Top 10 University In the World - QS World Ranking 2025

In today’s competitive & skillful industry, earning a degree is just not enough but earning it from the right place with the right skills is something that is being asked by the top recruiters of this industry. Talking about the right place, are you someone planning to move abroad for study or career?

Well, if you are then you are at the right place at this moment! In this blog, we are going to discuss something that can help you choose your university with a better & broader prospect. 

Source: Drishti IAS

We all know that to survive the competition of today’s world, a degree from a top university is vital in getting recognition in the relevant domain of the industry & many factors are accountable for building up the reputation of that university. These factors are considered while ranking these universities in terms of the academic excellence they are providing to contribute to the well-being of society.

One such ranking method that has been accepted globally is Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Ranking which evaluates the performance of universities based on their teaching, nurturing,  research, internationalization, and employability status.

If you are aspiring to study at top global universities, check out the list of top global universities released by QS World Ranking 2025. The top 10 of that list have been discussed here, in brief, to provide you with an overview of these best institutions.

An Overview of QS World University Rankings

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings are university rankings published in collaboration with Times Higher Education (THE). These rankings are released annually by using updated methodologies of university rankings. 

The factors included in evaluating universities as per QS world ranking are academic reputation, employer reputation, research impact, and internationalization. In the 2025 rankings, 3 new metrics, Sustainability, Employment Outcomes, and International Research Network, have been implemented in the evaluation methodology for QS.

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QS rankings are released in several categories other than the Global University Rankings. These categories include Regional Rankings, Subject Rankings, Best Student Cities Rankings, Sustainability Rankings, & MBA and Business Master’s Rankings. The factors used to evaluate universities in the above-mentioned categories are different from those followed in the Global University Rankings. 

Out of 1500 institutions listed in the QS world university rankings 2025, the top 10 have been discussed in detail here.

Top 10 World Universities

QS World University rankings are released every year to provide an updated list of universities as per their performances. The contributing percentage of each parameter is provided here that was used for QS 2025 Rankings:

• Academic reputation: 40%
• Faculty/student ratio: 20%
• Citations/faculty: 20%
• Employer reputation: 10%
• Internationalization: 10%

As per the QS World University Rankings 2024 - 2025, the top 10 performing universities have been listed here.

QS World University Ranking 2025	University Name	Overall Score out of 100	Country of Origin
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	100	USA
2	Imperial College London	98.5	UK
3	University of Oxford	96.9	UK
4	Harvard University	96.8	USA
5	University of Cambridge	96.7	UK
6	Stanford University	96.1	USA
7	ETH Zurich	93.9	Switzerland
8	National University of Singapore (NUS)	93.7	Singapore
9	University College London (UCL)	91.6	UK
10	California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	90.9	USA

Let's look at some main highlights of these 10 universities one by one to provide you with some of the unique initiatives that made them become the top performers in this list.

1) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Located in the prime location of  Cambridge, Massachusetts was established in the year 1861. Some of the main highlights of this university are tabulated below.

MIT Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) Association of American Universities (AAU) Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU)  Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE)  National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) Universities Research Association (URA)
Schools of Education	Engineering  Science Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences Management Architecture
Category of Courses	UG PG Doctorate (Ph.D./D.Sc.) Executive Education Professional Courses
Number of Undergraduate Students	4,657 (2022-2023)
Number of Postgraduate Students	7,201 (2022-2023)
Number of Faculty Members	1,069

2) Imperial College London

Imperial College London was founded in 1907 in London by Royal Charter. It holds a global reputation for providing excellence in research & innovation. An overview of this university is provided below.

Imperial College of London Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)  European University Association (EUA) Global Alliance of Technological Universities League of European Research Universities (LERU) Russell Group Science and Engineering South (SES)
Schools of Education	Medicine Business Education Natural Sciences Engineering
Category of Courses	UG PG Doctorate/Ph.D. Continuing Education
Number of Undergraduate Students	11,722
Number of Postgraduate Students	11,069
Number of Faculty Members	4,440

3) University of Oxford

Founded in 1096, the University of Oxford is the world’s second oldest university in continuous operation. With its outstanding contribution to society in terms of teaching & research, Oxford University holds a global reputation.

