Top ten universities in the world 2016-17

Here we share the list of top 10 universities in the world released by the Center for World University Rankings (2016-17). CWUR uses eight strong parameters to determine the rankings including quality of education, quality of faculty, alumni employment, publications, influence, citations, broad impact and patents. CWUR rankings are relied upon not only by students but also by university administrators and government officials from across the globe.

Here’s an overview of the very top universities in the world this year…

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Leading the list for the fifth consecutive year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is proving difficult to shift from the top spot, thanks to its strong international reputation, highly influential research, and healthy faculty/student ratio.

2. Stanford University

Based in Silicon Valley, Stanford University climbs one place in the ranking this year, overtaking Harvard in the process. It scores well across all of the indicators used in the ranking, particularly the global reputation surveys of academics and employers.

3. Harvard University

It may no longer be at the top of the ranking (which it led between 2004 and 2009), but Harvard University remains one of the world’s most-respected institutions across a broad range of subject areas – and in fact it’s still number one in both of the reputation surveys.

4. University of Cambridge

Breaking the US monopoly, the UK’s University of Cambridge is another former table-topper. Scoring well across all metrics assessed in the ranking, it has a particularly strong faculty/student ratio – reflecting its longstanding commitment to small-group tuition.

5. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Though much smaller than most of the top universities in the world, Caltech punches well above its weight, particularly in the science and technology subjects on which it is focused. Impressively, it beats both halves of Oxbridge on faculty/student ratio, and also stands out for its high research impact.

6. University of Oxford

Never far apart, the two halves of ‘Oxbridge’ are almost neck and neck on each of the six indicators assessed, with Oxford in fact narrowly beating Cambridge for its proportion of international students and faculty, as well as claiming a slightly better faculty/student ratio.

7. UCL (University College London)

The UK’s third representative, UCL claims to be “London’s Global University” – and this assertion is well-founded. It has one of the most international student bodies amongst the top universities in the world, as well as being highly rated by both academics and employers.