Taiwan, whose flagship institution, National Taiwan University, has risen from 87^th to 68^th in our rankings in the past five years.

Nations from China to Latin America have imitated this approach, often with large amounts of money. An OECD analysis of these schemes looked at the biggest of them all, the German Excellence Initiative, which spent €24 billion between 2006 and 2010. It was judged a success in terms of strengthening university recruitment and early career prospects for researchers, in a system that has often been criticized for its inflexibility. The funding will continue at a lower level until at least 2017.

While the Excellence Initiative is regarded as having been transformative for German higher education, it is tricky to discern its effects on Germany’s standing in the QS rankings. In 2011 there were four German universities in the top 100, and in 2016 there still are. The three that were there in both years are all now lower-placed.

Running faster just to stay still

Perhaps the most successful attempt to boost a nation’s higher education standing has been in China, where 39 institutions benefit from the 985 program, worth almost RMB 2 billion (US$300 million) each to the biggest winners, Peking University and Tsinghua University. In 2011, these two were placed 46^th and 47^th respectively in the QS ranking. Now they are 39^th and 24^th. However, the number of Chinese universities in the top 200 remains at seven, the same total as five years ago.

It is very difficult for even the best-funded of these initiatives to match the big money available to the elite US universities that dominate the upper reaches of the ranking, or indeed their close rivals in the UK. Only Singapore has been able to push its universities into the top 20 in the face of this opposition.

In addition, there is a powerful Red Queen effect at work, which means that it is hard to stay still in these rankings, much less to move up. For example, the average top-100 university in the rankings had 4,243 international students in 2011 and has 6,117 now, a 44% increase. This means more money for the university, as well as a more elite student body.

They also had 32% more papers indexed in the Scopus database used to develop the rankings, up from an average of 23,778 to 31,467 now. That means that their research spending is likely to be on the rise. It suggests too that only a massive effort, such as those we have seen in South Korea and Singapore, and at the topmost level in China, is likely to have the effect of propelling contender universities into the upper reaches of the rankings.

For more expert analysis, read the free online supplement to the QS World University Rankings.

Click here to view the latest version of this article, based on the QS World University Rankings® 2020.

There are 71 top universities in the UK which rank among the world’s best in the QS World University Rankings® 2016-2017, including four in the global top 10, and a further 26 in the top 200. The top 10 UK universities unsurprisingly include both halves of Oxbridge, as well as four institutions in the country’s dynamic capital city London – but the list also features leading institutions from a much broader set of UK locations. Read on to discover the top UK universities this year, starting with a focus on the country’s top 10.

Click here to view last year’s list, and here to view the full 2016-2017 rankings table.

1. University of Cambridge

Retaining first place amongst UK universities is the University of Cambridge, ranked 4^th in the world this year. One of the oldest universities in the world (founded in 1209), Cambridge is closely linked to the business cluster ‘Silicon Fen’ and currently educates around 19,000 students of various nationalities.

2. University of Oxford

The oldest university in the English-speaking world, the University of Oxford is ranked 6^th in the world and 2^nd in the UK this year. This highly prestigious institution has educated no fewer than 27 Nobel Prize winners, 27 UK Prime Ministers, and many more successful figures, such as Sir Stephen Hawking.

3. UCL (University College London)

UCL is the highest ranked university in London for the second time in a row this year, placing 7^th in the global ranking and therefore 3^rd amongst UK universities. An impressive 15,600 of UCL’s 38,300 students are from outside the UK, providing good grounds for its claim to be ‘London’s global university’.

4. Imperial College London

Imperial College London is the last of these top UK universities to appear in the global top 10, ranked 9^th in the world this year. Known for its high-impact research and innovation, Imperial founded the first academic health science center in the UK.

5. University of Edinburgh

Consistently the highest-ranked university in Scotland, the University of Edinburgh climbs two places in the worldwide ranking this year to rank 19^th. Founded in 1582, the university is a member of the prestigious Russell Group, as well as the League of European Research Universities.