Some of the highlights of the university are listed here :

University of Oxford Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) Russell Group Europaeum European University Association (EUA) League of European Research Universities (LERU) Science and Engineering South Universities UK (UUK)
Schools of Education	Law Mathematics Science Literature, music, and drama Philosophy
Category of Courses	UG PG Doctorate/Ph.D. Continuing Education
Number of Undergraduate Students	12,580
Number of Postgraduate Students	13,445
Number of Faculty Members	6,945

4) Harvard University

Harvard University was founded in 1636 as Harvard College in  Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. It is one of the most prestigious institutions in the world that has produced a varied number of notable alumni.

Some of the key highlights of this university have been tabulated here :

Harvard University Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)  Association of American Universities (AAU) National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) Universities Research Association (URA) Member of Space-grant Colleges
Schools of Education	Medical Business Design Education Engineering and Applied Sciences Law Arts and Science
Category of Courses	UG PG Doctorate/Ph.D. Continuing Education
Number of Undergraduate Students	7,153
Number of Postgraduate Students	14,495
Number of Faculty Members	2,400+

5) University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is the third oldest university in operation, founded in 1209. The university is based in Cambridge, England & is renowned for imparting academic excellence.

Some of the top features of this university are listed below :

University of Cambridge Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	European University Association (EUA)  League of European Research Universities (LERU) International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU)
Schools of Education	Arts and Humanities Biological Sciences Clinical Medicine Humanities and Social Sciences Physical Sciences Technology
Category of Courses	UG PG Continuing Education Executive & Professional Education
Number of Undergraduate Students	12,850 (2020)
Number of Postgraduate Students	11,600 (2020)
Number of Faculty Members	6,170

6) Stanford University 

Leland Stanford Junior University or Stanford University was founded in 1885 in Stanford, California, USA. It is well known for its academic excellence in the STEM field.The innovative researches of this university are renowned worldwide.

Some valuable facts about the university are provided here:

Stanford University Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Association of American Universities (AAU) Member of Space-grant Colleges
Schools of Education	Medicine Business Education Law Humanities & Sciences Engineering Sustainability
Category of Courses	UG PG Doctorate/Ph.D. Continuing Education
Number of Undergraduate Students	7,858
Number of Postgraduate Students	9,388
Number of Faculty Members	2,279

7) ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich was established in 1855 in Switzerland. It is one of the best global institutions for the STEM domain.

Some of the general aspects of this university are listed below :

ETH Zurich Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research (CESAER) European University Association (EUA)  International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) UNITECH International  IDEA League GlobalTech
Schools of Education	Architecture Civil Engineering  Mechanical Engineering Chemistry Forestry Mathematics Natural Sciences Literature Social and Political Sciences
Category of Courses	UG PG Doctorate/Ph.D. Continuing Education
Number of Undergraduate Students	10,642
Number of Postgraduate Students	8,299
Number of Faculty Members	6,612

8) National University of Singapore (NUS)

Established in 1905, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in Singapore. The university is renowned globally for its research-oriented courses offered in diversified specialization ranges.

Here are some quick facts about the university :

National University of Singapore Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)  International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU)  Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Universitas 21 (U21) GEM4 ASEAN University Network (AUN) Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA)  McDonnell International Scholars Academy University Alliance in Talent Education Development (UAiTED)
Schools of Education	Sciences Medicine and Dentistry Design  Environment Law Arts Social sciences Engineering Business Computing Music
Category of Courses	UG PG Doctorate/Ph.D. Continuing Education
Number of Undergraduate Students	27,604
Number of Postgraduate Students	8,304
Number of Faculty Members	2,555

9) University College London (UCL)

University College London (UCL) is known for its student diversity all around the world which is reflected in its second-largest position in the UK for total enrolment of students.

The university was founded in 1826 & was known as “London University” for being the first university in London. Some key highlights of the university are listed here.

University College London Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	Universities UK (UUK)  European University Association (EUA) League of European Research Universities (LERU)  Russell Group  Science and Engineering South (SES) University of London (UoL) Universities UK (UUK)
Schools of Education	Education & Society Built Environment Arts & Humanities Brain Sciences Engineering Sciences Mathematical & Physical Sciences Medical Sciences Health Sciences Social & Historical Sciences
Category of Courses	UG PG Doctorate/Ph.D. Continuing Education
Number of Undergraduate Students	23,800
Number of Postgraduate Students	23,030
Number of Faculty Members	9,585

10) California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

The California Institute of Technology was established in 1891 in Pasadena, California. It is a world-renowned science and engineering research and education institution that offers a wide variety of undergraduate, graduate, executive, & online courses.

