QS World University Rankings 2026 results

Top 10 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2026

MIT ranked first in the QS World University Rankings 2026, retaining the top position globally. The top 10 remained relatively stable, with Stanford University recording the largest change. Following improvements in Sustainability and International Faculty, Stanford rose from sixth to third.

The key facts from the QS World University Rankings 2026

• 1,501 ranked institutions
• 478 moved up
• 573 moved down
• 106 countries or locations represented
• 112 newly ranked institutions

How did countries perform in the QS World University Rankings 2026?

41% of Indian institutions have improved their ranking, with only 20% moving down – while China and Germany have a higher percentage moving up, they also have a higher percentage moving down, making India's performance particularly impressive. The US continues to be the most represented location with 192 institutions. 11 of the US institutions in the top 100 improved their ranking.

Five of Hong Kong’s nine institutions are in the top 100, and four have improved their rank.

In the United Arab Emirates, all institutions that improved their rank did so by more than five places.

The big movers in the QS World University Rankings 2026

Sunway University in Malaysia is the most improved institution, improving their rank by 129 positions.   They have seen improvements across most indicators, with their International Student Ratio and Citations per Faculty seeing particularly large jumps.

The University of Chicago breaks into the top 20, moving up 8 places to 13th.

South Korea’s Yonsei University moves into 50^th position.

Of our 112 new institutions ranked this year, the newly merged Adelaide University in Australia is the top performer, placing 82nd globally.

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Access in-depth analysis of the QS World University Rankings 2026 results in QS Insights Magazine.

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