6. King's College London (KCL)

Heading back to the south, and King’s College London is this year ranked 21^st in the world. KCL is known for its medical teaching and research, and is home to the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, the world’s first professional nursing school.

7. University of Manchester

Up four places to rank 29^th in the world in 2016/17, the University of Manchester is another well-respected Russell Group member, the largest single-campus UK university and one of the largest in the country in terms of student numbers.

8. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is ranked joint 37^th in the world this year (alongside Japan’s Kyoto University). LSE specializes in the social sciences and has a very diverse student body, with around 9,600 full-time students from 140 countries.

9. University of Bristol

Ranked 41^st in the world, the University of Bristol in South West Englandis another member of the Russell Group of research-intensive UK universities and has been associated with 12 Nobel Prize winners throughout its 140-year history.

10. University of Warwick

Actually located on a self-contained campus just outside of Coventry, the University of Warwick is ranked joint 51^st this year alongside Australia’s University of Queensland. Having celebrated its 50^th anniversary last year, it’s already established a strong international reputation in its first half-century.

The rest of the top 20 UK universities are…

11. University of Glasgow – ranked joint 63^rd in the world. 

12. Durham University – ranked 74^th in the world.

13. University of Nottingham – ranked joint 75^th in the world.

14. University of St Andrews – ranked 77^th in the world.

15. University of Birmingham – ranked 82^nd in the world.

16. University of Sheffield – ranked 84^th in the world.

17. University of Southampton – ranked 87^th in the world.

18. University of Leeds – ranked 93^rd in the world.

19. Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) – joint 123^rd in the world.

20. University of York – ranked 127^th in the world.

The remaining top universities in the UK, in order of how they ranked this year, are… 

21. Lancaster University – ranked 129^th in the world.

22. Cardiff University – ranked 140^th in the world.

23. University of Aberdeen – ranked joint 141^st in the world.

24. University of Liverpool – ranked 157^th in the world.

25. University of Bath – ranked 159^th in the world.

26. University of Exeter – ranked joint 164^th in the world.

27. Newcastle University – ranked 168^th in the world.

28. University of Reading – ranked 175^th in the world.

29. University of Sussex – ranked joint 187^th in the world.

30. Queen's University of Belfast – ranked 195^th in the world.

31. Royal Holloway University of London – ranked 235^th in the world.

32. Loughborough University – ranked 237^th in the world.

33. University of Leicester – ranked joint 239^th in the world.

34. University of Dundee – ranked 244^th in the world, up from joint 261^st last year.

=35. SOAS - School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London – ranked joint 252^nd in the world, up from joint 275^th last year.

=35. University of East Anglia (UEA) – ranked joint 252^nd in the world.

37. University of Surrey – ranked 261^st in the world.

38. University of Strathclyde – ranked joint 272^nd in the world.

39. Birkbeck College, University of London – ranked joint 280^th in the world, up from 290^th last year.

40. City University London – ranked 314^th in the world.

41. Heriot-Watt University – ranked joint 327^th in the world.

42. University of Essex – ranked joint 330^th in the world.

43. Brunel University – ranked joint 345^th in the world.

44. Aston University – ranked 358^th in the world.

45. Oxford Brookes University – ranked joint 359^th in the world.

46. University of Kent – ranked joint 366^th in the world.

47. University of Stirling – ranked 385^th in the world.

48. Swansea University – ranked joint 390^th, up from joint 400^th last year.

After the global top 400, the remaining universities are ranked in ranges, starting from 401-410, going up to 701+.

Click here to find out more. 

49. Bangor University – ranked 411-420 in the world.

50. Goldsmiths, University of London – ranked 421-430 in the world.

51. Aberystwyth University – ranked 491-500 in the world.

52. Kingston University, London – ranked 501-550 in the world.

Three top UK universities are ranked in the 551-600 range this year, making them joint 53^rd overall in the UK:

=53. Keele University – ranked 551-600 in the world.

=53. University of Bradford – ranked 551-600 in the world.

=53. University of Hull – ranked 551-600 in the world.

