The world's top 100 universities

By Craig OCallaghan Updated Jun 19, 2025

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Introduction

Imperial Business School

Want to study at one of the world's top 100 universities? The QS World University Rankings offers an annually updated list of the top universities worldwide. We will be revealing which of these made the top 100.

The 2026 edition of the QS World University Rankings is once again topped by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with Imperial College London ranked in second place, above Stanford University and the University of Oxford.

To find out how universities are assessed and ranked, and how this information can help you find the right university for you, read our methodology.

Here’s a complete rundown of the world’s top 100 universities.

Rank

University

Location

QS World University Rank

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Cambridge

Cambridge, United States

QS World University Rank

Imperial College LondonLondon

London, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

Stanford UniversityStanford

Stanford, United States

QS World University Rank

University of OxfordOxford

Oxford, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

Harvard UniversityCambridge

Cambridge, United States

QS World University Rank

University of CambridgeCambridge

Cambridge, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

ETH ZurichZürich

Zürich, Switzerland

QS World University Rank

National University of Singapore (NUS)Singapore

Singapore, Singapore

QS World University Rank

UCLLondon

London, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)Pasadena

Pasadena, United States

QS World University Rank

The University of Hong KongHong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

QS World University Rank

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)Singapore

Singapore, Singapore

QS World University Rank

University of ChicagoChicago

Chicago, United States

QS World University Rank

Peking UniversityBeijing

Beijing, China (Mainland)

QS World University Rank

University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia

Philadelphia, United States

QS World University Rank

Cornell UniversityIthaca

Ithaca, United States

=17

QS World University Rank

Tsinghua UniversityBeijing

Beijing, China (Mainland)

=17

QS World University Rank

University of California, Berkeley (UCB)Berkeley

Berkeley, United States

QS World University Rank

The University of MelbourneMelbourne

Melbourne, Australia

QS World University Rank

The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)Sydney

Sydney, Australia

QS World University Rank

Yale UniversityNew Haven

New Haven, United States

=22

QS World University Rank

EPFL – École polytechnique fédérale de LausanneLausanne

Lausanne, Switzerland

=22

QS World University Rank

Technical University of MunichMunich

Munich, Germany

QS World University Rank

Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore

Baltimore, United States

=25

QS World University Rank

Princeton UniversityPrinceton

Princeton, United States

=25

QS World University Rank

The University of SydneySydney

Sydney, Australia

QS World University Rank

McGill UniversityMontreal

Montreal, Canada

QS World University Rank

Université PSLParis

Paris, France

QS World University Rank

University of TorontoToronto

Toronto, Canada

QS World University Rank

Fudan UniversityShanghai

Shanghai, China (Mainland)

QS World University Rank

King's College LondonLondon

London, United Kingdom

=32

QS World University Rank

Australian National University (ANU)Canberra

Canberra, Australia

=32

QS World University Rank

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

QS World University Rank

The University of EdinburghEdinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

The University of ManchesterManchester

Manchester, United Kingdom

=36

QS World University Rank

Monash UniversityMelbourne

Melbourne, Australia

=36

QS World University Rank

The University of TokyoTokyo

Tokyo, Japan

=38

QS World University Rank

Columbia UniversityNew York City

New York City, United States

=38

QS World University Rank

Seoul National UniversitySeoul

Seoul, South Korea

QS World University Rank

University of British ColumbiaVancouver

Vancouver, Canada

QS World University Rank

Institut Polytechnique de ParisParis

Paris, France

=42

QS World University Rank

Northwestern UniversityEvanston

Evanston, United States

=42

QS World University Rank

The University of QueenslandBrisbane City

Brisbane City, Australia

QS World University Rank

The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

QS World University Rank

University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor

Ann Arbor, United States

QS World University Rank

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los Angeles

Los Angeles, United States

=47

QS World University Rank

Delft University of TechnologyDelft

Delft, Netherlands

=47

QS World University Rank

Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai

Shanghai, China (Mainland)

QS World University Rank

Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou

Hangzhou, China (Mainland)

QS World University Rank

Yonsei UniversitySeoul

Seoul, South Korea

QS World University Rank

University of BristolBristol

Bristol, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh

Pittsburgh, United States

QS World University Rank

University of AmsterdamAmsterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands

QS World University Rank

The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

QS World University Rank

New York University (NYU)New York City

New York City, United States

QS World University Rank

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)London

London, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

Kyoto UniversityKyoto

Kyoto, Japan

=58

QS World University Rank

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenMunich

Munich, Germany

=58

QS World University Rank

Universiti Malaya (UM)Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

QS World University Rank

KU LeuvenLeuven

Leuven, Belgium

QS World University Rank

Korea UniversitySeoul

Seoul, South Korea

QS World University Rank

Duke UniversityDurham

Durham, United States

=63

QS World University Rank

City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK)Kowloon,

Kowloon,, Hong Kong SAR

=63

QS World University Rank

National Taiwan University (NTU)Taipei

Taipei, Taiwan

QS World University Rank

The University of AucklandAuckland

Auckland, New Zealand

QS World University Rank

University of California, San Diego (UCSD)San Diego

San Diego, United States

QS World University Rank

KFUPMDhahran

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

QS World University Rank

University of Texas at AustinAustin

Austin, United States

QS World University Rank

Brown UniversityProvidence

Providence, United States

=70

QS World University Rank

University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign

Champaign, United States

=70

QS World University Rank

Université Paris-SaclayParis

Paris, France

=72

QS World University Rank

Lund UniversityLund

Lund, Sweden

=72

QS World University Rank

Sorbonne UniversityParis

Paris, France

QS World University Rank

University of WarwickCoventry

Coventry, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

Trinity College Dublin, The University of DublinDublin

Dublin, Ireland

QS World University Rank

University of BirminghamBirmingham

Birmingham, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

The University of Western AustraliaPerth

Perth, Australia

QS World University Rank

KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholm

Stockholm, Sweden

QS World University Rank

University of GlasgowGlasgow

Glasgow, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

Universität Heidelberg69117 Heidelberg,

69117 Heidelberg,, Germany

QS World University Rank

University of WashingtonSeattle

Seattle, United States

=82

QS World University Rank

Adelaide UniversityAdelaide

Adelaide, Australia

=82

QS World University Rank

Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park

University Park, United States

QS World University Rank

Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Argentina

QS World University Rank

Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech)Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

QS World University Rank

University of LeedsLeeds

Leeds, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

University of SouthamptonSouthampton

Southampton, United Kingdom

=88

QS World University Rank

Boston UniversityBoston

Boston, United States

=88

QS World University Rank

Freie Universitaet BerlinBerlin

Berlin, Germany

=88

QS World University Rank

Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette

West Lafayette, United States

QS World University Rank

The University of OsakaOsaka City

Osaka City, Japan

QS World University Rank

The University of SheffieldSheffield,

Sheffield,, United Kingdom

QS World University Rank

Uppsala UniversityUppsala

Uppsala, Sweden

=94

QS World University Rank

Durham UniversityDurham

Durham, United Kingdom

=94

QS World University Rank

University of AlbertaEdmonton,

Edmonton,, Canada

QS World University Rank

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS)Sydney

Sydney, Australia

QS World University Rank

University of NottinghamNottingham

Nottingham, United Kingdom

=98

QS World University Rank

KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyKarlsruhe

Karlsruhe, Germany

=98

QS World University Rank

Politecnico di MilanoMilan,

Milan,, Italy

100

QS World University Rank

University of ZurichZürich

Zürich, Switzerland

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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.