Top Universities for Arts and Humanities 2014

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Considering studying within the field of arts and humanities at degree level? Discover the top universities in the world for arts and humanities, based on the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings by Faculty. These rankings use international data on research citations, as well as drawing on two major global surveys of academics and employers, to provide insights into the top universities in the world for arts and humanities subjects this year.

Below are the 10 top universities in the world for arts and humanities, in video and list format… 

Top 10 universities for arts and humanities 2014

1. Harvard University

Last year’s rank (in the arts and humanities faculty rankings): 3^rd

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, US

School: Private research (Ivy League)

Fact: One of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the US, Harvard University boasts the largest academic library in the world.

2. University of Oxford

Last year’s rank: 1^st

Location: Oxford, UK

Type: Public research (collegiate)

Fact: The University of Oxford offers a number of notable scholarships for students, including the Clarendon and Rhodes scholarship schemes.

3. University of Cambridge

Last year’s rank: 2^nd

Location: Cambridge, UK

Type: Public research (with private colleges)

Fact: The historic rival of Oxford University, the University of Cambridge claims the largest endowment of any higher education institution outside of the US, at around UK£4.9 billion (approx. US$7.9 billion).

4. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

Last year’s rank: 5^th

Location: Berkeley, California, US

Type: Public research

Fact: The highest-ranked public university in the US, the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) boasts a combined campus area of 1,232 acres in the city of Berkeley, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay.

5. Stanford University

Last year’s rank: 6^th

Location: Stanford, California, US

Type: Private research

Fact: Situated in the northern part of “Silicon Valley”, Stanford University sits upon a huge 8,180 acre campus.

6. New York University (NYU)

Last year’s rank: 10^th

Location: Lower Manhattan, New York, US

Type: Private research (nonsectarian)

Fact: Situated in the heart of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, where the likes of Mark Twain, Allen Ginsburg and Bob Dylan could once be found, New York University (NYU) is often seen as a cultural hub of creativity and talent.

7. Princeton University

Last year’s rank: 7^th

Location: Princeton, New Jersey, US

Type: Private research (Ivy League)

Fact: Princeton University has a relatively small yearly intake, and offers programs in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering only. Professional degrees can also be taken with affiliated schools and institutes.

8. Yale University

Last year’s rank: 4^th

Location: New Haven, Connecticut, US

Type: Private research (Ivy League)

Fact: Another Ivy League member, Yale University is the third-oldest university in the US and its notable alumni include five former US presidents.

9. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Last year’s rank: 11^th

Location: Los Angeles, California, US

Type: Public research

Fact: The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) not only has the largest student enrolment in the entire state of California, it is also the most applied-to university in the world, with over 105,000 applications for 2014.

10=. Australian National University (ANU)

Last year’s rank: 16^th

Location: Canberra, Australia

Type: Public

Fact: Australian National University (ANU) is located in a suburb called Acton, just outside of the Australian capital Canberra, and is home to seven colleges and various national institutes.

10=. University of Chicago

Last year’s rank: 12^th

Location: Chicago, Illinois, US

Type: Private research

Fact: The highest-ranked university in the state of Illinois, the University of Chicago is also home to the largest university press in the whole of the US.

About the QS World University Rankings by Faculty

The QS World University Rankings by Faculty aims to highlight the world’s leading universities within five major subject areas. These five fields cover arts & humanities, engineering & technology, life sciences & medicine, natural sciences, and social sciences & management. These rankings are compiled using data on research citations, as well as data collected from the results of QS’s global surveys of academics and employers.