There’s a growing divide in the quality of research at elite universities and that of the rest of the pack. But US and UK universities continue to dominate the world’s top 100.
Despite that, Asian universities are rising up in the rankings, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading the way. These results are driven by government investment in universities.
Oxford University
Oxford University is the oldest English-speaking university, and is considered one of the world’s leading academic institutions. Its colleges are renowned for their exceptional teaching, research, and learning opportunities, and its undergraduate students enjoy personalized, regular tutorial teaching with subject experts, as well as being part of college communities that provide a safe, supportive environment.
Several Nobel Prize laureates, Fields medalists, and Oscar winners have studied, taught or held visiting fellowships at the University of Oxford. The university is also home to numerous alumni who have won 160 Olympic medals, including Sir Roger Bannister who ran the first sub-four-minute mile at Oxford in 1906.
Other famous alumni include Evelyn Waugh, Lewis Carroll, Aldous Huxley, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Graham Greene, Philip Pullman, and Plum Sykes, among others.
Harvard University
Harvard University is a world-renowned research university and is the oldest university in the US. It is situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
It has a vast endowment, allowing it to offer generous financial aid packages to its students. The school’s renowned academic standards and exclusive admission process attract many high-achieving students from all over the world.
The university is comprised of Harvard College, 11 graduate or professional schools, and 100+ centers of research. Some of the most prestigious schools include the Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The school aims to educate well-rounded, diverse, and forward-thinking individuals who will contribute to society. They assess applicants as a whole and look at their personal histories, extracurricular activities, and academic interests.
Cambridge University
The University of Cambridge is a world-renowned research institution and one of the oldest universities in the English-speaking world. It is a member of the Russell Group of research-led British universities, the G5, the League of European Research Universities and the International Alliance of Research Universities.
The university is renowned for its research in biology, chemistry and physics. Its graduates include Ian Wilmut, the man behind the first cloning of a mammal (Dolly the Sheep in 1996), naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough, ethologist Jane Goodall, biochemist Frederick Sanger and anthropologist Dame Alison Richard.
The University of Cambridge also has a strong literary tradition and many graduates have been successful in their writing careers. Several Poets Laureate are alumni including William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Other prominent writers include F. R. Leavis, I. A. Richards and C. K. Ogden, the so-called Cambridge Critics; new historicists Stephen Greenblatt and Terry Eagleton; aestheticians Harold Bloom and Peter Ackroyd; and biographical writers Lytton Strachey and Claire Tomalin.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a highly regarded university that’s consistently ranked among the best in the world. The college has a strong research culture and is renowned for its cutting-edge innovations, including the first chemical synthesis of penicillin, radar, quarks, and magnetic core memory.
The MIT community is driven by its mission to help students make a better world through education and research. It is an amazing place to be, with a vibrant community full of students and professors from around the globe who collaborate on projects that advance knowledge in areas ranging from aerospace technology to brain and cognitive sciences.
The university offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs and is a highly selective institution, with an acceptance rate of 7%. However, there are many ways to increase your chances of getting into MIT.
ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich has achieved 11th place in the world in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, sharing this spot with Columbia University in the US. The rankings are based on 13 “carefully calibrated” performance indicators that measure an institution’s teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.
Founded in 1855, ETH Zurich has long been known for its cutting-edge research and innovation. This is reflected in its alumni list, which features 21 Nobel laureates and many other famous scientists who have studied or worked at ETH Zurich.
ETH Zurich offers undergraduate degrees that last three years (180 ECTS credits) and master’s programs lasting two or more years, as well as doctoral studies, which take up to four years. During this time, students are required to follow an intensive course of academic study, but they also have the opportunity to participate in conferences and symposia on campus where some of Europe’s top scientists can speak to them.
