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Top 10 University In the World - QS World Ranking 2024
Dec 11, 2023 7.8K Reads
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.
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.
Source: Drishti IAS
If you are aspiring to study at top global universities, check out the list of top global universities released by QS World Ranking 2024. 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 2024 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 2024, 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 2024 Rankings:
- Academic reputation: 40%
- Faculty/student ratio: 20%
- Citations/faculty: 20%
- Employer reputation: 10%
- Internationalization: 10%
As per the QS World University Rankings 2023 - 2024, the top 10 performing universities have been listed here.
| QS World University Ranking 2024 | University Name | Overall Score out of 100 | Country of Origin |
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 100 | USA |
| 2 | University of Cambridge | 99.2 | UK |
| 3 | University of Oxford | 98.9 | UK |
| 4 | Harvard University | 98.3 | USA |
| 5 | Stanford University | 98.1 | USA |
| 6 | Imperial College London | 97.8 | UK |
| 7 | ETH Zurich | 93.3 | Switzerland |
| 8 | National University of Singapore (NUS) | 92.7 | Singapore |
| 9 | University College London (UCL) | 92.4 | UK |
| 10 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | 90.4 | 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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| Number of Undergraduate Students | 4,657 (2022-2023) |
| Number of Postgraduate Students | 7,201 (2022-2023) |
| Number of Faculty Members | 1,069 |
2) 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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| Number of Undergraduate Students | 12,850 (2020) |
| Number of Postgraduate Students | 11,600 (2020) |
| Number of Faculty Members | 6,170 |
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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| 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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| Number of Undergraduate Students | 7,153 |
| Number of Postgraduate Students | 14,495 |
| Number of Faculty Members | 2,400+ |
5) 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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| Number of Undergraduate Students | 7,858 |
| Number of Postgraduate Students | 9,388 |
| Number of Faculty Members | 2,279 |
6) 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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| Number of Undergraduate Students | 11,722 |
| Number of Postgraduate Students | 11,069 |
| Number of Faculty Members | 4,440 |
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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| 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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| 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 |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| Number of Undergraduate Students | 23,800 |
| Number of Postgraduate Students | 23,030 |
| Number of Faculty Members | 9,585 |
10) University of California (UCB), Berkeley
The University of California was established in 1868 in Berkeley, California. It is California's first Public land-grant research university that offers a wide variety of undergraduate, graduate, & doctorate courses. A brief about the university is provided below.
| University of California Specifications | Specification Details |
| Accreditations & Affiliations |
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| Schools of Education |
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| Category of Courses |
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| Number of Undergraduate Students | 32,479 |
| Number of Postgraduate Students | 12,828 |
| Number of Faculty Members | 23,524 |
Top 10 Indian Institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2024
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 2024, the top 10 Indian universities which made it to QS World University Rankings are the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Here is the list of the top 10 Indian Institutions which made it to QS World University Rankings 2024 along with their ranks.
| University/Institution | QS World University Rankings 2024 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay | 149 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi | 197 |
| Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore | 225 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur | 271 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur | 278 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras | 285 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati | 364 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee | 369 |
| University of Delhi | 407 |
| Anna University | 427 |
Some Quick Facts of QS World University Rankings 2024
Universities that made it to the top 10 in the QS World University Rankings 2024 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 2024 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 Pennsylvania (ranked 12th), the University of Toronto (ranked 21st), and the University of British Columbia (ranked 34th) scored 99.9 in the Sustainability metric.
- The only Asian Institution in the top 10 is the National University of Singapore (NUS).
- In the 2024 rankings, there are 85 newcomers including 11 from Bangladesh, 10 from Indonesia, 5 from India, 4 from Kazakhstan, 5 from Malaysia, & many others.
- Two new universities of the National University of Singapore and the University of California, Berkeley, have 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 and the University of Luxembourg secured their place in the top 400 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 2024 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 2024 & plan accordingly for a valuable career ahead.
Because “the best way to predict your future is to create it!”
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
As per the QS World University Rankings 2024, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the best university in the world.
As per NIRF 2023 rankings, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore is the best university in India that has ranked 225 in the QS World University Rankings 2024.
QS Stars are granted after the audit of universities by QS following a specific category of evaluation parameters but QS ranking is a broader prospect & is prepared in collaboration with Times Higher Education (THE) considering an entirely different set of evaluation parameters.
Apart from the Global university rankings, QS releases 4 regional rankings of the Arab Region, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
In QS Subject Rankings, universities are evaluated based on their performance in some specific subject domains including Arts & Humanities, Life Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Natural Sciences, Medicine, Social Sciences, Business, Mathematics, Law, etc.
As per QS Best Student Cities, London is the best city in the world that offers appealing student benefits. Second on that list is Munich followed by Seoul, Zurich, and Melbourne.
The five factors that are used for the evaluation of universities in the QS Best Student Cities category are University Rankings (based on QS World University Rankings), Student Diversity, Desirability (based on safety, pollution, and infrastructure), Employer Activity (based on employment opportunities), & Affordability (based on the cost of living, fees, and the availability of scholarships/financial support).
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