QS World University Rankings 2022

Each year when the QS World University Rankings are released, we expect to see the same institutions within the top three and five positions. From 2019 to 2021 the top three places have been dominated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1^st), Stanford University (2^nd) and Harvard University (3^rd). However, in 2022, there have been notable shifts.  

While MIT celebrates its 10^th year in first position, Harvard University drops from third to fifth place, being replaced by the University of Oxford. This is quite a knock for Harvard which falls to its lowest ever position. The California Institute of Technology has also fallen from its usual position within the top five down to 6^th place.

This edition of the rankings has proven positive for UK universities. For example, the University of Cambridge climbs from 7^th to joint third position with Stanford University while Imperial College London has risen from 8^th to 7^th place (2021-2022) and UCL from 10^th to 8^th.

It’s important to remember that these universities sit within the top 10 positions and are considered global leaders in higher education. Falling one or two places in the rankings is not necessarily a reason to discredit these institutions.

Use these rankings as a starting point in your research but don’t forget that there are many other important factors to consider when comparing universities.

If you are interested in understanding the methodology behind the rankings, check out our other QS ranking article.

Which universities rank within the top 10?

Find out which universities rank within the top 10 in 2022.

Which universities rank within the top 25?

This table reflects the universities ranking in 11^th to 25^th position. Check out the differences between the rankings in 2021 and 2022.

In these latest rankings, you can see that there have been some notable changes since the 2021 edition within the top 25 universities in the world. Firstly, three out of seven U.S. universities have a lower score since last year.

This includes Princeton University which has dropped from 12^th to 20^th position, Cornell University has fallen from 18^th to 21^st and the University of Michigan Ann-Arbor has also moved from 21^st to 23^rd. However, there are some victories for other U.S. institutions. For example, the University of Pennsylvania has moved up from 16^th to 13^th, Yale University from 17^th to 14^th and Columbia University remains in 19^th.

When comparing the league tables from 2019 onwards, you can see that Peking University in China has steadily climbed the rankings from 30^th in 2019 to 18^th in 2022. The other China-based institution within the top 25, Tsinghua University, has been steadily improving its position in the tables from 17^th to 15^th position (2019-2021) but this year’s table sees it dropping back to 17^th place.

Which universities rank within the top 50?

Of course, securing a place at a top 10 university is an incredible achievement that will be highly regarded by employers around the world. But it’s also important to choose a university based on the course you wish to study. Some institutions will have better teaching and resources for certain degree programmes, so make sure you consider this when researching.

That’s why it’s worth considering universities within the top 50 and top 100 as these institutions are highly esteemed and may be better suited to your wants and needs.

With the remaining positions in the top 50, you can see more of a presence from universities in Canada, Australia, France, and China. Some of the most noticeable differences between 2021 and 2022 include the jump from 61^st to 49^th position for the Institut Polytechnique de Paris which now places within the top 50 universities in the world. Similarly, the French institution, Université PSL, has risen from 52^nd to 44^th in just a year.

Hopefully, this has given you some great insights into the best-performing universities in the world. Use these tables as a starting point for your research before looking into the university and its courses on offer.

If you have a course in mind, use our course matcher tool to find a degree, university and destination suited to your preferences and qualifications. You can also find out more about the best universities in the UK with the Complete University Guide League Tables 2022.

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