Three top universities in the UK are ranked in the global top 601-650, and are therefore joint 56^th in the UK:

=56. Middlesex University – ranked 601-650 in the world.

=56. University of Portsmouth – ranked 601-650 in the world.

=56. University of Ulster – ranked 601-650 in the world.

Another three top UK universities are placed 651-700, and are therefore joint 59^th in the UK:

=59. Coventry University – ranked 651-700 in the world.

=59. London Metropolitan University – ranked 651-700 in the world.

=59. Plymouth University – ranked 651-700 in the world. 

The remaining 10 top universities in the UK are all ranked in the 701+ range:

This makes them all joint 62^nd in the UK.

=62. Manchester Metropolitan University

=62. Northumbria University at Newcastle

=62. Nottingham Trent University

=62. Robert Gordon University

=62. University of Central Lancashire

=62. University of East London

=62. University of Greenwich

=62. University of Hertfordshire

=62. University of Huddersfield

=62. University of Salford

Find out more about studying in the UK with our complete guide.

由Royal College of Art赞助

创意工作的精华。对于设计专业的毕业生和经验丰富的艺术家来说，这是最后的梯队。你一直在寻找的那个备受推崇的创意总监职位就在眼前，但你需要知道如何击败竞争对手，并向招聘人员推销自己，以获得这个职位。以下是你应该遵循的五个步骤，以在短时间内成为一个炙手可热的创意总监...。

1.  毕业后获得一些工作经验。

在你跳上研究生院的行列之前，至关重要的是你要有那些年的工作经验。一旦你获得了平面设计或动画的艺术学士学位，你就应该向招聘人员和人力资源经理发送精心制作的简历、作品集和原始求职信（见第四点），并开始在工作中学习。找出你所擅长的东西。掌握新的技能。发现你真正感兴趣的东西。在全球范围内建立一个联系网络。

2.  找出你想去的地方。

无论你是打算在广告业还是出版业工作，你都需要确保你对你的行业了如指掌。做好研究。请记住，你在杂志社领导的设计和概念工作与你在营销机构或图书出版商的工作有很大不同。 哪个行业最能引起你的共鸣？你想实现什么？

3.  做一个技术爱好者。

今天的创意总监有很多特点，包括技术专家！他的工作是在一个很好的环境下进行的。对HTML、PHP、Photoshop、Illustrator、InDesign和Flash的经验是绝对必要的，而对编码和开发的知识则是有利的。你需要能够用他们自己的术语与开发人员沟通，就像你与客户或你的设计师团队一样自信。

4.  创造性的个性化赢得今天。

你可能想考虑用其他方式来吸引你的梦想公司的注意。在这个行业里，要想获得那些更高的职位是出了名的困难，有时候，一个杀手锏和丰富的经验并不能满足需要。为了找到他们梦想中的创意工作，设计师们采取了各种别出心裁的方式向人力资源经理展示他们的才能，比如这份伪装成病人信息传单的聪明的文案写作简历，或者这份在皮克斯工作的华丽的插图申请。

5.  投资于研究生学位。

一旦你建立了自己的地位，赢得了同事的尊重，并且有了几年的经验，就开始考虑如何达到下一个层次。你可能想考虑报名参加研究生课程，如皇家艺术学院的信息体验设计、设计产品或视觉传播的硕士学位课程。这是一个获得新技能的机会，建立一个联系网络，并获得必要的证书以获得更高级别的职位。像其他RCA校友一样，你可以在毕业时直接插队到领导岗位上。

追随杰出的设计师、艺术家和发明家的脚步...

英国皇家艺术学院（RCA）86%的毕业生在毕业后6个月内找到了工作，这证明了拥有正确技能的人确实存在创意工作。这并不难理解......

