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Out Now: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018

By Craig OCallaghan

Updated March 26, 2020 Updated March 26, 2020

Explore the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020

Discover the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020.

Released today, the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018 reveal which universities are the best in the world for 48 different subjects.

The largest ranking of its kind has been made even bigger this year by the addition of two new subjects: classics & ancient history, and library & information management.

The subject rankings are an invaluable resource when choosing which universities to apply to, and registered users of the site can shortlist and compare universities which interest them.

As for this year’s results, Harvard University can once again proudly boast of being ranked number one for more subjects than any other institution. The Massachusetts university tops 14 different subject tables, one fewer than it did last year.

The next two universities with the most number one positions are Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Oxford. These institutions are top of 12 and four subject tables respectively.

On a broader scale, universities in the US across all subjects have gone down more than they’ve gone up, something which is likely to be of concern to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the wider Trump administration.

Interestingly, the impact of Brexit on UK universities continues to be negligible, with 10 subjects topped by a British university – two more than last year.

Elsewhere in the world, the rate of improvement among universities from China and Russia has slowed, while French and Brazilian universities have fallen overall.

You can find out which university is number one for each of the 48 different subjects, as well as the five different subject areas which are included within the ranking, in the table below. Alternatively, click here to explore the full results.

To explore the results on your mobile device, download the free QS World University Rankings app, which is available for iPhone and Android. For more in-depth analysis, download our dedicated online supplement.

Every University Ranked Number One in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018
University	Subject(s)
Harvard University	Accounting & Finance, Biological Sciences, Business & Management Studies, Economics & Econometrics, History, Law, Life Sciences & Medicine, Medicine, Modern Languages, Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Politics & International Studies, Psychology, Social Policy & Administration, Social Sciences & Management, Sociology, Theology Divinity & Religious Studies
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Architecture, Chemistry, Computer Science & Information Systems, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Structural Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering & Technology, Linguistics, Materials Science, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Statistics & Operational Research
University of Oxford	Anatomy & Physiology, Archaeology, Arts & Humanities, English Language & Literature, Geography
Colorado School of Mines	Mineral & Mining Engineering
ETH Zurich	Earth & Marine Sciences
Juilliard School	Performing Arts
Loughborough University	Sports-related Subjects
Royal College of Art	Art & Design
Sapienza - Università di Roma	Classics & Ancient History
University of Sheffield	Library & Information Management*
UCL Institute of Education	Education
University of Amsterdam	Communication & Media Studies
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	Environmental Studies
University of California, Davis (UCD)	Veterinary Science
University of Cambridge	Anthropology
University of Hong Kong (HKU)	Dentistry
University of Nevada – Las Vegas	Hospitality & Leisure Management
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill	Library & Information Management*
University of Pennsylvania	Nursing
University of Pittsburgh	Philosophy
University of Sussex	Development Studies
Wageningen University	Agriculture & Forestry
*Indicates first-placed position is shared by two universities

Explore the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020

This article was originally published in February 2018 . It was last updated in March 2020

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Written by

Craig OCallaghan

As Head of Content, Craig is responsible for all articles and guides published across TopUniversities and TopMBA. He has nearly 10 years of experience writing for a student audience and extensive knowledge of universities and study programs around the world.