The institute also has a high research output with high-quality facilities of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (owned by NASA), the Caltech Seismological Laboratory, and the International Observatory Network. A brief about the university is provided below.

California Institute of Technology Specifications	Specification Details
Accreditations & Affiliations	WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation (TPR) Review  Association of American Universities (AAU) Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU)  Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE) Universities Research Association (URA) Member of Space-grant Colleges
Schools of Education	Chemistry Engineering Environmental Design Letters and Science Public Policy Business Natural Resources Information Education Law
Category of Courses	UG PG Online Education Executive Education Research
Number of Undergraduate Students	984
Number of Postgraduate Students	1,417
Number of Faculty Members	943

Top 10 Indian Institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2025

There are many Indian institutions or universities which hold a global reputation for their innovative & research-based learning methodologies. This feature of Indian institutions has made them achieve good ranks in the world university rankings of QS.

In 2025, the top 10 Indian universities that made it to QS World University Rankings are the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

Here is the list of the top 10 Indian Institutions that made it to QS World University Rankings 2025 along with their ranks:

University/Institution	QS World University Rankings 2025
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay	118
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi	150
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore	211
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur	222
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras	227
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur	263
University of Delhi	328
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee	335
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati	344
Anna University	383

Some Quick Facts of QS World University Rankings 2025

Universities that made it to the top 10 in the QS World University Rankings 2025 have excelled in evaluating parameters as decided by the QS panel.

However, some extraordinary performers might not have secured a position in the top 10, but their performance is eye-catching & noteworthy.

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Let’s look at some key highlights of such amazing performers or universities of the QS World University Rankings 2025 that have been briefed here :

• Most European and American universities secured top 10 positions after earning a score of perfect 100 in parameters like “‘Academic reputation,’’ ‘’Employer reputation,’’ and ‘’Faculty/Student ratio.’’
• The university that achieved a perfect 100 score in the new metric of Sustainability is the University of California, Berkeley (UCB).
• The University of Manchester (ranked 34th) and the University of British Columbia (ranked 38th) scored 99.8 in the Sustainability metric.
• The only Asian Institution in the top 10 is the National University of Singapore (NUS).
• In the 2025 rankings, there are 85 newcomers including 11 from Bangladesh, 10 from Indonesia, 5 from India, 4 from Kazakhstan, 5 from Malaysia, & many others.
• This time the California Institute of Technology has made it to the top 10.
• Institutions from Iceland, Luxembourg, Nigeria, and Ethiopia also made it to the QS world rankings this year.
• Some exceptional performers like Hamad bin Khalifa University from Qatar ranked 183 and the University of Luxembourg secured 355th place in the QS World University Rankings this year.

What are QS Stars?

Apart from the annual rankings, QS conducts an audit for universities evaluating its performance regarding stars. This evaluation involves different parameters than the QS world-ranking university parameters. Stars granted to the universities are a system of evaluation & do not contribute to their rankings. 

The minimum score that a university can get is zero stars (0*) & the maximum is a 5-star plus (5* +). There are 12 options of categories & the institutions get to choose 8 from these options to get evaluated. Out of these 8, 4 are mandatory & 4 are based on the choice of universities.

12 Categories of QS Star Evaluation
Teaching	Program Strength
Employability	Research
Facilities	Internationalization
Online/Distance Learning	Arts & Culture
Social Responsibility	Inclusiveness
Innovation	Subject Ranking

Conclusion

Founded in 1990, QS was started to provide university/institute information to students planning to study abroad. In 2004, QS partnered with THE to launch the rankings of universities all around the globe based on their performance in different evaluating categories. The recent release of QS World University Rankings 2025 provides you with an updated list of international universities.

So, if you are planning on getting associated with an international university, do check the list of the top universities as per QS World University Rankings 2025 & plan accordingly for a valuable career ahead. 

Because “the best way to predict your future is to create it!”: