QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 results

QS World University Rankings: by Subject 2023 evaluates over 1,500 institutions across 54 different subjects, grouped into five faculty (broad subject) areas. In its 13th iteration, the ranking evaluates institutions' academic performance in certain fields, to give students and institution's insight into a programme's strengths, as well as what might need to be prioritised to achieve a better study experience.

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023: Key results

• Six of the 10 most improved programmes were hosted by institutions in the Arab Region, including Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Qatar and Jordan.
• Three subjects were added to the rankings in 2023: Data Science, Art History and Marketing.
• US institutions ranked first in 32 subjects, with Harvard University leading 14.
• The University of Oxford ranked first in four of the top 15 subject tables, while the University of Cambridge led two.
• Australia ranked fourth globally for research impact according to H-index performance.

What did the 2023 Subject Rankings reveal?

Commenting on the 2023 results, Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, highlighted the role of investment, international collaboration and industry relationships in rankings performance.

“This subject ranking is the largest ever and provides an ever-deeper understanding of how rankings success is achieved. Sustained targeted investment and international collaboration are consistently pillars on which progress can be made. Meanwhile, improving relationships with industry correlates with better employment, research, and innovation outcomes.”

Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President

Top universities by broad subject area in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023

Arts and Humanities

1. Harvard University

2. University of Cambridge

3. University of Oxford

4. Stanford University

5. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

6. Yale University

7. Columbia University

7. New York University (NYU)

9. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

10. The University of Edinburgh

Engineering and Technology

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

2. Stanford University

3. University of Cambridge

4. University of Oxford

5. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

6. Imperial College London

7. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

8. Harvard University

9. Tsinghua University

10. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Life Sciences and Medicine

1. Harvard University

2. University of Oxford

3. Johns Hopkins University

4= Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

4= Stanford University

5. University of Cambridge

6. Imperial College London

7. University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

8. UCL

10= Karolinska Institute

10= University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Natural Sciences

1. Harvard University

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

3. University of Cambridge

4. Stanford University

5. University of Oxford

6. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

7. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

8. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

9. Imperial College London

10. Princeton University

Social Sciences and Management

1. Harvard University

2. University of Oxford

3. Stanford University

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

5. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

6. University of Cambridge

7. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

8. Yale University

9. University of Chicago

10. Columbia University