Best Universities in the World - 2008

The Times Higher (THES) has released its 2008 list of the world’s top-ranking universities. As in previous years (2007 listing), the rankings continue to be dominated by English-speaking universities and, in particular, those from the US and the UK which monopolise the top ten. This year, the Americans have strengthened their hold on the top ten, although Princeton has dropped out to be replaced by Columbia which comes in at number 10.

The Full Top Ten Universities List of Best Universities in the World

1. Harvard University (US)

2. Yale University (US)

3. University of Cambridge (UK)

4. University of Oxford (UK)

5. California Institute of Technology (US)

6. Imperial College London (UK)

7. University College London (UK)

8. University of Chicago (US)

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)

10. Columbia University (US)

Outside the US and UK institutions, last year’s highest ranking university, McGill, falls from number 12 to number 20, with the Australian National University remaining at number 16 which makes it the highest university outside the US or the UK.

Top Ten Universities - Natural Science

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2. University of California, Berkeley

3. University of Cambridge

4. Harvard University

5. University of Oxford

6. Princeton University

7. California Institute of Technology

8. Stanford University

9. University of Toronto (Canada)

10.University of Tokyo (Japan)

Top Ten Universities - Life Sciences and Biomedicine

1. Harvard University

2. University of Cambridge University of California, Berkeley

3. John Hopkins University

4. University of California, Berkeley

5. University of Oxford

6. Stanford University

7. Yale University

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

9. University California, San Diego

10.McGill University (Canada)

Top Ten Universities – Technology

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2. University of California, Berkeley

3. Stanford University

4. California Institute of Technology

5. University of Cambridge

6. Carnegie Mellon University

7. Imperial College London

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

9. University of Tokyo (Japan)

10.University of Toronto (Canada)

Top Ten Universities – Social Sciences

1. Harvard University

2. University of California, Berkeley

3. Stanford University

4. London School of Economics

5. University of Cambridge

6. University of Oxford

7. Yale University

8. University of Chicago

9. Princeton University

10.Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Top Ten Universities – Arts and Humanities

1. Harvard University

2. University of California, Berkeley

3. University of Oxford

4. University of Cambridge

5. Yale University

6. Princeton University

7. Columbia University

8. Stanford University

9. University of Chicago

10.UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles)

How Were the Rankings Compiled?

The rankings are compiled by a process of peer assessment, drawn from a rolling three-year survey of over 5,000 academics across the world (40% of the final score comes from this survey), a survey of almost 1,500 graduate recruiters (10%), with the remaining 50% coming from quantitative measures including staff-student ratio (20%), research papers citation scores (20%), proportion of staff from overseas (5%) and proportion of students from overseas (5%).

That so many universities appear in each of the various discipline lists is not surprising given that the rankings give a heavy weight to institutional rather than discipline specific factors.

An Important Caveat: Top-Ranked Doesn't Necessarily Mean 'Best'!

In choosing a university it is also very important to remember that universities appearing in these (or most other) rankings as being "best" may not offer the best student experience. That will depend on what a student wants from their university, how much support they need and the extent to which they are prepared to throw themselves wholeheartedly into their studies. These guides to the "top ten universities" are just that – guides. They cannot provide a student with the answer to their specific question. For many students, an institution outside the top ten universities may well be the best choice.

Oxford university

Hayes Hall University, Buffalo

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