Top Universities for Mathematics: US and UK

Up one place this year to rank sixth in the math ranking, Princeton University’s mathematics major is one of the most versatile at the university, providing you with opportunities to work with some of the best mathematicians in the world in a wide range of the fundamental aspects of both applied and pure mathematics. At graduate level, the department’s program is unique among other top math schools in that it emphasizes independent research from the start.

Next among the world’s top universities for mathematics is the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) at seventh, which achieved its strongest score for academic reputation. One of the broadest and liveliest academic departments, UCB’s department of mathematics has around 680 students and 55 regular faculty members and is also enriched by visiting teachers who come from all over the world to teach courses, collaborate in research, be available as consultants and give talks in the weekly Mathematics Colloquium.

Ranked ninth for mathematics this year, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is the youngest of these top math schools by far, having awarded its first PhD in 1947. In close proximity to UCLA’s Department of Mathematics is the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, funded by the National Science Foundation, which operates important interactions with the department and runs a unique two-month research program for undergraduate students.

The highest-ranked UK university in mathematics, placing fourth globally, continues to be the University of Oxford. Mathematics at Oxford is mostly taught via tutorials, with small groups of students taught by a world expert in mathematics, providing a flexible and personalized style of teaching. This system allows tutors to closely monitor your progress and guide you in your studies.

Mathematics graduates from Oxford are in high demand, with an average salary of £31,300 six months after graduation, working in areas such as finance, consultancy and IT.

Just one place behind its rival at fifth is the University of Cambridge, which achieved the highest score among the world’s top math schools for employer reputation. The university’s Faculty of Mathematics is housed within the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, which is also home to the Isaac Newton Institute, an international research institute named after one of Cambridge’s most celebrated alumni.

The faculty’s undergraduate course, known as the Mathematical Tripos, can be taken for three or four years, with those graduating after four years receiving BA and MMath degrees.

Up from 11^th to 10^th place in this year’s math ranking, Imperial College London achieves its strongest score for employer reputation. The Department of Mathematics boasts its own excellent library facilities, substantial computing power and outstanding level of teaching and research. In addition to projects completed as part of their students, undergraduate students are invited to apply for the summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP), academic internships which allow students to work alongside the research groups in the department.

Also ranked in the global top 10 for mathematics this year is Switzerland’s ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), which is ranked eighth. Expanding our focus to the 20 top universities for mathematics, you’ll find several more US universities, as well as Singapore’s National University of Singapore (NUS) (13^th), Japan’s University of Tokyo (17^th), Canada’s University of Toronto (19^th) and China’s Peking University (20^th).

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