Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024

Not sure where to study? The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 can help. Now in its 20th year, the list compares almost 2,000 universities from more than 100 regions and countries, providing you with one of the most respected reviews of higher education institutions around the world. Wherever you are looking to apply, this can be a great support to your decision-making. Find out how as we explore the latest THE Rankings.

What do the rankings tell us?

The University of Oxford remains the top university in the world, according to the latest rankings. This is the eighth year in a row that the institution has placed first on the list, leading a top 10 that comprises only UK and USA universities. Although each of those universities also appeared in last year's top 10, Oxford is the only one to stay in exactly the same position.

On a national basis, the USA performed strongest. The majority of institutions in the top 10 and 30 are based in the country, and it is also home to more than a quarter of the top 200. The UK, meanwhile, also fared well. More than 10 per cent of the top 100 universities are found in the country, and one in eight of the top 200.

However, these are global rankings, and as such they have universities in many more countries to recommend. Before we discuss those, though, here is the top 10 in full.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 top 10

Which countries perform well in the rankings?

Beyond the USA and UK, there is a world full of top-quality universities. In the top 30 alone, another six countries are represented, with many more falling just outside.

The success of universities in China is particularly notable. Six years ago, the country had only two institutions in the top 100, but it now has seven. Underlining this, its two highest-ranked have risen by several places within the top 20. In the space of a year, Peking University has climbed from 17th to 14th, while Tsinghua University has moved from 16th to 12th.

Overall, Asia is finding much success. The continent has a total of 737 universities on the full list – more than any other – with several ranking highly. Also within the top 30 are the National University of Singapore (19th) and the University of Tokyo (29th). The latter is one of 119 Japanese universities in the rankings, which is a figure bettered only by the USA.

Mainland Europe is also home to some of Times Higher Education's top universities. Eleventh-place ETH Zurich, in Switzerland, is the most highly rated of all institutions outside of the UK and USA. Elsewhere, the Technical University of Munich in Germany moves up eight places to round off the top 30 – more than any other in this part of the list.

Here is the remainder of the top 30, including some of the names mentioned above.

How are the rankings compiled?

The 2024 THE Rankings were put together on the basis of how universities performed in five different areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook. These are measured using 18 performance indicators, all of which are given a weighting for their contribution to each university's overall score. Here is how these break down:

• Teaching: 29.5%
• Teaching reputation: 15%
• Staff-to-student ratio: 4.5%
• Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio: 2%
• Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio: 5.5%
• Institutional income: 2.5%

• Research environment: 29%
• Research reputation: 18%
• Research income: 5.5%
• Research productivity: 5.5%

• Research quality: 30%
• Citation impact: 15%
• Research strength: 5%
• Research excellence: 5%
• Research influence: 5%

• Industry: 4%
• Industry income: 2%
• Patents: 2%

• International outlook: 7.5%
• Proportion of international students: 2.5%
• Proportion of international staff: 2.5%
• International collaboration: 2.5%
• Studying abroad: 0%

Are there other university rankings?

There are several other university rankings that can help you decide where to study. The QS World University Rankings 2024 were released earlier in the year, and delivered slightly different results. If you are looking to study in the UK, you may also be interested in the Complete University Guide League Tables, which are refreshed annually.

You can assess a selection of lists like these on our university rankings page, which is updated after new editions are released. There, you can also use filters to look at which universities perform best in different countries, and which are the most popular on our site. Additionally, you can read our article on how to compare universities, which has more advice on making the right decisions for you.