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More universities than ever before will feature in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, with 2,297 institutions from 118 countries and territories set to be assessed this year. This marks a four per cent increase from last year’s 2,191 universities. India has retained its position as the second-most represented country in the rankings for the second consecutive year.
The 2027 edition also sees three changes to the list of participating countries. Albania and Malawi will appear in the rankings for the first time, while Ethiopia returns after being absent in the previous edition.
India Continues As Second-Most Represented Country
India has 143 universities in this year’s rankings, maintaining its position behind only the United States (US), which continues to lead with 168 ranked institutions.
Japan has 112 universities featured in the rankings, while the United Kingdom (UK) has slipped to fifth place with 110 institutions.
THE World University Rankings 2026: Top Universities
In the THE World University Rankings 2026, Oxford University retained the number one position for the 10th consecutive year, driven by its strong performance in the research environment category. Princeton University was ranked third, making it the highest-ranked university from the US.
India also recorded its highest-ever representation in the 2026 rankings, second only to the US. Meanwhile, China strengthened its presence at the top, increasing the number of universities in the leading group from three to five.
|
Rank |
Institution |
Overall Score |
|
1 |
University of Oxford |
98.2 |
|
2 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
97.7 |
|
3 |
Princeton University |
97.2 |
|
3 |
University of Cambridge |
97.2 |
|
5 |
Harvard University |
97.1 |
|
5 |
Stanford University |
97.1 |
|
7 |
California Institute of Technology |
96.3 |
|
8 |
Imperial College London |
94.7 |
|
9 |
University of California |
94.4 |
|
10 |
Yale University |
94.1 |
THE Rankings: How Universities Are Assessed
The THE World University Rankings evaluate universities across four broad areas: teaching (learning environment), research environment, research quality, and international outlook.
Teaching (Learning Environment): This measures the quality of teaching through factors such as academic reputation, staff-to-student ratio, doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio, doctorates awarded per academic staff member, and institutional income.
Research Environment: This looks at a university’s research reputation, research income, and the overall strength of its research ecosystem.
Research Quality: Universities are assessed on the impact, excellence, and influence of their research using citation data and other research-related indicators.
International Outlook: This measures a university’s global presence through the proportion of international students and staff, along with international research collaborations.
THE 2027 Rankings will be released on September 30, 2026.
