The QS World University Rankings 2025 have been released, showcasing the top institutions globally.
In the 15th edition of the rankings, Australia has strengthened its position in global higher education, with nine universities securing places in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2025.
The University of Melbourne leads the Australian contingent, ranking 13th globally, followed by the University of Sydney (18th) and the University of New South Wales (19th). The Australian National University has climbed to 30th, while Monash University now ranks 37th.
The University of Queensland improved to 40th, while the University of Western Australia slipped to 77th. The University of Adelaide rose to 82nd, and the University of Technology Sydney entered the top 90 at 88th.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) maintains its leading position, marking its 13th consecutive year at the summit. Imperial College London has ascended to second place, while the University of Oxford and Harvard University occupy the third and fourth spots, respectively. The University of Cambridge completes the top five.
Top-ranked Universities by Subject Area:
- Arts and Humanities: Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge lead, with growth in Asian institutions like Nanyang Technological University.
- Engineering and Technology: MIT tops, with strong showings from Chinese and Singaporean universities, and new entrants in Data Science and AI.
- Life Sciences and Medicine: Harvard dominates, with a slight drop in US institutions, influenced by funding cuts.
- Natural Sciences: Harvard, MIT, and Oxford lead, with Eastern Asia (particularly China) showing notable improvement.
- Social Sciences and Management: Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford top the field, with a rise in Eastern Asian institutions and a surge in Economics and Politics rankings.
Global Trends:
- Eastern Asia showed the most growth, with significant improvements in institutions from China, Singapore, and Japan, driven by rising academic reputation and investment in research.
- Western Europe experienced declines, with notable drops in rankings for institutions in Germany and other parts of Europe.
- Newer subject areas like Data Science and Artificial Intelligence are seeing growing importance, with more than 100 institutions now ranked in these fields.
In India, the Indian School of Mines (now an IIT) in Dhanbad has secured the highest rank for any Indian institution in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, ranking 20th globally in Engineering (Mineral and Mining), an improvement from last year’s 41st position.
This year, 79 Indian institutions featured in the rankings, up from 69 in 2024. Nine Indian institutions made it to the top 50 across various subjects, including IITs in Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kharagpur, and IIMs in Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, was the only private Indian institution to rank in the top 50, placing 26th in Dentistry.
However, some top Indian institutions saw a decline in rankings, IIT Madras dropped from 16th to 31st in Petroleum Engineering, IIM Ahmedabad dropped from 22nd to 27th in Business and Management, and JNU fell from 20th to 29th in Development Studies.
IIT Delhi performed best in Engineering and Technology, improving from 45th to 26th. IIT Bombay also improved from 45th to 28th. However, many other IITs, including Kharagpur, Kanpur, and Madras, saw their rankings fall compared to last year. In Law, OP Jindal Global Law University ranked 78th.
The QS rankings are based on various indicators, including academic reputation, employer reputation, and research impact. This comprehensive assessment provides valuable insights for prospective students and highlights the dynamic nature of global higher education. This year’s rankings evaluated over 1,500 universities across 105 higher education systems. The United States boasts the highest representation with 197 institutions, followed by the United Kingdom with 90, and mainland China with 71.
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