皇家艺术学院的著名校友包括大卫-霍克尼、特蕾西-艾明、奥拉-基利和苹果公司顶级设计团队的八名成员，是全球最负盛名的艺术和设计大学之一，为新晋艺术家、建筑师和设计师提供先进的设施。

为了获得今年与RCA院长见面的机会，在美国的学生应该给RCA的通讯主管Áine Duffy发邮件，说明他们的学科和首选日期。

• 10月22日在旧金山
• 10月30日在纽约市
• 11月5日在芝加哥

The thirteenth edition of the QS World University Rankings, released today, sees leading US and UK universities retain their positions at the top – though facing a growing challenge from the world’s emerging economic powers.

Holding onto the top spot for the fifth consecutive year, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is now followed by Stanford University, which has climbed one place this year. Harvard University (which led the ranking from 2004-9) is now third, while the University of Cambridge (another former table-topper) slips to fourth, having shared joint third with Stanford last year.

The rest of the top 10 is predominantly stable, though Switzerland’s ETH Zurich continues its upwards trajectory, switching places with the UK’s Imperial College London.

There’s a slight pause in momentum for Asia’s frontrunners – the National University of Singapore and country-mate Nanyang Technological University – which hold steady at 12^th and 13^th respectively. A little further down the list, China’s leading light, Tsinghua University, climbs one place to its highest-ever position, at joint 24^th.

Strong upwards momentum for Asia’s HE hubs

The ranking shows progress for some (though not all) of the world’s fast-developing economies, including both China and Russia, and for leading higher education hubs across Asia.

China now has three universities in the global top 50; Tsinghua (=24) is joined by Peking University, which climbs two places to 39^th, and Fudan University, which climbs eight positions to 43^rd. Eight of the C9 group have improved their overall positions this year, with eight of these nine also gaining ground in the indicator assessing research impact.

There’s also a more general pattern of upwards momentum for institutions across Asia’s leading higher education hubs. All but one of Hong Kong’s seven featured institutions have moved up this year, with three featuring in the top 50. Both South Korea and Malaysia see their leading institutions continue to climb, and – after several years of decline – there’s a more positive picture this year for Japan as well, with 14 of the top 20 Japanese universities moving up.

The majority of Russian universities featured in the ranking have also improved their positions this year – four of them by more than 100 places. Though the nation has yet to break into the global top 100, its leading entrant, Lomonosov National State University, stays stable just outside, at 108^th.

National funding key to rankings progress?

While high levels of national investment and dedicated programs such as Russia’s 5-100 initiative and China’s 211 and 985 projects appear to be paying off, other nations are struggling to keep pace. The table this year shows institutions losing ground across most of Western and Southern Europe, as well as much of Latin America.

These patterns largely correlate with current and planned funding trends, as QS’s head of research, Ben Sowter, has suggested: “It’s not universal, but it seems clear, based on a strongly identifiable pattern, that institutions and systems with consistent or improving funding are gaining ground, whilst those being squeezed are losing out.”

A notable exception to this pattern is the US, whose institutions continue to go from strength to strength in the rankings, even amidst ongoing concerns about university funding and student debt. Many US institutions have maintained or improved their positions this year, and the country claims almost a quarter (48) of the top-200 entries. This is also the first time since the inaugural 2004/5 edition that US universities have occupied all three top spots.

The picture is not quite so bright for fellow higher education heavyweight, the UK. Though still making 30 appearances in the top 200, many UK universities have fallen in the table this year. Like many of their counterparts across continental Europe, British institutions are amongst those being forced to give way, as rising stars elsewhere in the world stake their claim to a place among the best.

About the QS World University Rankings®

Published annually, the QS World University Rankings provides an index of the world’s leading higher education institutions, based on six performance indicators. The ranking has been expanded this year to feature 916 universities (25 more than last year) in 81 countries, following an assessment of more than 3,800 institutions. The results are presented in an interactive table, which can be filtered by both location and indicator.

In 2013, QS became the first compiler of international rankings to be independently audited and approved by the IREG Observatory on Academic Rankings and Excellence. Alongside the QS World University Rankings, the "IREG Approved" label is also carried by the QS University Rankings: Asia and the QS University Rankings: Latin America.

For more in-depth analysis of this year’s results, the free digital supplement is available to read online. Join the conversation on Twitter with #QSWUR.